Great Bruges Marathon October 14th

Temperatures of around 23 degrees greeted the day of the Marathon and the sun shone throughout. As I wandered among the good-natured crowds thronging the streets around the Burg and Markt, I

mused on the stroke of genius that had initiated this latest idea to bring in even more tourists, that life blood of the city. I have never seen so many tourists in Brugge before; the place was heaving, terraces on cafes and restaurants were full and those shops open were much-visited. I noticed that there seemed quite a number of bags marked De Witte Pelikaan, the Christmas shop open all year round. Perhaps, some had more than one purpose during the day!

  

 Jan Van Eyckplein during the early afternoon

The happy expectation of the morning's spectators and tourists gave way to unashamed self-indulgence by the afternoon though that remark may not have applied necessarily to the Marathon runners! Diners sitting on the terraces in Jan Van Eyckplein contentedly sipping their beers, applauded as runners, walkers and even the exhausted limpers, passed slowly up Academiestraat from the Spiegelrei. On Vlamingstraat, spectators and shoppers mingled in care-free manner on the road, parting in response to the frantic ‘Red Sea’ waving of the organisers as yet more runners appeared. One tiny girl on a bike with stabilisers took advantage of a momentary space in the road to pedal adventurously off alone. It was some little time before the parents noticed and went into frantic action. She just kept pedalling with all the unconcern of a 2/3 year old suddenly let off the leash and given space to explore. She never looked back and only her bonnet ribbons waved towards the parents.

Here's the Golden Boy, Alexander Diaz Rodriguez,
in an earlier triumph

But a Great Day Out was not the absolutely prime point of the inaugural Great Bruges Marathon; that was to initiate and promote an internationally-acclaimed race, possibly more successful than the Brussels and Antwerp marathons. Locals would claim that Sunday’s event did exactly that. Over 6,000 runners and hikers from 43 countries entered and local hero, Alexander Diaz Rodriguez, won as expected in 2 hours 25 minutes. In fact 2,500 took part in the full marathon and the rest in the half marathon which encircled the historic centre while the full marathon, dauntingly to the observer, added the long trip to the coast and back. Another local boy, Koen Naert, won the half marathon in 1 hour and five minutes while the women winners were Soetkin Demey in the full race, in 3 hours five minutes and Hilda Poelaert in the half marathon in 1 hour 33 minutes. Astonishingly there were 800 runners from Brugge itself. So the title of the GREAT Bruges Marathon seems to have been accurate after all! A coup for the organisers too. 



 Soetkin Demery from Brussels: another favourite who won

I never cease to wonder at, and applaud, the almost seamless cavalcade of events in Brugge. It seems astonishing to this quiet observer, that such a wide variety of happenings occur, often free for the fortunate residents and casual visitors, and add great variety and interest to life.

Before the excitement of the Marathon I went to the opening of an exhibition by Jacqy duVal in the wonderful Jerusalemkerk, my favourite church in Brugge about which I have written before. The place offers a rare and atmospheric arena for any display but the geometrically abstract paintings seemed, unexpectedly, to feel at home, resembling beacons in the historical ambience. Jacqy duVal is the joint pseudonym for Jacqueline Dehond and Koenraad Uttendaele, both graduates of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and with long experience in architectural, design and art projects. Their special paint, high precision and vibrant colours enhance the geometric intensity in their work, contributing to an harmonious whole. I particularly loved one example of their art, displayed in the semi-darkness of the crypt. It is a simple, luminous almost-round, nearly oval, shape which, in some mysterious way, touches the sub-conscious.