Bashir Abdi has made a triumphant return to elite form. Competing in his hometown of Ghent, the 37-year-old two-time Olympic medalist clocked a blistering 59:28, breaking the Belgian national record and setting a new European all-time best in the M35 category.
A Solitary Charge Through Fog and Cold
On March 8, 2026, Abdi headlined the race named in his honor—Runners’ lab Bashir’s Run. The RCG club athlete took a break from his high-altitude training camp in Ethiopia to attack his previous national record of 59:51 in front of a home crowd. Despite training in African temperatures reaching 86°F (30°C), he faced challenging conditions in Ghent, including heavy fog and temperatures hovering around 45-46°F (7-8°C). Undeterred, Abdi ran almost entirely alone from the six-kilometer mark after losing his pacemakers.
This performance signals that the foot injury struggles of 2025 are firmly in the past. His time of 59:28 is 23 seconds faster than his previous best, moving him to fifth on the European all-time list for the half marathon. Now 37, Abdi also established a new European M35 Masters record. Following the race, Abdi noted that this result proves he can continue competing at the highest global level for several more years.
Kenya’s Brian Kipchumba took second place with a time of 1:00:00. He was followed closely by Belgium’s Robin Hendrix, who secured the silver medal in the national championships with a personal best of 1:00:23. The Belgian podium was completed by Dorian Boulvin, who broke the 61-minute barrier for the first time with a mark of 1:00:51.
Course Measurement Confusion: Organizers React Quickly
The event featured a moment of brief confusion regarding the course measurement. Initially, the clock at the finish gate showed a time over one hour, causing concern among fans and the athlete himself. Reports indicate the error was discovered on the morning of the race: the official finish line was actually located approximately 250 meters before the Wouter Weylandt stadium gate.
The organizers from Sportaround and the RCG club handled the situation professionally, quickly placing an additional timing mat at the precisely calculated location. This ensured that all times were officially ratified and Abdi’s record was recognized by the federation. The Ghent course maintained its reputation for being exceptionally fast, as evidenced by numerous personal bests across the field.
Kimeli Finishes Behind Abdi’s Pace in Paris
Simultaneously, fellow Belgian runner Isaac Kimeli made his half marathon debut in Paris. While some experts speculated he might challenge Abdi’s standing, Kimeli finished in 1:01:26. While this time ranks him ninth on the Belgian all-time list, it was not enough to dethrone the leader in Ghent.
Matthijs Surprises Herself in Championship Battle
In the women’s race, Bahrain’s Mimi Belete took the overall win in 1:10:08. However, the battle for the Belgian national title provided the most local drama. Malejeva Matthijs pulled off a major upset to take the gold medal in 1:12:43, a result that surprised even her. Matthijs showed incredible progression, improving her time from last year’s championships by nearly four minutes.
The silver medal went to Elisabetta Ribera d’Alcalà (1:13:10), with Valentine Mathy taking bronze just four seconds later. The depth of the field was clear, as fourth-place finisher Elisa Vancolen missed the podium by only a few seconds. Additionally, Eline Dalemans highlighted the day’s successes by running 15:30 in the 5km event, the fourth-fastest time in Belgian history for that distance.
Eyes on Rotterdam and a New European Record
Ghent’s Bashir’s Run once again drew massive crowds, offering elite races alongside fast 5km and 10km events. The victory serves as a final tune-up for Abdi’s primary season goal: the Rotterdam Marathon on April 12. It was there in 2021 that he set the current European marathon record of 2:03:36. Abdi remains open about his ambition to lower that mark once again as European distance running competition continues to intensify.
