A club runner in Antwerpen

From the 1st to the 8th of July I went with the Irish Junior team and two other coaches to Antwerpen in Belgium to the European Junior Swimming Championship. The results were amazing for Ireland, you can read them on the Swim Ireland website.

I took this opportunity to do a few runs through the city, and really enjoyed it. So here we go, an Athenry AC runner in Belgium!

Long Days on the Pool Deck

Coaching in a swimming pool is about 32 degrees in a hot atmosphere from 6.30am to 7pm in the evening can be quite exhausting.

Lucky enough I had a few hours of a break between the morning sessions and the semi or Finals in the evening.

We stayed in a hotel just opposite to the Antwerp Olympic pool, in which Graine Murphy’s coach Ronald Claes who is now in Limerick, was coaching. High performance Director Peter Banks, Kilkenny Head coach John Duffy (Shanni Stallard coach) and Dublin High Performance Centre’s Paul Donovan were also the coaches for the team.

Exploring the City on Foot

Antwerp is a lovely city, and funny enough, I am not a city runner, due to traffic lights, crossing and many distractions or obstacles on the route.

But, when you are traveling for work most people don’t have time to visit the place they are visiting. I decided to run through the small city and look at buildings, see where the closest shops were, Cinema, Museums and other things to see.

The quickest way is not the tram over there, or taxi, certainly cycling is, as there are paths all the way through town and around the city ring. You can literally walk around the city or cycle without having to worry about traffic.

In Athenry, it can be difficult to run on the small roads where you are considered the suicidal runner by car drivers who think only cars should be allowed on roads. Maybe we should have a tax sticker on running shoes you have to display to show automobilist you are entitled to be there.

Antwerp is designed with modern architecture and you have the feel of being in Paris with a German feel, with a province of half a million people.

The Legend of Antwerp

Antigoon is the myth behind the city and well represented. from wikipedia: “He exacted a toll from those crossing the river, and for those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river Scheldt. Eventually, the giant was slain by a young hero named Brabo, who cut off the giant’s own hand and flung it into the river. Hence the name Antwerpen”.

The history is just amazing and would encourage you to read more about it. The monuments are interesting with such a mixture of style through the history.

Planning the Route

Looking at a google map I figured out that running through the centre I would certainly see the water, and then by turning left I would come back close enough to the hotel to identify the building because of its height and the Olympic pool would be easy to find.

I started my run with the intention to take a few pictures, simply to have some memories from the trip and the city. I decided later to write about it, to take my mind off coaching articles.

Central Station is a railway station designed by Louis Delacenserie that was completed in 1905. It has two monumental neo-baroque façades, a large metal and glass dome (60m/197 ft) and a gilt and marble interior (wikipedia, picture S.Locteau)

I thought at that stage the run was already getting interesting, with a nice cycle path all the way, water features and warm weather.

The first 4km are just straight city centre run, but with so many statues, buildings, church you would just stop and admire wondering the stories behind them like the following one, you would not think you will find such design in the middle of the town.

Looking for the water, I passed many statues and just too much to see (pictures S.Locteau)

I never thought running through a city would be so entertaining.

Just so many distractions, I never thought running through a city would be so entertaining. Yes the pace is slow, and you can forget about GPS, pacing, heart rate but at least you do something interesting and worth doing, many stops with a feeling of being an explorer.

Along the Water

The turn around point above at 4k after leaving the castle, brings you to a nice path close to the water before a long straight for 3km along the water, old carparks and docks but following a lovely cycling and pedestrian path.

At km I passed a massive building where the tram was stopped. I asked a Lady if it was the train station, and with a kind smile she answered it is the “court building”. Being slightly embarrassed I wonder how can they have such building with tram and buses coming to the door. And what a massive structure.

I was impressed by the Cathedral, the night before as per the picture below at night and on the second day went back the same route and spent a little more time admiring the Cathedral, which just did not fit in the camera phone, so had to go from kilometer 4 to take a picture.

This was an enjoyable 10k run I did most days and even if on my first run I went to 10.5km it was simply because I passed all the cargos with John and realised we could not go back that way as the road was going under the bridge we were supposed to pass by, without any access to it.

Antwerp seems to be an Art based city and again a few runs in town and working did not give me the opportunity to discover more but running did make me explore the city which I would never have if I was not a runner.