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Beat It (Amsterdam) 2026

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The event in a few words

For centuries, the Dutch have been nibbling land from the water. At BEAT IT Amsterdam, the clock nibbles time away from you, kilometer after kilometer ⏱️ . In mid-December, just a few days before Christmas, this format born in the Netherlands sets up its giant timer in the halls of the EXPO Greater Amsterdam, in Vijfhuizen. The venue sits in the heart of the Haarlemmermeer polder, in North Holland, between Haarlem and Schiphol Airport ✈️ . Outside, Dutch December often hesitates between drizzle, gusts from the North Sea and a pearl-gray sky. Inside, the race takes place under cover: leave the windbreaker in the changing rooms 🧥 .

BEAT IT! can be summed up in four watchwords: Run 1 km. Beat the clock. Recover. Repeat. Each level requires you to complete 1 km before the allotted time runs out. After a short transition, the whole pack in your heat sets off again on the same signal 🔁 . The catch? With every level, the clock shaves a few seconds off the cut-off… 😅 As for the profile, nothing to report: 0 mD+ and a perfectly flat course. Makes sense: you’re running at the bottom of a former lake, drained in the 19th century with the help of steam pumps 🌊 . The faster you finish, the longer your recovery: strategy is played out as much in your legs as in your head 🧠 .

BEAT IT Amsterdam comes in three divisions. "IMPACT", non-competitive, allows more time and offers dedicated support. It’s open to all ages and designed for runners who need structure or adaptations 🤝 . "Challenger" strings together 15 levels before a decisive Final Lap, while "Elite" only stops when nobody can beat the clock anymore. A distant cousin of the backyard, the concept flips its logic: here, time never stays fixed—it melts ⌛ . "Challenger" and "Elite" results feed into the BEAT IT Ranking, the key to the APEX 50 championships in December 🏆 . Eliminated? Head to the Cheer Zone, which grows with each level, before the After Run Party 🎉 .

To recharge your batteries, head to the De Cruquius Museum. To drain the lake, King William I preferred three steam pumping stations to 240 windmills, and the museum’s giant machine still runs 🏭 . In Haarlem, admire the portraits by Frans Hals. Then warm up with erwtensoep, the thick pea soup of Dutch winters, or oliebollen, those fritters sold at stalls until New Year’s 🍩 . The most hardcore will push on to Zandvoort, home of the Zandvoort Circuit Run. Others head for Amsterdam, stronghold of the Amsterdam Marathon and the Dam tot Damloop 🏎️ .

Michael Jackson sang "Beat It" : on this course, the moonwalk is still forbidden—only walking forward keeps you in the game! 🕺

6 reasons to join this race

A format where time shrinks 📉
Forget the final time: here, every kilometer becomes a mini-final against the cut-off 🔥 . As long as you cross the line in time, you stay in the game. Miss a level and your adventure stops cold 🛑 . With no fixed distance and no classic finish line, only your ability to keep up with an ever more demanding clock sets your limit.
A division tailored to every stride 🧩
The pace scale covers every type of runner 📊 : from 10' to 5' per km for "IMPACT"; from 8' to 4' per km for "Challenger"; from 6' to 2'10" per km, and beyond, for "Elite". The Sunday jogger flirts with their limits without the pressure of the rankings, while the track rockets battle for the final word 🚀 .
The road to APEX 50 🗺️
Here, your performance doesn’t vanish into oblivion. Each level validated in "Challenger" or "Elite" earns points for the BEAT IT Ranking, as does your final position 🧮 . At the end of the season, the top 50 men and top 50 women in each division earn their ticket to the APEX 50, the annual championship in December 🥇 .
Eliminated but never sidelined 📣
Missing a cut-off doesn’t send you back to the parking lot. You join the Cheer Zone, along the course, to cheer on those still hanging on 👏 . The more levels tick by, the bigger the stands get, until the last survivor. Everyone then meets up for the After Run Party 🪩 .
Timing down to the thousandth 🎯
Each kilometer is monitored by electronic timing, with splits at 250 m, 500 m and 750 m, then on the line 📡 . The verdict comes down to the thousandth of a second: finishing exactly on the cut-off is still valid; one thousandth more and the clock sends you back to the stands 😬 .
A dry kilometer in the middle of the Dutch winter 🏠
Here, no headwind on a dike and no slippery cobblestones: you rack up laps of a flat loop, sheltered from the whims of the Dutch sky 🌧️ . The ideal setting to push your pace without checking the weather, just before the holiday season 🎄 .

A distance for every taste

20 km : Elite

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  • 19 Sat, 4:00 PM ➜ December 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM
  • 20 km

A few more words

From the very first level, the tone is set: 6 minutes to cover the kilometer 🏃 . The cut-off then drops by 15 seconds each lap until level 9 and its 4' per km. From level 10, it melts away by 10 seconds per level: 3'30" at level 12, 3' at level 15, 2'10" at level 20 ⚡ . No limit is set: the race continues as long as a runner beats the clock, and the last one standing in their category wins their heat. On a flat loop, only your speed, your ability to recover in 60 seconds and your clarity in the Call Zone matter ⏰ . The 20 km shown are only a reference point: it’s up to you to see where your engine stalls 🔋 .

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Your bib must be collected on site, at the EXPO Greater Amsterdam, on race day, no later than 1 hour before your start. The organizers recommend arriving at least 75 minutes before your start time, so you have time for check-in, warm-up and the mandatory briefing.

Remember to bring a valid ID, which may be requested at check-in.

All starts take place at the EXPO Greater Amsterdam, Stelling 1, 2141 SB Vijfhuizen (Netherlands). Here is the provisional schedule.

Saturday 19 December 2026:

  • doors open at 8:00 am;

  • IMPACT from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, with a briefing from 8:30 am to 8:45 am;

  • Challenger from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, with a briefing from 10:15 am to 10:30 am;

  • Challenger from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a briefing from 1:15 pm to 1:30 pm;

  • Elite from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with a briefing from 3:15 pm to 3:30 pm;

  • Elite or Challenger from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with a briefing from 6:15 pm to 6:30 pm;

  • awards ceremony at 9:30 pm, followed by the After Run Party at 10:00 pm.

Sunday 20 December 2026:

  • doors open at 8:00 am;

  • Challenger from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, with a briefing from 8:30 am to 8:45 am;

  • Challenger from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, with a briefing from 10:15 am to 10:30 am;

  • Elite from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a briefing from 1:15 pm to 1:30 pm;

  • Elite or Challenger from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, with a briefing from 3:15 pm to 3:30 pm;

  • awards ceremony at 6:30 pm, followed by the After Run Party at 7:00 pm.

When registering, you choose a division and a time slot. Your heat and exact start time will be communicated as soon as possible after sales close. You can run multiple heats if you are registered for each of them; only your best result per division counts for the ranking.

IMPACT is open to all ages for this edition. For Challenger and Elite, you must be 18 years old on race day.

Prices are as follows:

  • IMPACT: €60;

  • Challenger: €50;

  • Elite: €50.

Ticket sales close on Monday 14 December 2026, subject to availability. No refunds are granted in the event of cancellation, illness, injury, lateness or absence. No Flexticket is offered for this edition. Depending on your ticket, you can resell it via the ticketing partner’s official resale function.

It is forbidden to drink, eat or take a gel during a level. Between levels, in the Recovery Zone, you may use the bottles provided by the organizers as well as gels, whether provided by the organizers or personal.

Personal flasks and any other food are not allowed during the race. Food stands are available on site.

Yes. Each level has a time limit to cover 1 km. Finishing exactly on the time limit is still valid. You must also be in the Call Zone no later than 15 seconds before the start of the next level. The time limits change as follows:

  • IMPACT: from 10 minutes at level 1 to 5 minutes at level 12, with 120 seconds of transition between levels;

  • Challenger: from 8 minutes at level 1 to 4 minutes at level 15, with 60 seconds of transition, then a Final Lap with no time limit;

  • Elite: from 6 minutes at level 1 to 2 minutes 10 seconds at level 20, then 10 seconds less at each level, with 60 seconds of transition.

In Challenger and Elite, finishing after the time limit or not being in the Call Zone results in elimination.

Yes, you must wear:

  • your official bib;

  • the provided timing chip;

  • sportswear including at minimum a top and bottoms;

  • closed running shoes, with a maximum sole thickness of 40 mm.

Metal spikes are prohibited. Headphones and earphones are not allowed in the race area. Sports watches are allowed, but any coaching or any external communication during a level is prohibited.

Phones and small cameras are only permitted if the event’s athlete guide allows them, and selfie sticks are prohibited.

Lockers are available at your own risk. You can reserve them before the event or rent them on site, subject to availability. Changing rooms are limited and are not supervised. The availability of showers will be specified in the information sent before the event.

What your registration includes depends on your division:

  • IMPACT: the bib, the briefing, official timing, access to the event, the Finisher Badge at the end of the race, personalized support and a reduced number of participants at the start;

  • Challenger: the bib, the briefing, official timing, access to the event, rankings and results, the Finisher Badge from level 10, and points for the APEX 50 ranking;

  • Elite: the same services as Challenger, plus access to prize money. This is €500 for first place, €250 for second and €125 for third, for both men and women.

Each day, the top three men and top three women in Challenger and Elite step onto the podium, and the day’s winners receive a trophy. This edition is the first qualifying event of the season leading to the APEX 50 championships in December 2027.

If you still have questions, you can contact the organizers by email: shai@beatit.run

You can check the race rules here

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