Because running across the beautiful city of Antwerp,  trough the big tunnels is way more spectacular than what I did that day. And I was right. I trained four months to run the ten miles or sixteen kilometres and it was totally worth it. Running between thousands of people, hundreds of supporters and lots of entertainment along the course was a unique experience. I enjoyed every minute of it. Although I must admit it was at times really tiresome. Running upward in the tunnels was way harder than I imagined. To me the cliché: ‘the Waaslandtunnel gives you hell’ is nothing but the truth. The last few kilometres I even started to encourage myself out loud!

You're not alone

Like every year, the event was very well organized. This year the only difference was they divided the runners into three waves where the fastest runners started first and the slowest runners last. This new rule gave all athletes enough room on the crowded course. The disadvantage about this is some of the supporters returned home when the last wave (myself included) ran through the city. Also the water supply sometimes ran out of supply because the volunteers already stopped their shift. So we had to share bottles of water instead of separate cups.

The good thing about being in the last wave is that these people are all recreational runners who run for fun. The atmosphere between the runners is really great. Even though I ran the ten miles on my own. I didn’t feel alone for one second.

Running the ten miles is something I would recommend everyone to do at least once in their lifetime. It’s a unique experience with lots of entertainment and amusement.