Christian Belz

Belz announced his retirement from international competition at the end of 2010, citing his desire to focus on both his family and his work as a specialist in sports economics. He is married to Anita Brägger, another Swiss Olympic runner.

A switch to road running was hindered by injury throughout 2007 to 2009. He made his final major appearance at the 2010 European Athletics Championships and announced his international retirement at the end of that year.

He began to change his focus to road running in 2007. He set a course record of 31:08 at the Reusslauf in Bremgarten that February. He made his half marathon debut at the Rotterdam Half Marathon and stepped up to the full marathon distance in October, running at the Cologne Marathon, which he finished in a time of 2:15:08. A series of injuries affected his running from 2007 to 2009. He returned his focus to the track and reached the 10,000 m final at the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, finishing in sixth place.

He competed at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and was 28th in the short race. He had greater success on the track by winning the gold medal over 3000 metres at the 2005 European Cup. He elected to run the 10,000 metres at the 2005 World Championships and broke Markus Ryffel's long-standing national record with a run of 27:53.16 for fourteenth place. The following year he retained his 3000 m title at the 2006 European Cup and came close to a 10,000 m medal at the 2006 European Athletics Championships, where he finished in fourth place. He closed the year with a top ten finish at the 2006 European Cross Country Championships.

The 2001 season marked an improvement in his performances: he set a personal best and Swiss record in the steeplechase with a time of 8:22.24 at the FBK Games in Hengelo in July. He made a global final for the first time at the 2001 World Championships and finished in thirteenth place with a time of 8:31.43. A month later he competed at the 2001 Summer Universiade and had his first international podium finish, taking the bronze medals in both the steeplechase and 5000 metres. At the end of the year he participated at the 2001 European Cross Country Championships, held on home turf in Thun, and he took fifth place in a field of 77 runners.

Christian Belz (born 11 September 1974) is a Swiss long-distance runner. He was initially a steeplechaser and represented Switzerland in the event at the World Championships in Athletics in 1999 and 2001 as well as the 2000 Summer Olympics. He broke the national record with a run of 8:22.24 in June 2001. Later that year he won two bronze medals at the 2001 Summer Universiade.