What does the ASML Marathon 2025 teach us about crowds and accessibility?

It was another fantastic edition: ASML Marathon 2025. Over 38,000 participants lined up at the starting line, and around 200,000 people came to watch. This naturally resulted in a significant crowd in and around Eindhoven. How did visitors navigate the delays and route changes? And what can we learn from this? Brainport Bereikbaar investigated and shares insights and tips.

‘"The marathon organizers and the municipality of Eindhoven want to minimize disruption for participants, visitors, and residents, both now and in the future," says Yvonne van Velthoven-Aarts of Brainport Bereikbaar. "That's why we're helping to explore new forms of digital environmental communication. We're investigating what works and what doesn't. This way, we can learn from this for future editions and for traffic situations during other events or roadworks."’

Stimulating different travel behavior

One of the tools deployed was Mell, a chatbot with personalized travel information. "With Mell, we wanted to encourage people to travel differently. Because the fewer people who drive, the less traffic on the roads. Anyone requesting travel information immediately received advice on how to go to P+R Genneper Parken or one of the regional NS stations, and then on to the bus or train. We were very curious to see if this would work. Unfortunately, our experience survey showed that only 21% of respondents used the chatbot. Last year, that number was higher. This means we can't say enough about the chatbot's effectiveness."‘

More disruption this edition

So how did people find out about delays, crowds, and route changes during the marathon? "Before the marathon, they primarily used social media (52% via Instagram and Facebook) and the digital screens at the NS station (StreetSync – 12%). Live navigation (24%) was used extensively during the marathon, more so than last year. This trend aligns with what's happening nationwide: more and more people are relying on live navigation for up-to-date information about delays, crowds, and closures." Despite all these resources, the research shows that people experienced more disruption than in previous editions.

Tips and input

The research is therefore valuable for future editions, other events, and major construction projects, says Yvonne. "It's getting busier everywhere, so we have to keep focusing on different travel behavior. We know that providing advance information via social media works well: you reach about half of the visitors that way. Spread the word about closures and alternatives through those channels. And encourage people to travel by car as little as possible. If you do expect a lot of motorists, make sure closures are visible in navigation systems. You can do this by registering them properly in Melvin. There are many more smart solutions like this. So if you're facing a traffic challenge around an event or project, please contact Brainport Bereikbaar. We're happy to help!"‘