December in red and yellow: exploits, challenges and conviviality at Kuristo!
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
Following the marathon exploits of some of our members in November, the life of the club was punctuated, in this month of December, by 3 sporting events.
Sunday, December 7: The ART Fun Run is on fire!
The ART Winter Run was the penultimate stage of our club challenge. Several runners were present to score another point in this highly rewarding challenge: Aude, currently leading the challenge, came not only to run but also to maintain her top spot in the rankings, while Gilles and Julie wanted to ensure they would be included in the final standings. Each of them, of course, accomplished their objective successfully.
Valentin, ever the optimist, went all out with a 'shock weekend' approach, combining the BW trail race (39 km) with the Foulées Hivernales the following day. And, at the end of the race, he successfully completed his challenge without any suffering 😉.
Isidro, for his first race as a kuristo (a type of cyclist), had decided to make things difficult for himself by falling off a stepladder and hitting his elbow the day before the race. Although quite painful, this didn't stop him, after starting far back in the pack, from overtaking at least 150 to 200 runners to finish in an excellent 26th place (5th in the V1 category). What a spectacular debut!
On the women's side, a very pleasant surprise with Sarah N. who remarkably performed well, finishing 27th woman (12th Senior). We certainly weren't expecting such a result. When's the next race?
Even though she did not register under the club's colors (we assume it was a distraction 😉), we should also note the encouraging debut of Sarah G.
And for Vincent, it was above all a farewell… Yes, a farewell to the category that welcomed him for 10 years.
Sunday, December 14: a successful double event
One week after the ART Fun Run, a new double important event is on the agenda: the hour race followed by the club's general meeting.
The hour race is a chance to dot Woluwe Park with red Kuristo jerseys 😊. It's the only race of the year where everyone arrives more or less at the same time, since the goal is to run as many laps (2.4 km) as possible in 60 minutes. For some, it's a chance to compare their times year after year, for others, it's the pleasure of running in small groups, or even competing against their club members.
It's also a time when the veterans are very much present to expertly organize the race and encourage the participants throughout the hour-long event. Our champions this year are Aude and Véronique, who were neck and neck in the women's race, and Quentin, who, still benefiting from his marathon training, dominated the men's race.
There were 24 of us running and also about ten spectators. As the rain didn't materialize and the temperatures were mild for the season, everyone was very satisfied.
Then, after returning to the stadium and taking a shower, it was time to gather for our club's annual general meeting at the La Rotonde restaurant. With 35 people in attendance, the room was packed, a great mix of long-standing and new members. The agenda was relatively light, including the traditional speech by René, always on form and able to pepper his presentation with the occasional touch of humor. This was also an opportunity to thank the committee members who, for years, have continued to fulfill their roles. A special thank you to René, our president, and to Dominique, our secretary-treasurer, who together manage the club's administrative side, somewhat invisible to the runners, but so vital for the club's continued success.
It was also about rewarding those most loyal to our club challenge. Aude proved to be the most dedicated, with 14 participations. Congratulations to her, and we hope her example will inspire others next season. Julie, Gilles, and Christian also made the list of winners.
In terms of applause, today's went to Valentin, whose enthusiasm and expertise successfully energize the club with all his ideas. What would we be without the regular newsletters, the constantly updated website, the numerous messages and surveys, and the information provided to candidates through the site? The question answers itself.
The day concluded with a delicious meal in a very friendly atmosphere. We're off to a great start for 2026, which we hope will be even more productive in terms of participation in training sessions, trail runs, and challenge races, but also in terms of results, new jerseys, and above all, the friendly spirit that characterizes Kuristo.
Happy holidays everyone. Enjoy the gourmet meals available to you during this festive period to build up as many carbohydrate and/or lipid reserves as possible so you can tackle the second half of winter without being anemic 😉, no holding back, we'll have the opportunity to burn all these excesses in the first months of the year to be "top fit" in the spring 💪.
