It looks like Covid-19 will continue to be part of our society for a while longer. But we, the organisers, continue to have a positive outlook on the future and we have managed to devise a revised and safe format for the 2021 Sofico Ghent Marathon offering not one date, but several running dates between 20/03/2021 and 18/04/2021.
Loads of runners have been training hard over the last months. There is a great deal of enthusiasm and a strong urge to run. A great hunger for a physical event. We want to feed that hunger by offering this revised, safe format. A large-scale event in 1 day is no longer realistic nor is it a desirable scenario for many participants. That is why we are now opting for this alternative scenario as a positive and hopeful rush ahead.
Our organisation has devised a new format to guarantee maximum safety and comfort for our participants. Many of these measures are described in detail in these FAQ.
You can participate on the following dates:
| full | available |
SAT 20.3 |
SUN 21.3 |
SAT 27.3 |
SUN 28.3 |
SAT 3.4 |
SUN 4.4 |
MON 5.4 |
SAT 10.4 |
SUN 11.4 |
SAT 17.4 |
SUN 18.4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 | 08.30 - 09.00 |
| 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 | 09.00 - 09.30 |
| 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 | 09.30 - 10.00 |
| 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 | 10.00 - 10.30 |
| 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 | 10.30 - 11.00 |
Once you have registered, you will only receive a confirmation email, NOT an e-ticket. Bib numbers will be posted to your home, you will receive yours a couple of days before your run.
Between Saturday 20th March and Sunday 18th April, you will be able to explore the most beautiful spots along the green belt of Ghent and enjoy a perfect balance between stunning nature and pleasant urban areas. The Sofico Ghent Marathon's course will take you past the most beautiful spots of the green belt around Ghent, the Oude Leie, through De Assels, the magnificent Parkbos, Zeven Dreven and Blaarmeersen.
You will start (and finish) at the Topsporthal site. With your bib number pinned to your shirt, you will cross the starting line and follow the arrows. If you are running a full or half marathon, we will provide extra supplies along the route. After a course of 5, 10, 21 or 42 km we will reward you with a well-deserved van Eyck medal and high-quality provisions at the end.
So it's a brand new and safe format! Afterwards, you can view your performance and compare it to others via the website (the rankings will be updated continuously).