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WHAT A PARTY! THE TRACK OF THE ABSOLUTE GHENT 10 MILES SOUNDS LIKE MUSIC TO YOUR EARS

Starting and finishing in a festival atmosphere, walking past some Ghent landmarks and as a highlight the passage over the car-free Fly-Over with a view of the medieval towers of Ghent, these are the unique assets with which the route of the ABSoluut Gent 10 Mijl on September 18, 2022. Walking through Ghent together, enjoying free top performances before and after: doesn't that sound like music to your ears?

We start in front of the Top Sports Hall at the Watersportbaan, the sports epicenter of Ghent. Top pianist Jef Neve will kick off the day with soprano Hanne Roos, saxophonist Andy Dhondt and a string quintet on our stage. Be sure to be on time to enjoy the free concert! Runners and supporters can have breakfast on the spot with one of our breakfast boxes. Companies gather with their employees, friends and family in the 10 Mijl Remotec Village.

From the Watersportbaan we walk to another waterfront: the tree-lined and leafy bank of the Leie, the river that turns Ghent into a water city. Along the way, bands and DJ's will be playing to maintain the atmosphere. A group of Kodo players will be encouraging you at start and finish.

We cross the Leie to really dive into Ghent. Are your calves ready for some climbing? It goes up steeply towards Boekentoren, the university library designed by architect Henry Vande Velde, which symbolizes Ghent as a university city.

Not only Vatican City, but also Ghent has its Sint-Pietersplein. Due to its size, it is the event square in Ghent, where the Halfvastenfoor takes place every year and stars such as Prince, Leonard Cohen and Björk performed. Be sure to glance over your left shoulder towards St. Peter's Church, one of the highlights of Baroque architecture in the Southern Netherlands. The St. Peter's Abbey is also located here.

Did you know that Ghent once had a city zoo? The Muinkpark is a remnant of the nineteenth-century zoo. Here you could admire exotic animals and the street names in the neighbourhood: Zebrastraat, Olifantstraat, Tijgerstraat, Leeuwstraat,...

Brace yourself for the eye-catcher of the ABSoluut Gent 10 Mile: the B401 or Fly-Over. The equally famous and infamous viaduct connects the E17 with the city center. Once a year, the Fly-Over is occupied by pedestrians on Car Free Sunday. Due to the unique date of the ABSoluut Gent 10 Mile, we can walk back and forth over the Fly-Over in thousands. Keep your head up when you return, because the view of the medieval skyline of Ghent with its three towers is unique.

We catch our breath along that other river that flows into Ghent: the Scheldt. On the Scheldt bank on the Muinkkaai you walk past chestnut trees and stately mansions. The long, red-painted bicycle street looks like a red carpet. At the early South Station we visit a recent architectural gem: the Krook. The new city library is a collaboration between a Ghent and Catalan architectural firm. The quays were lowered so that pleasure boats can moor there.

We walk past the rental boats to Coupure, another popular walking spot, again along the water. This used to be a busy trade route between Bruges and Ghent, now it is wonderful to walk, walk and cycle under the plane trees.

We enter the Bijloke site, a green oasis on the outskirts of the city, the beating cultural heart of Ghent. In what was a center for the care of the sick in the thirteenth century, no fewer than seventeen cultural organizations have their home. You will find the city museum STAM and the Muziekcentrum Bijloke, among others. The Ghent Jazz Festival is organized annually on the site.

We leave the city center and return via the Leie arm to the Top Sports Hall, where the runners arrive at our festival meadow via the covered athletics track. After receiving your medal, you can enjoy our drink and catering offer with food trucks with friends, family and supporters while Das Rock gives a great performance. If you still have gravy left after that, you can head back to the city center for the official program of Car Free Sunday.

Because we really really want to give everyone an unforgettable day, we also have the 5 Mile, which also starts and arrives at the Top Sports Hall. The course leads directly via the Leie to the Bijloke site and along the Coupure back to the Watersportbaan. Young runners can participate in our Kids Run, divided over four distances according to age. The kids run is free, but pre-registration is a must.