There’s a certain kind of cyclist who looks at a map of Belgium, all those cobbled roads, brutal Ardennes climbs, and wind-scoured Flemish plains, and thinks: Yes. This is exactly where I want to race. If that’s you, then the Race Across Benelux is the event you’ve been waiting for. This is the evolution of what was formerly known as the Race Across Belgium. Bigger, bolder, and now spanning three countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. And as a Belgian cyclist who logs around 30,000 kilometres a year on these very roads, I can tell you: the upgrade is absolutely worth it.
Organised by the Race Across Series, the Race Across Benelux offers four distance categories: 200km, 300km, 500km, and 1000km and keeps its basecamp at Braine-l’Alleud, just south of Brussels on the edge of the Waterloo battlefield. Something poetic about that. Ultra cycling, like that famous battle, demands endurance, strategy, and the ability to dig in when everything tells you to stop. The next edition runs May 5–9, 2027. Let’s break down everything you need to know.
What Makes the Race Across Benelux Stand Out
The Race Across Benelux (RAB) is part of the Race Across Series, a family of ultra-cycling events built around a core philosophy: sharing, benevolence, and surpassing yourself. These aren’t just marketing words. Ultra events attract a very specific type of rider. People who aren’t there to crush the competition, but to push past what they believed possible. The RATB delivers that spirit across a canvas that now stretches from the Belgian Ardennes to the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
What made the original Race Across Belgium so compelling was its route through the mythical roads of the Belgian classics. And that DNA is fully intact here. The basecamp stays at Braine-l’Alleud, the loops still cover the Ardennes and Wallonia, and the 1000km category retains its status as an official RAAM qualifier. One of a tiny number of European ultra events that can earn you a start line at the Race Across America. The multi-country expansion simply adds more terrain to suffer through. Which, from where I’m standing, is nothing but good news.
Solo riders can compete supported or unsupported, with team options of 2 or 4 available. But let’s be honest, the most satisfying way to do this is solo, self-supported, with nothing but your legs and your wits between you and the finish.
The Race Across Benelux Route: Three Countries, One Brutal Challenge
This is where the RATB truly earns its reputation. Riders complete loop courses from the Braine-l’Alleud basecamp, with 1–2 different loops depending on the chosen distance. The terrain sweeps through Wallonia and the Belgian Ardennes. The same roads where Eddy Merckx made history and where Liège-Bastogne-Liège has tortured professionals for over a century, before pushing into the Netherlands and Luxembourg for the longer categories. For any cyclist who grew up watching the Monument classics, this is a bucket-list experience.
Why Benelux Roads Are the Ultimate Ultra Test
Belgian roads are a different animal. And I say that having ridden most of the world’s iconic cycling terrain on training camps in the Vosges, the Dolomites, the French Alps, and the Spanish Pyrenees. Nothing quite prepares you for the relentless succession of punchy Ardennes climbs: short enough that you can’t pace them like an Alpine col, steep enough that if you attack them wrong at kilometre 200, you’ll blow up long before the finish. And then there’s the wind. In open sections between climbs, Belgian cross-winds can turn a 30kph effort into a 40kph effort. Belgian roads are not kind to equipment. When I say something held up on these roads, I mean it.
The Climbs That Define This Race
For the longer RATB categories, the route includes some of the most iconic ascents in all of Belgian cycling:
- La Redoute — the queen climb of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with brutal 8–10% ramps and a sting in the tail that destroys pacing plans
- Stockeu — short, savage, and made immortal by Eddy Merckx’s legendary solo attack in 1971
- Their de Coo — a long, grinding drag through the Amblève valley that slowly empties your legs
- Roche à Frêne — a technical climb that catches you out if you’re not fully switched on
- Col du Rosier — gentler in gradient but ruthless in timing, usually arriving when your legs are already cooked
- Mur de Huy — the notorious 19% ramps that finish the Flèche Wallonne every spring, and will finish you too if you’re not careful
These are not numbers on a screen. When you’re 280km deep into a 500km race, these climbs are walls. The 300km loop alone carries approximately 5,500m of elevation gain. Scale that up to the 500 and 1000km distances and you’re looking at accumulated climbing that rivals Alpine sportives. Except you’re also carrying the weight of hours already ridden in your legs.
The Four Race Across Benelux Categories Explained
One of the RATB’s great strengths is that it genuinely caters to different levels of ambition, without watering down the challenge at any distance. Whether you’re stepping into ultra cycling for the first time or chasing a RAAM qualification slot, there’s a race here for you.
The Go’Lum Experience: 200km Night Race
This is the newest addition and, honestly, one of the most exciting things I’ve seen added to a Belgian ultra event in years. The Go’Lum Experience is a 200km night race. It is entry level for ultra cycling, but don’t mistake that for easy. Racing through the night on Belgian roads, with proper lighting and the unique psychological challenge of the dark, is a completely different experience from a daytime sportive. Entry starts at €99–€119 solo. If you’ve been curious about ultra cycling but felt the jump to 300km was too big, this is your on-ramp. Start here, get the night riding experience locked in, and you’ll be far better prepared for the longer distances when you’re ready.
RATB 300: ~348km, 5,500m Elevation
The classic entry point into serious ultra cycling. And don’t let “entry point” fool you. A 300km+ route with 5,500 metres of climbing is not a weekend sportive. Nicolas Brookes, who completed the former Race Across Belgium 300 in 2022, finished in 13 hours and 37 minutes of on-bike time, averaging 25.6kph and burning an estimated 9,000 calories. Nine thousand calories in a single day. Checkpoints at Durbuy, Spa, and Huy break the route into psychological chapters before the final push back to the Waterloo basecamp. Entry: €179–€219 solo.
RATB 500: Where Ultra Cycling Meets Sleep Management
The 500km option is where ultra cycling starts overlapping with sleep deprivation management. Depending on your pace, you’re looking at 24–36 hours of continuous riding. This means you need a proper lighting system, a nutrition plan that accounts for solid food overnight (gels revolt your stomach at 3am), and a mental framework for keeping the pedals turning when the world goes dark and heavy. Entry: €219–€269 solo.
RATB 1000: The RAAM Qualifier
This is the one. The Race Across Benelux 1000km is an official qualifier for the Race Across America. This is arguably the hardest ultra cycling race on earth. Entry requires proof of prior ultra-cycling experience (prior completion of a 300km+ event), which tells you everything about the level of commitment this demands. You’re looking at multiple nights on the road, serious sleep strategy decisions, and a logistics challenge that goes well beyond simply riding your bike. Entry: €299–€379 solo.
Racing in My Own Backyard: A Belgian Ultra Cyclist’s Perspective
I’ve ridden the climbs on this route hundreds of times. La Redoute, the Mur de Huy, Stockeu, familiar ground, but never comfortable. That’s the essence of Belgian road cycling: the roads don’t get easier with repetition. The Mur de Huy still wants to destroy your legs at 19%, whether it’s your first time or your fiftieth. Familiarity just means you know exactly how much it’s going to hurt.
My ultra-distance journey started with the Bicinglé du Ventoux. It is climbing Mont Ventoux from all three sides, twice, for six total ascents in a single day. That was the day it all clicked: the ability to pace through familiar pain. When you know a climb is going to hurt, the question is whether you can maintain a sustainable rhythm when every instinct screams at you to either sprint to the top or stop entirely. Belgian terrain teaches you that lesson on every single training ride. The Ardennes don’t let you drift.
Since the Bicinglé, I’ve completed the UBF Pyrénées 500 race, multiple Everestings, the Tour du Mont Blanc Cyclo, and countless brevets and long-distance challenges. Every time I return from a training camp, whether the Vosges, the Dolomites, or the Spanish Pyrenees, I come back to Belgian roads with fresh eyes. And what I see every time is this: if you train here, you are already doing the best possible preparation for the Race Across Benelux.
How to Prepare for the Race Across Benelux
Preparation for an event like the RATB isn’t only about fitness. It’s about systems, making sure every piece of the puzzle is in place long before the start gun goes off.
Training: Zone 2 aerobic base is the foundation. For the 300km, you want regular 200–250km training rides in your build block, plus back-to-back long days to train your body to ride while fatigued. For the 500km and above, budget 16–20 weeks of dedicated preparation. Regarding the 1000km, you need to have completed a 300km+ event as a qualifying requirement anyway. So build that in early.
Nutrition: The 9,000 calorie burn from the 300km category is your guide. You cannot front-load enough calories. You need a continuous fuelling strategy. This means real food, not just gels, especially overnight for the longer categories. I use a combination of high-carbohydrate on-bike fuelling and real food (rice cakes, sandwiches, bananas) for anything beyond 12 hours.
Equipment: Benelux roads are the ultimate durability test. Whatever wheelset you’re riding, it needs to be tubeless-ready and built for rough tarmac. I’ve done extensive long-distance training on the Winspace T1550 Gen 2 wheels and they handle the Ardennes beautifully. Stiff enough for climbing efficiency, compliant enough to save your hands over 300-plus kilometres of punishing road surface. Proper lighting and safety in general is of course another important aspect. Read all about my lighting set-up for ultra distance racing here.
Sleep planning (1000km): A sleep strategy is not optional at this distance. Most successful ultra finishers plan 2–4 brief sleep stops of 60–90 minutes. Commit to your plan in advance and stick to it even when you feel fine at the 600km mark. The riders who improvise their sleep strategy are the ones you find wrapped in a foil blanket at an Ardennes petrol station at 4am.
Is the Race Across Benelux Worth the Entry?
Entry costs range from €99 (Go’Lum 200km solo) to €379 (1000km solo). That’s very reasonable for a supported ultra event with a central basecamp, timing, and on-road assistance at checkpoints. The real investment is preparation time. This isn’t a race you can wing.
Reasons to sign up:
- Four distance categories: from 200km night race to 1000km RAAM qualifier — suit every level of ultra ambition
- World-class terrain on the roads of Belgian and Benelux cycling history
- Central basecamp format at Braine-l’Alleud makes logistics simpler than point-to-point events
- Official RAAM qualifier at the 1000km distance
- Three-country route adds variety and scope the original Belgium-only event couldn’t offer
- Accessible from most of Western Europe. The Waterloo basecamp is easy to reach by train, car, or plane
Things to consider:
- The Ardennes terrain is genuinely unforgiving. Even the 200km night race is not a flat introduction
- Belgian weather in May can range from beautiful to truly miserable, sometimes on the same day
- Most official resources are in French. English-language information is still somewhat limited
- The 1000km requires documented prior ultra experience for entry. Plan your qualifying event in advance
FAQ: Race Across Benelux
Q: What is the Race Across Benelux and what happened to Race Across Belgium?
A: The Race Across Benelux is the evolution of the former Race Across Belgium. The Race Across Series expanded and rebranded the event to cover three countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The basecamp remains at Braine-l’Alleud near Brussels. The 2027 edition runs May 5–9, with four distance categories: 200km, 300km, 500km, and 1000km.
Q: Is the Race Across Benelux a RAAM qualifier?
A: Yes, the 1000km category of the Race Across Benelux is an official RAAM (Race Across America) qualifier. Completing it earns qualification points toward RAAM entry eligibility, making it one of very few European ultra events with this prestigious designation. Entry to the 1000km requires prior completion of a 300km+ ultra-cycling event.
Q: What is the Go’Lum Experience in the Race Across Benelux?
A: The Go’Lum Experience is the 200km night race category. The newest addition to the event and a fantastic entry point into ultra cycling. It runs entirely at night, introducing riders to the unique challenges of night navigation, lighting management, and nocturnal nutrition. Solo entry costs €99–€119. It’s ideal for experienced endurance cyclists making their first move into ultra distance.
Q: What are the hardest climbs on the Race Across The Benelux route?
A: The most demanding climbs include La Redoute (the queen climb of Liège-Bastogne-Liège with brutal 8–10% ramps), the Mur de Huy (notorious 19% final ramp that finishes the Flèche Wallonne each spring), and Stockeu (short, savage, made famous by Eddy Merckx in 1971). All feature on the longer distance loops and are just as savage at kilometre 280 of an ultra race as they are in a professional peloton.
Q: When and where does the Race Across Benelux take place?
A: The Race Across Benelux takes place in May each year, based out of Braine-l’Alleud, just south of Brussels, Belgium. The 2027 edition runs May 5–9. All distances start and finish at the same central basecamp, making logistics far simpler than point-to-point ultra events. Check the Race Across Series website for registration dates and route details.
Belgium is the greatest cycling country on earth. And I’m allowed to say that, because I live here and I’ve tested every road it has to offer. The Race Across Benelux takes everything that made the original Race Across Belgium exceptional and expands it across three countries, four distances, and an even broader spectrum of terrain. Whether you’re targeting the 200km Go’Lum night experience, a 300km personal challenge, or the full 1000km RAAM qualifier, this race deserves a place on your calendar. It’s authentically Belgian at its core. And for me, that’s the highest compliment I can give any event.
Have you ridden the Race Across Benelux or the old Race Across Belgium? Drop a comment below. I’d love to hear your experience.ear your experience.
