How it started ?

'Why not take part in a big running race with our target group?' was the thinking at Pigment vzw. in the autumn of 2012. The Brussels 'Association ‘Waar Armen het Woord Nemen’ (Where the Poor start speaking) had been offering sports activities for some time, but had not yet ventured into jogging... No sooner said than done. A small group of motivated runners took part in the Brussels Half Marathon for the first time on the 7th of October 2012.

Playing sports together, healthy exercise and a great team spirit clearly left us wanting more. Pigment vzw and LinkBrussels vzw therefore decided to join forces to start a real jogging club. Bon, (the Brussels welcome office for newcomers), which had already been working with jogging for several years, enthusiastically joined in and Buurtsport Brussel and Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen (Refugee Aid Flanders) also reinforced the initiative.

In February 2013, led by volunteer Koen, the club started its weekly training sessions. A number of fearless runners braved the snow, rain and cold with abandon. The jogging club was named 'Les Gazelles de Bruxelles'.

A few months and several kilometres later, some twenty-five Gazelles took part in the 20 km of Brussels. And with success! The results were amazing, as was the ambiance. A few months later, we joined other races such as the Laarbeekse Paden, Leopold II jogging, Brussels Half Marathon and the Corrida in Leuven.

One year, many running trainings and races later, we decided to take the plunge. On the 24th of June 2014, a new non-profit organisation "Les Gazelles de Bruxelles" was founded. With this non-profit organisation, we wanted to continue supporting our operation financially and materially in the future. Since then, the number of participants, activities and projects increased.