Who organises the Belgian trail running championships, and how do you take part?
The Belgian titles in trail, ultra-trail and mountain running run through Belgian Athletics, those in skyrunning through CMBel. Running, going for a title and being selected are three different things, each with its own requirements. Here is how to find the right door for your goal, with the 2026 and 2027 championships as examples.
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The Belgian titles in trail, ultra-trail and mountain running are awarded by Belgian Athletics, the national athletics federation. Skyrunning has its own championship, and that comes from CMBel, the umbrella body of the Belgian mountain sports federations. You can take part at three levels: just run, compete for the title, or aim for a place on the national team. Each level has its own requirements, and sometimes a different body. [1] [14]
Knowing the difference saves you searching, and sometimes disappointment. If a trail's website says "Belgian championship", you want to know before paying whether you need a licence, and which one. With an athletics licence in your pocket, you are not any closer to a skyrunning title. And if you just want to run a good race, you sometimes don't need to join anything at all. [9] [10]
Why does trail running fall under athletics?
In Belgium, trail, ultra-trail and mountain running belong to athletics. The national federation was called KBAB until early 2024 and has continued as Belgian Athletics since. Belgian Athletics organises the Belgian championships and sends national teams to international competitions. [15] [1]
The day-to-day work happens in two leagues: Atletiek Vlaanderen in Flanders and the Ligue Belge Francophone d'Athlétisme (LBFA) in French-speaking Belgium. A league is the regional federation that clubs are affiliated with. As a runner, you don't join directly, but through a club. That is also where you get the licence you need if you want to run for an athletics title. [1] [9]
And why is skyrunning a separate story?
Skyrunning is running on steep, technical mountain terrain, and in Belgium it belongs to mountain sports. CMBel (Climbing & Mountaineering Belgium) brings together the Flemish climbing and mountaineering federation (KBF) and its French-speaking counterpart, the CAB. CMBel is a member of the International Skyrunning Federation, the ISF, and the Belgian skyrunning title runs through CMBel and the KBF. Athletics and mountain sports are not completely separate: the first trail newsletter from Atletiek Vlaanderen in 2026 opened with a collaboration between Atletiek Vlaanderen and the KBF. [14] [3] [2] [8] [12]
| Discipline | Title via | Championship |
|---|---|---|
| Trail and ultra-trail (Belgian title) | Belgian Athletics, with the LBFA and Atletiek Vlaanderen | Belgian Championships short and long trail: planned for 7-8 November 2026 in Ovifat |
| Mountain running | Belgian Athletics | Belgian Championships 2026: April, Membre-sur-Semois |
| Skyrunning | CMBel (KBF and CAB) | Belgian Championships 2026: August, L'Échappée Belle (France). Belgian Championships 2027: 1 May, Trail du Ninglinspo |
| Trail (Flemish title) | Atletiek Vlaanderen | First edition: 1 February 2026, Ferme Toer Trail in Binkom (Lubbeek) |
What do these championships look like in practice?
A championship is often not a separate race, but an ordinary trail with a title on top. In the 2026 winter edition of the GTLC, the GT35 counts as the Belgian Championships short trail and the GT80 as the Belgian Championships long trail. So you run among participants who simply start for fun. The April 2026 Belgian Championships mountain running was also put on by a club: the ARCH, in Membre-sur-Semois. [5] [6] [9] [7]
The 2026 Belgian Championships skyrunning was run in August in France, during L'Échappée Belle, with a skyrace and a sky ultra. Because of bad weather, the skyrace was adjusted to 20 km and 1,400 m D+. D+ is the total of all the metres you climb, like all the stairs of a day added together. The sky ultra was 63 km and 4,770 m D+. A course changing when the weather turns is part of the game in the mountains. [8]
The next Belgian Championships skyrunning is on 1 May 2027, during the Trail du Ninglinspo. Seniors and masters choose between an 18 km skyrace with 1,500 m D+ and a 54 km sky ultra with 4,500 m D+. Registration details follow from 16 November. [10]
What do you need to take part?
If you just want to run, you can do that at the GTLC without a licence. In the 2026 winter edition, you can run the GT35 and the GT80 with or without a licence. Age does count: at least 18 for the GT35 and at least 20 for the GT80. Say you are 19 and dream of the long distance. Then you sign up for the GT35 this year and save the GT80 for later. [9]
If you want to run for the Belgian trail title, you do need a licence. You get it through an athletics club of the LBFA or Atletiek Vlaanderen. In the GTLC rules for winter 2026, you have to state it when you register. So sort out your membership well before you register, not just in race week. [9]
If you want to go for the Belgian skyrunning title, different rules apply. For the 2027 BC, CMBel asks for Belgian nationality and membership of the KBF or the CAB. An athletics licence and membership of a mountain sports federation are therefore not interchangeable. If you want to go for both titles, you need both memberships. [10] [9]
If you want to represent Belgium internationally, that is yet another step. For the off-road running European Championships in June 2026 in Ljubljana-Kamnik, Belgian Athletics published its own selection document. It listed, per discipline (up-and-down, uphill and short trail), the designated selection races, along with the World Athletics conditions. If you are aiming for a national team, look up the selection document for that one championship and plan your season around the selection races. [13]
Is a championship right for you?
If you are a beginner, a championship race is mostly a well-organised trail with strong runners at the front. You don't have to compete to have a great day. Do pick a distance you have run something close to before. A title race is not the place to try your first long outing.
If you are a bit older or you are returning to racing after a break, look at the categories. At the 2027 Belgian Championships skyrunning, masters run too. That is the category for older runners, so you measure yourself against people your own age. If you have had an injury or you doubt your health, talk to your doctor or physiotherapist first. [10]
If your budget is tight, only pay for what your goal really requires. You only need a licence if you run for the title. Ask the club what membership includes before you decide. Mandatory gear doesn't have to be new, but check second-hand items carefully, especially a rain jacket. [9]
If you don't have a car, plan the trip there and back before you register. Say you live in Ghent and want to start in Ovifat or at the Ninglinspo. Then first check what time you can still get home after the finish. Also ask your club whether other runners carpool. That way, race day doesn't turn into a logistics puzzle.
How do you prepare for a title race?
The organiser sets the mandatory gear, the time limits and the course. Hold that list up against your own kit and add what is missing. Ovifat lies in the High Fens, and in November it can be cold, wet and foggy there. A warm layer and a good jacket then make the difference between suffering and enjoying it.
If you feel on the way that it isn't going well, or the weather turns, stop at an aid station and tell the organisation you are dropping out. Dropping out is a smart choice, not a defeat. In an emergency, call 112.
Before you register or join
- Set your goal: run, a title or a selection. Each goal has its own requirements.
- Note the race, discipline and edition, with the real distance and elevation gain, and not just the name of the race.
- Read the ordinary registration conditions and the championship conditions separately.
- Find out which licence or membership counts, until when it is valid and whether you have to state it at registration.
- Check the minimum age and the category you will compete in.
- Have doubts confirmed in writing by the organiser or the federation named in the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Is a Flemish title also a Belgian title?
No. On 1 February 2026, Atletiek Vlaanderen organised the first Flemish trail running championship, over 32 km of trail and 59 km of ultra-trail. That earns a Flemish title. The Belgian title runs through Belgian Athletics.
Does a strong ITRA or UTMB index get you onto the national team?
Not automatically. An index, a title or a club jersey does not replace a championship's selection document. What those indexes do tell you, you can read in our explainer on ITRA points and the UTMB Index.
What do you ask a club before you join?
The licence runs through the club, but what membership includes exactly differs from club to club. Ask how the trail training works, what membership costs and until when your licence is valid.
How to start this week
Pick one race that appeals to you and read the rules for this edition, with your goal in mind. If you want to go for a title, email an athletics club or the mountain sports federation with your questions from the checklist. If you first want to know whether you can handle a course like that, pick a route from the RouteRadar library or upload a GPX, run Pre-Flight and run an outing with solid elevation gain this weekend. That way you will stand on the start line with confidence.
Sources and evidence
- Atletiek Vlaanderen — response after the Tokyo World Championships (division of roles between Belgian Athletics and the leagues) · Source checked on:
- Klim- en Bergsportfederatie — skyrunning and the Belgian championship · Source checked on:
- CMBel — skyrunning and ISF membership · Source checked on:
- LBFA — national championships calendar · Source checked on:
- GTLC — GT35 winter 2026 (BC short trail) · Source checked on:
- GTLC — GT80 winter 2026 (BC long trail) · Source checked on:
- Belgian Athletics — summer 2026 championships calendar (pdf) · Source checked on:
- Klim- en Bergsportfederatie — BC skyrunning 2026, the champions · Source checked on:
- GTLC — race rules winter 2026 · Source checked on:
- CMBel — Belgian skyrunning championship (2027) · Source checked on:
- Atletiek Vlaanderen — first Flemish trail running championship · Source checked on:
- Atletiek Vlaanderen — Trailnieuws 1/2026 (pdf) · Source checked on:
- Belgian Athletics — selection criteria for the 2026 off-road running European Championships (pdf) · Source checked on:
- CMBel — about Climbing & Mountaineering Belgium · Source checked on:
- Atletiek Vlaanderen — official notices of 12 January 2024 (KBAB becomes Belgian Athletics) · Source checked on: