The Belgian SUP Tour returned to Lacs de l’Eau d’Heure for The Longest Day, bringing together 40 paddlers for a demanding ten-hour test of endurance, strategy and determination. Held on 22 August 2026, the event marked the beginning of the second half of the Belgian SUP Tour season. It also formed the concluding round of the Double 10 Challenge, an ultra-distance series combining The Longest Day with Les 10 Heures de Vassivière in France.
Unlike a conventional continuous endurance race, The Longest Day consisted of ten separate races over an approximately 5.6km course, with one start taking place every hour. The winner was the paddler with the fastest combined time across all ten laps.
Conditions changed repeatedly throughout the day, ranging from hot sunshine to wind and rain, adding another challenge as competitors attempted to recover, refuel and prepare between each start.
Dutch paddlers dominated the individual results. Joep van Bakel took the Open Men’s victory, ahead of his 13-year-old son Mylo van Bakel, with Morgan Benard completing the podium.
The women’s podium was also entirely Dutch, with Marin Hoeboer taking the Open Women’s and Under-16 victories after completing approximately 56km. Ella Oesterholt finished second, with Elin van der Sar in third.
The event produced several remarkable performances from its younger competitors. Mylo’s second place put him ahead of almost the entire experienced men’s field, while his ten-year-old brother Tije became the youngest participant ever to take on and complete the full challenge.
The Van Bakel family approached the event as a shared endurance project, with Joep, Mylo and Tije competing while Suzanne van Bakel managed their food, hydration and support throughout the day. The race also served as valuable preparation for the upcoming SUP 11-City Tour.
Elin van der Sar completed the ten-race challenge despite having never previously paddled farther than 14km. She finished third in the Open Women’s category and second in the Under-16 division.
The Longest Day also decided the overall Double 10 champions. Morgan Benard claimed the men’s title ahead of Kris Deleu and Tim Verbraeken, while Catherine Salignoc successfully defended the women’s title. Martine Lambrechts finished second and Suzanne Den Hollander third.
Les Cowboys secured the overall team title after finishing fourth at The Longest Day.
The Double 10 Challenge is expected to return for a third edition in 2027, once again bringing together two contrasting ten-hour endurance events in France and Belgium.
The Belgian SUP Tour continues with the Belgian Sprint Championship and Technical Race at Hazewinkel on 5 September.
Images courtesy of Jessica Van Der Sar and Joep Van Bakel. This report is based on event information published by the Belgian SUP Tour and TotalSUP.