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Running Symposium 19 March 2026

Date:
Hardloopsymposium

On 31 May 2026, Utrecht will once again host a major running event: the Utrecht Marathon. In the run-up to this event, the Utrecht Science Park Foundation is organising a running symposium to help participants prepare even better.

Presenter Imo Muller and various speakers, including a former top athlete and sports physician, will talk about their own experiences, give practical tips and share insights from research on running.

Get inspired and informed, and register as soon as possible! Participation is free of charge.

Practical information

Please note: the presentations are in Dutch!

More information about the programme will follow as soon as possible.

Be quick, because there are a limited number of spots available!

 

Programme

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Doors open with food and drinks
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Programme

  • Opening by moderator Imo Muller, Moderator & running enthusiast
  • Presentation by Monique van de Velde, Sports nutritionist & avid runner
  • Presentation by Yara van Gendt, sports psychologist
  • Presentation by Jeroen Hasselaar, movement scientist & researcher
  • Presentation by Miranda Boonstra, movement scientist & marathon expert
  • Panel discussion with questions from the audience

9.00 p.m. End

For more information about the speakers, see below.

Imo Muller
Imo has run more than 20 marathons. When he’s not running, he’s busy with running. He hosts the podcast “Naar de Vaantjes”, owns the Hardloopnetwerk platform and advises various sports brands through his sports marketing agency. He also organises various running events.

Monique van de Velde
Monique helps avid athletes perform better with rest, confidence and a strong nutritional foundation. ‘Gain more peace of mind and confidence in your nutritional choices, so that nutrition is no longer a source of doubt but a powerful tool that supports training, recovery, sleep and performance. My mission is to help you understand how to use nutrition strategically without it becoming an obsession, with room for eating intuitively and eating freely.’

Yara van Gendt
Yara coaches top athletes who want to get the best out of themselves and feel better about themselves. She is part of the staff of the IKO-X2O speed skating team, has her own practice in Zwolle where she sees both young talents and experienced top athletes, and has written the book “Leren Revalideren” (Learning to Rehabilitate) for injured athletes together with her colleague Afke van de Wouw.

Jeroen Hasselaar
Jeroen is a movement scientist and works at Jessica Gal Sportartsen, where he performs exercise tests, running analyses and bike fittings. He also works as a junior researcher at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, focusing on research into children with congenital anaemia. With his passion for exercise physiology and biomechanics, he helps athletes and rehabilitation patients improve their performance and health. As a former semi-professional cyclist, he is now active as a triathlete in the 2nd Division.

Miranda Boonstra
Miranda is a former professional marathon runner and steeplechase runner, with a European Championship final place (2006) and the Dutch record in the steeplechase for many years. She obtained her PhD in medical sciences from Radboud University in 2010. With her background in movement sciences and physiotherapy, she works as a running coach through Marathon Coaching Boonstra and is the founder of Recovery RUN, a foundation that gets people with and after cancer moving.