Veerle Bakker

Veerle Bakker

Veerle Bakker becoming the 2024 Dutch 10,000 metres champion.
Personal information
Nationality	Dutch
Born	(1997-09-29) 29 September 1997 (age 27)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	Steeplechase, Cross country, Long distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	10000m: 32.36.64 (Nijmegen, 2024) 3000m s'chase: 9:30.67 (Hengelo, 2025)

Veerle Bakker (born 29 September 1997) is a Dutch long-distance and cross country runner and steeplechaser. She is a multiple-time Dutch national champion in the 3000m steeplechase and in 2025 won the Dutch national title in the 10,000 metres. She has competed at the European Cross Country Championships and the European Athletics Championships. ^[1]

Career

In 2022, competing for the University of Portland in the a United States, Bakker set a new school record of 9:11.90 in the women's 3000 metres whilst competing at the UW Husky Classic in the state of Washington. ^[2]

She became Dutch national champion in the 3000m steeplechase in Apeldoorn in 2022 at the 2022 Dutch Athletics Championships. ^[3] She competed at the 2022 European Cross Country Championships in Turin, Italy, in December 2022, finishing in tenth place overall. ^[4]

She retained her Dutch national title in the 3000m steeplechase at the 2023 Dutch Athletics Championships in Breda, in July 2023. ^[5] She competed at the 2023 European Cross Country Championships in Brussels, Belgium. ^[6]

She ran a personal best time for the 3000 metres steeplechase of 9:45.19 in Karlsruhe, Germany in May 2024. ^[7] The following week, she became Dutch champion over 10,000 metres in Nijmegen, running a personal best time of 32.36.64. ^{[8] [9]} She competed at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy, in June 2024, placing eighteenth overall in the 10000 metres in a time of 33:07.14. ^[10]

She represented the Netherlands at the 2025 European Running Championships in Belgium in April 2025. ^[11] She lowered her personal best by 13 seconds running 9:30.67 in the 3000 metres steeplechase in Hengelo on 9 June 2025. ^[12]

Personal life

She is from Amersfoort. ^{[13] [14]} She attended the University of Portland. ^[7]

References

1. "Veerle Bakker". World Athletics. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
2. "Bakker Breaks All-Time Indoor 3000m Record, Klemz Lands Second-Best Program Finish at UW Husky Classic". Portlandpilots. 11 Feb 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
3. "Na Amerikaanse droom pakt Veerle Bakker nationale titel". ad.nl. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
4. "This is how Veerle Bakker still obtained a starting ticket for the European Cross Country Championships in Turin". Runnersworld. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
5. "Goud voor Veerle Bakker op de 3000 meter steeplechase NK atletiek". Sleutelstad.nl. 29 July 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
6. "EK cross valt Amina Maatoug en Veerle Bakker zwaar". Leidenatletiek. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
7. Piest, Tijn (May 16, 2024). "Veerle Bakker hopes for Dutch title 10,000 meters, 'but prefer limit'". Hardloopnetwerk.nl. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
8. "Bakker meets the European Championship limit in Nijmegen, takes the Dutch 10,000 meter title". nos.nl. May 18, 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
9. "Van Gent Final weeks: Amersfoort's Veerle Bakker meets the European Championship limit". destadamersfoort.nl. May 19, 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
10. "European Athletics Championships". World Athletics. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
11. "12 TeamNL athletes to the 'European Running Championships Brussels – Leuven'". Atletiek.nl. April 2, 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
12. Roeske, Eric (10 June 2025). "FBK Games leveren altijd: volop Nederlandse successen (recap)". Hardloop Netwerk. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
13. "Veerle Bakker second at Sylvestercross in Soest". rtvutrecht.nl. January 1, 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
14. "Het protest van Veerle Bakker werd internationaal op de voet gevolgd". destentor.nl. Retrieved 19 June 2024.