In addition to a career as a Belgian patent attorney, Bram runs at least four times a week. He has previously run the Cologne, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Spitsbergen marathons. With a PB of 3:15, he is considering running a fifth marathon. He doesn’t know yet, which marathon that will be.

Bram was raised with sports 'as a way of life'. He quickly became an avid hockey player.From the age of 17 he started the annual Flemish Death March, a very challenging hike in which participants cover 100 kilometres in 24 hours. He only suffers from blisters when he and his brother make a race of this extreme hike. He has participated twelve times. His best sports experience is the northernmost marathon in Spitsbergen, an archipelago 500 km above Norway. Running 42.2 kilometres at zero degrees, where there are more polar bears than people; Bram could not be happier than in those conditions.

He also trains during work hours. Every week he runs his laps from the NLO office in Mechelen. Together with colleague Joran, he runs straight into the green zone "Mechels Broek" during lunch.

"I am definitely not a top athlete. But someone who starts training later in life could never catch up with the level of fitness I built up from a young age. There was a period in which I didn't exercise. That made me feel so lethargic. Sport is my source of energy, and it improves my concentration enormously. I get into a flow state when I run, I can release all the stress for a while. Of course, sometimes I don't feel like running, but I’ve never regretted any run I’ve gone on."

Bram doesn't really have a long wish list, but one experience he definitely doesn’t want to miss out on is the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella. The confrontation with yourself is inescapable, this is the crowning glory of journeys.

Simone started with her first marathon in 2015, and has run several more since then. She found out that she is "a diesel engine", long distances suit her better than shorter, faster distances.

That discovery led her to her first marathon; a classic, one that is on the bucket list of many runners: the New York City marathon. "Reaching the finish line was bittersweet. I experienced a range of thoughts from 'I'm never doing this again' to 'wow, I really can do this!'

Simone's running career has not been a smooth one. She regrettably broke her ankle and was only able to run again after eight months. She managed to get over that hurdle and started running her first trails just before the corona epidemic. Her husband wanted to run in forests, not on tarmac roads, and Simone ran with him. Trail running is 'off-road running': running through nature, on narrow paths (Trails) and tackling natural obstacles such as hills/mountains, rocks and streams.

She now trains 3-4 times a week. "Trail running is a way of life for me, I’ll run in any weather. It is my release, how I unwind from a busy working day."

Running very long distances in nature is not entirely without risk. You only run a trail if you are well prepared. Think about having a GPS for when you get lost in the middle of nowhere, an emergency whistle and a power bank so you can always call the emergency number.

"Every time, it feels like going on an adventure. Trail running is not about competing or winning. Even though I experience fear at times, I push my limits every time. Step by step, each time, I run a bit further or in a more rugged area.

Simone is running longer and longer distances. In December 2022, she ran her first 100-mile event (160 km). This year, she tackled the Petran trail (115 km). You battle with yourself quite a bit. You have to keep going, even when you think you can't go any further. At moments like that, you discover that you can do much more than you can imagine - a victory over yourself.