Beachrun Wijk aan Zee

Beachrun Wijk aan Zee takes runners onto the sand at the Dutch North Sea village of Wijk aan Zee, offering 7 km and 14 km distances for adults and 750 m or 1500 m races for children. It is part of the Beachrun Series organized by BeachrunningNL, and the organizer is affiliated with the Atletiekunie. The event typically features a smaller field, with entries limited to 1,000 and one recent edition attracting approximately 160 participants. The course runs along the beach, meaning wind, soft sand, tide, cold, sun, or snow can alter the conditions from one event to another. What distinguishes Wijk aan Zee from a simple flat beach out-and-back is the “Muur van Wijk aan Zee,” a steep incline of about 18% incorporated into the loop. The running race evolved from the local BeachBattle event, which initially was only for cyclists; later in the day, the same area is prepared for runners. The start is near Zeestraat in Wijk aan Zee, with race-day provisions including first aid, an AED, parking, and a supervised cloakroom.