City of Brussels withdraws funding for 2026 marathon

The City of Brussels has announced that the Brussels marathon will no longer cross its territory from 2026 onwards, owing to a need to reallocate resources. Brussels mayor Philippe Close and alderwoman for sports Florence Frelinx said the decision had been made due to the need to maintain responsible and sustainable management of Brussels’ human and logistical resources. More than 3,000 events, including protests, cultural, sporting, and festive occasions, are held in Brussels every year. The city emphasised a desire to concentrate its resources on a more "balanced" programme in order to maintain the quality and safety of public occasions. Brussels also pointed out that although there was a record number of 20,000 participants this year, fewer than 3,000 runners undertook the full 42km course, opting instead to run 7km or a half-marathon. Gozalo Events, the marathon’s organiser, expressed disappointed at the withdrawal of support for the event. "It was surprising to receive an announcement of the marathon’s cancellation an hour after the event, without warning," said Gert Van Goolen, spokesperson for Gozalo. "We’re surprised to hear this now, as we weren’t aware of this communication." He added: "The City of Brussels mustn’t forget that 20,000 participants generate an economic return." Although the Brussels marathon will not run through the City of Brussels next year, Van Goolen expressed confidence that there will still be a marathon elsewhere in the Brussels region. "For us, there’s definitely a future for a marathon in Brussels," he added.