Who are these runners in the city anyway? Well, 66-year-old Paul, for example. He runs around the Singel three to four times a week, but he has never participated in the Singelloop – or other running events. “And that while I live on the course,” he laughs. He cannot say whether running events have become more popular. “I see people around me dropping out more and more often. I think that is somewhat age-related. Broken hips, broken knees… But I think it is a privilege to be able to walk in this beautiful city. And such a sunny A day like today is truly a gift.”
The Mexican Alfredo also runs through Utrecht a few times a week. First to help his girlfriend with her training for the marathon, but now just himself. “That distance is too far for me, I will do a maximum of 10 kilometers. I will not be running next Sunday, but I have participated in events before, most recently in Maarssen.” Running is very popular in the Netherlands anyway, he thinks. “In Mexico I only know two runners, here I always see a lot of runners in the forest and parks. The people here are very dedicated.“