The marathon hype

Running marathons is hot. More and more people are running them, which is evident from the last few marathons I’ve participated in. This year’s Rotterdam Marathon sold out in two hours, compared to a week when I last participated.

I have been running marathons since I was 17, so I have seen their popularity change considerably. In 1999, I ran the Ghent Marathon and, if I remember correctly, there were fewer than 1,000 registrations. This year, there were more than 5,000 registrations for the Ghent Marathon. Unfortunately, the prices of marathons are also skyrocketing. For the Ghent Marathon, it is now 115 euros. Important for anyone who wants to participate in a marathon: marathons often work with a tiered registration fee. The earlier you register, the cheaper it is. 

Due to the high price tag of these events, marathons have come under fire from internet trolls. I understand some of the criticism. Many of the events are indeed too expensive. But of course, it’s also a matter of supply and demand. This year, there were 500,000 applicants for the London Marathon, compared to 50,000 places.

On the other hand, there are certainly still many marathons that charge much lower registration fees. The Monschau marathon has set the entry fee at €32 to €64.

Small scale versus large scale:

Many marathons are mass events. This certainly causes disruption in the city. On the other hand, it also generates a lot of income and prestige for the organizing cities. There is often a carnival atmosphere. 

There are certainly still small-scale running events. I recently took part in the Bosmarathon (half marathon), which had fewer than 700 participants. 

Why take part in a marathon?

I can say that it gives you a special thrill to run through a flood of people in the Rotterdam marathon, for example. The spectators are ecstatic and you feel like a Tour de France cyclist for a moment. I must admit that I also derive a sense of identity from it. The event is just the icing on the cake after weeks of working towards the goal. 

Everyone has their addiction.

© Dieter Bruyneel (translated by Deepl.com)