Watermolenloop Haaksbergen

The Watermolenloop Haaksbergen is a January running event in and around Haaksbergen, organized by Atletiekvereniging Haaksbergen and affiliated with the Atletiekunie. It is built around a 5.1 km loop that runners can complete once, twice, or three times, with distances stretching from a 3 km youth race up to 15 km. The race is promoted as a way to get moving again after the holiday period, suiting new-year starters as well as regular runners looking for an early-season check-in. The route uses a mix of athletics track, hard road, and sandy road through the countryside around Haaksbergen, including the area near the Watermolen. Clinic runners use it as a milestone, experienced runners use it as a measuring point, and local recreational runners help give it a busy but relaxed feel. Warm soup after the finish is part of the day, and the event has passed the thirty-edition mark, so it is a settled fixture on the AV Haaksbergen calendar rather than a one-off local run.