The race, in three figures
The race, in words
Matthijs Vanhaelemeesch finished 986th of 1,363 men in the Open division at Mechelen 2026, in 1:30:59.
A station race more than a running one: 45% of the field beaten on the stations, against 18% on the runs. Nowhere gained more than the wall balls: 1:52 on the median. Stronger after halfway: 8:30 better against the middle of the field than before it.
Mechelen ran fast: the 1,568 athletes who also raced elsewhere this season were about 3:00 quicker here than at their other races. 9:15 faster than at Taipei 2026, the previous Open race.
Eight blocks
Bar = field beaten · tick = median
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Block 01 9:45Running 1 5:04v median +1:23
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Block 02 9:05Running 2 6:00v median +1:23
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Block 03 12:02Running 3 6:02v median +1:09
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Block 04 12:02Running 4 6:03v median +1:10
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Block 05 10:40Running 5 6:04v median +1:01
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Block 06 7:47Running 6 5:37v median +0:41
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Block 07 10:16Running 7 4:41v median −0:13
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Block 08 10:22Running 8 5:28v median −0:01
Roxzone, per block
Approach · Exit 9:08
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.