In Bornem this morning already the first (running) participants of the Dodentocht crossed the finish line. As always, that was only allowed at 7 am and there is no winner, because the Dodentocht is not a competition.
It was a group of fifteen runners who arrived together this morning. The first walking participants entered later around noon. But everyone has until 9 pm tonight to arrive, 24 hours after departure. The 13,000-strong field of participants mainly consists of hikers. It is a very windy edition and today rain is also predicted, the temperatures are ideal for walking, according to the organization.
First participants have already completed the Dodentocht
The Dodentocht is in its fiftieth edition this year and since last year has a participant limit of 13,000 people to be able to run everything safely and to offer walkers sufficient space on their route. The course has remained largely the same and again loops through the region of Klein-Brabant to the north of Flemish Brabant (Merchtem and Londerzeel), with a start and finish in Bornem. Some time-honored pieces that had disappeared in recent years have been re-included in the route in honor of the anniversary edition. Along the way, there are numerous check-in and aid stations where you can rest, stock up or have yourself taken care of by volunteers from the Red Cross.
