Donkmeerloop De Mooiste Halve

Donkmeerloop De Mooiste Halve is a road race held at Festival Hall Donkmeer in Berlare, East Flanders. The start and finish are on Donklaan, adjacent to the lake. The race offers 6 km, 12 km, and half marathon distances, and is scheduled for autumn. Jente Samson, the Flanders Project Team, the municipality of Berlare, and the Province of East Flanders organize the event. It has been held for 11 consecutive editions, expanding from 450 participants in its first year to over 2,000, with fields now sold out. The courses traverse the Donkmeer area, the old duck decoy, and Nieuwdonk. This ensures even the shorter distances offer the same lake-and-park environment as the half marathon. Half marathon participants can utilize seven pacers, identifiable by orange shirts, aiming for finish times between 1:20 and 2:10. Past editions featured the Belgian Championship, charity runs, and support for a children's heart fund. The race maintains practical amenities: aid stations on each lap, electronic timing, changing facilities and showers at the start/finish, medals for all finishers, a finisher drink, and trophies awarded.