The organization
In 2006, 4 members of the Jogging Club in Wevelgem wanted to organize their own marathon. Patrick Doornaert, Freddy Vanhoucke, Timon Dejonghe and Henk Hoorens organized the first edition of the IPSO Leiemarathon in September 2007.
The first edition was a success. More than 300 runners passed the finish line. Freddy, who was supposed to run his 100th marathon, couldn’t run because of cardiac problems. He decided to join the supervisors by quad, but fell during the marathon. Freddy died a week later. His death was a big loss to his family, friends and the organization. He will always remain the motive to continue to organize this marathon.
Because the Leiemarathon became such a success, it was clear to us that we needed help in order to guarantee the quality of the organization. That’s why we added extra members to our crew. Our vision remains the same as when we first organized the marathon: every runner, amateur or professional, is important to us. We keep on focussing on the well-being and comfort of every participant.
