Brussels, Belgium, Birthday

I might be the most predictable guy in the world. If you have read at least one post here, then you would have realized that in my free time, I must be either cycling or running. And last weekend I did both! Following my ride across Flanders, I ran the 20km de Bruxelles on Sunday. What better way to celebrate a birthday? (it's a rhetorical question)

20km of Brussels: Race Report

In this post I'll give a recap of some random observations I made on the morning. So I am not going to bore you with the mile-by-mile replay of how it went!

An ARMY of runners

With a starting wave 6000 strong, I was not going anywhere quick at the beginning. Boxed in by such a crowd, I could only maintain my position until the pace gaps very gradually loosened.

In fact, there was so much warm body mass that we were creating our own weather systems. While the ambient air was around 9°C that morning, the middle of the pack was certainly at least twice that temperature.

Water bottle mayhem

Ah, the joys of corporate sponsorship. At every other race I had been to, aid stations meant getting small paper cups filled with water by volunteers. They are easy to gulp down quite quickly and get on with the running. But this time it was different. Instead of single-use cups, the stations distributed entire half-liter bottles of Spa water.

So now instead of swallowing an entire cup, you have this big old bottle you need to unscrew to drink from. But no one is going to finish the whole thing at once, and no one wants to carry an extra pound of weight in their hands during the run either.

Then what happens next? The running pack becomes an artillery brigade, launching Spa mortars onto the side of the road, half-heartedly aimed at the general vicinity of disposal bins. And each landing doesn't just make a dull thud. Often the bottles explode on impact and spew water all over the road. It takes me back to the Rice days of water balloon fighting, but I didn't ask for it this time!

Tip: after you get your water, immediately (!!) go to the center of the road.

Elevation? What is that again?

I'll admit that complaining about this item is a bit misplaced because the elevation profile was available before the race. I just didn't look at it. Having spent the last 9 months in the flattest country in Europe, my legs were absolutely unprepared for the elevation differences that Brussels presented. The first 12km roll up and down, then the road flattens for a bit before rising up and up and up between 17 and 18km.

But to be honest, the worst thing wasn't even the hill. It's the fact that nearly all the course's cameramen were stationed along the ascent, so every photo is a depiction of pain and struggle 😅.

My finish time was 1:30:50.
Overall, would I recommend? Well, it was alright, but I don't see myself doing this race again.
It's 2022, I think they should give more consideration toward sustainability! Between the water bottle waste and title sponsorship by an oil company, I'm left with a slightly disappointed impression.