Practical info
Below you find all practical information about the Sofico Ghent Marathon.
FRIDAY 22 MARCH 2024
- Pick up your bib number at the Topsporthal: 12.30am – 6.30pm
- Runners’ Lab Marathon Expo: 12.30am – 6.30pm
SATURDAY 23 MARCH 2024
- Pick up your bib number at the Topsporthal: 10am – 5pm
- Runners’ Lab Marathon Expo: 10am – 5pm
SUNDAY 24 MARCH 2024
- Collect bib number: 8am – 10am
- Start Sofico Gent 10k: 9.30am
- Start Sofico Gent Marathon & Half Marathon: 10am
- Close of finish: 4pm
- End of event: 5pm
* The Runners’ Lab Marathon Expo will only take place on Friday & Saturday.
Start & finish for all distances of the Sofico Gent Marathon are at Topsporthal Vlaanderen, Zuiderlaan 14, 9000 Ghent.
- Personalized race number with your name*
- Unique medal at the finish
- Marathon participants receive the exclusive Sofico Gent Marathon T-shirt for free
- Refreshment stations on the course and at the finish
- Changing rooms
- Free storage of sports bags
- A marathon & half marathon course officially measured by World Athletics
- Correct distance and time indication on the course and at the finish
- Complete results, available live on the website
- Detailed course description for every distance, with indication of the supply posts
- Sportinez insurance during the races. Click here for more information.
- Electronic chip for correct time recording
*Personalised bib numbers only available for participants registered online by March 4th, 2024.
Participation packages will not be sent by mail but can be collected on site on Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24, 2024.
1 week before the event, individually registered participants will receive a confirmation email with their personalised number (when registered by March 4th), which allows participants to collect their race numbers from the registration desk.
You can pick up your running shirt on presentation of your envelope. Please note: indicating the desired size on the registration form is purely informative & no guarantee that this size is still available when picking up the T-shirt. The earlier you pick up your T-shirt, the more likely it is that the size you want is still available.
(*) Those who register online before 4 March will receive a personalised bib number.
Supplies of drinks and food will be provided at various points along the course. Dropping off personal drinks is not possible.
MARATHON
- 6: water – AA Drink Iso lemon
- 10: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – Tuc – winegums
- 15: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – bananas
- 20: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – Tuc – winegums
- 24: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – bananas
- 31: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – Tuc – winegums
- 35: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – bananas
- 37: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – Tuc – winegums
- 39: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – bananas
HALF MARATHON
- 6: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon
- 10: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon
- 15: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon
- 17: water – AA Drink Iso Lemon
10 KM
- 7: water
FINISH
- Water – AA Drink Iso Lemon – Fulfil – HIPRO
Sofico Gent Marathon
The time limit for Sofico Gent Marathon runners is 6 hours. By order of the police the roads will be opened for traffic based on this pace. Those running slower will be eliminated from the race but can continue on the course at their own risk, but must strictly adhere to the traffic rules like pedestrians.
Sofico Gent Half Marathon
By order of the police, the course will be opened for traffic after the last runner finishes, following a tight schedule of 7 minutes per kilometre. Those running slower will be eliminated from the race but can continue on the course at their own risk, but must strictly adhere to the traffic rules like pedestrians.
Important: switching from the (half) marathon to the 10 km distance is not possible as this distance is full.
After 4 March, changes are only possible at the registration desk on Friday 22, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March.
Distance change (on-site)
- Collect the bib number using the confirmation email of the person from whom you are taking the starting number.
- Change the information at the desk ‘change of name/distance’ and receive a new bib number.
- Changing to a lower distance is free of charge. For a higher distance, the difference in price will be charged.
Name change (on-site)
- Collect the bib number using the confirmation email of the person from whom you are taking the starting number.
- Change the information at the desk ‘change of name/distance’ and receive a new bib number.
- Do not forget to bring your ID. For a name change there is a € 5 administration cost.
Timing is done using an electronic chip. This chip, on the back of the bib number, measures the net time between start and finish. This means that your time does not start running until you cross the starting line. This extra service ensures a more accurate recording of your time.
This chip is included in the registration fee and does not need to be recovered after the race.
Do not fold the bib number and do not remove the stickers on the chip
You can drop off your sports bag in the ‘bag drop area’.
- In your participation pack is a sticker with the same number as your BIB number.
- Stick this sticker on your bag and hand it in the bag drop area.
- Sign in at the tent corresponding to your start number.
- You can pick up your bag ONLY upon presentation of your start number
- Make sure you have a tight-fitting (sports) bag to put all your belongings in, loose items of clothing will not be accepted.
- Sports bags can be collected until 17h .
Showers and changing rooms for M/F are available for participants in the Topsporthal, location of start and finish of all distances of the Sofico Gent Marathon.
The Sofico Gent Marathon will also feature a Pacer Team with pacers for various speeds.
These pacers will be easily recognisable in their start boxes thanks to their coloured flags:
Sofico Gent Marathon
- 2:59 pink flag
- 3:15 blue flag
- 3:30 yellow flag
- 3:45 red flag
- 3:59 green flag
- 4:15 black flag
- 4:30 orange flag
- 4:45 grey flag
- 5:00 white flag
Sofico Gent Half Marathon
- 1:30 pink flag
- 1:40 blue flag
- 1:50 yellow flag
- 2:00 red flag
- 2:10 green flag
- 2:20 black flag
- 2:30 orange flag
A wristband is provided for each participant: it shows the split times per kilometre that you have to run to reach your desired finish time. A useful reminder during the race, that you simply wear around your wrist! These bands can be picked up for free at registration.
SPORTOGRAF.COM is our official photo partner and will take photos of all participants during the Sofico Ghent Marathon. You can order these one day after your participation via You do not have to enter a personal best when registering.
For the start of the marathon, you can go and take your place in the start box of the time you are aiming for, just like the pacers. This should ensure ideal running comfort for everyone. We do not perform checks. If all marathon runners stick to the rules of fair play, everyone can have a good start.
- The start boxes for the marathon: <2:59/3:15/3:30/3:45/3:59/4:15/4:30/>4:30.
- Start boxes for the half marathon: <1:30/1:40/1:50/2:00/2:10/2:20/> 2:20.
There is no start box for faster athletes in this competition. Everyone starts together.
All participants can have their medal engraved with name and time immediately after the race. In the registration form, you can tick ”medal engraving” for this for €8.
If you did not tick this on your registration form, you can still decide this yourself on the spot and pay €10 for this, this as long as there are still available places.
The organisers would like to advise against intense physical activity without proper preparation. Ensure that you make sensible decisions regarding the distance you wish to cover and/or the pace you want to maintain. If you want to take part in competitive sport at high intensity level, it is advised to undergo an annual medical check-up.
The submission of medical certificates is not mandatory. It is up to the athlete himself to decide how to deal with the information he receives during a medical check-up. The organiser shall bear no responsibility in this regard.
More information on health & sports can be found here.
The organisation also applies the following minimum age:
- Marathon: 18 years
- Half Marathon: 16 years
Would you like to combine Sofico Gent Marathon with a visit to this unique historic city? You can!
Ghent breathes history and offers you a fascinating cultural cocktail filled to the brim with trendy and modern city life. Ghent is a city for bon vivants. The sympathetic and hospitable inhabitants of Ghent know what the good life is all about. During your city trip, don’t miss the opportunity to admire the world-famous masterpiece “The Mystic Lamb” by the brothers Van Eyck.
For information about accommodation and places of interest, please refer to visit.gent.be
