The race, in three figures
The race, in words
Sander Van Baelen finished 419th of 1,363 men in the Open division at Mechelen 2026, in 1:16:44, faster than 69% of the field.
A station race more than a running one: 78% of the field beaten on the stations, against 57% on the runs. Nowhere gained more than the burpee broad jumps: 1:19 on the median. The race faded late: the second half went 1:45 worse against the middle of the field than the first.
The field ran 6:08 faster at Mechelen 2026 than at Utrecht 2025, a quicker course than most.
Eight blocks
Bar = field beaten · tick = median
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Block 01 7:52Running 1 3:29v median −0:12
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Block 02 6:45Running 2 4:23v median −0:14
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Block 03 8:05Running 3 4:37v median −0:16
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Block 04 8:54Running 4 4:43v median −0:10
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Block 05 9:18Running 5 4:44v median −0:19
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Block 06 6:48Running 6 4:57v median +0:01
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Block 07 8:58Running 7 4:58v median +0:04
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Block 08 12:26Running 8 5:37v median +0:08
Roxzone, per block
Approach · Exit 7:44
Against the middle of your field
Men · n = 1354
A pace, not a person: at every mat, the middle of the 1,354 men who finished.