Walking the Big Walks - Nijmegen
by Christina Elsenga, 1997Christina Elsenga of Groningen, The Netherlands is our gal in Europe for walking. This month she attended the Vierdaagse in Nijmegen, The Netherlands and reports to us what it is like to participate in these events.
Notes on Nijmegen 1997. Sunday 13th of July I returned home from my 300 kilometer walk in Denmark (see previous feature). I turned my big rucksack full with smelly sweaty clothes upside down. Washing time! While my washing machine worked overtime, I thought I could go to Nijmegen, if only I rearranged some appointments at work, if only I could find me a place to stay, if only I could get my t-shirts and socks dry in time. So I spent most of the Sunday afternoon phoning like crazy. Got me a place to stay, discovered some students were glad I was off for another week, because they hadn't finished their projects yet. So I packed slightly damp clothes (but clean!) in my rucksack and took the train to Nijmegen to be a "late entry Monday afternoon." Usually there is an enormous queue for "late entries," I was so late, nearly 16:00 hours, I had to queue for only half an hour.
Nijmegen has three distances: 30, 40 and 50 km. Each sex and age group has a "mandatory" distance requirement; completing this distance earns the Nijmegen Cross. Anyone in any group may walk a shorter distance, earning only a "diploma." The age for the 30km is 65 for men, and currently 56 for women. It was 55, but starting last year it is being raised by a year each year until it reached 60. The required distance for men between 19 and 49 is 50km. Military men have the option of walking 40km with a 10kg "load". For men 16 to 19 and 50 to 65 and women 19 to 56, 40km is the required distance. Traditionally women were not allowed to walk the 50 km. as it was considered the men's distance and as "we all know women are weak and feeble, don't have the stamina, can't walk" and more crap like that. Fortunately rules have been changed some years ago. Women regularly walk the 40 km. to get the award, but they are allowed to enter the 50 km. walk. The award is exactly the same.
So I entered the 50 km. walk. "Are you sure you want to (read: are you able to) do this?" Oh yes, I am. Personally I feel obliged to prove again and again that women are good walkers when there are people around that think otherwise. It is mainly at the Nijmegen marches I have come across this weird notion. The best male walkers are by all means very cooperative. I suppose they know what it takes and don't depend on other peoples achievements to measure their own. What troubles me most is the fact that some women believe that 'male' talk too and give up before even trying to improve their walking skills. Please note, I don't think every women should walk 50 km, or that only the 50 km. walk is an achievement. Not at all! Anyone participating in a four days event (or any event for that matter) and who takes walking as a sport seriously deserves due respect. (Wendy, I hope you forgive me this slight outburst)
Tuesday, very early in the morning I started which is at 4:00-4:45 for the 50 km.. (Do
I really like to do that on my holidays?). The first day we walk across the Waal-bridge
(well known for fights in 1944) to Arnhem and Elst. In 1994 I also did Nijmegen. This time
I am more in front of the crowds and I can look around and see the countryside. People
always say that the countryside near Nijmegen is no good at all. It is the music, the
bands playing, the people clapping and cheering that makes this walk. In fact the Nijmegen
walk is almost the only walk in the Netherlands that makes people enthusiastic. The other
walk is the Airborne-march in Oosterbeek, first Saturday in September, to commemorate the
operation Market Garden, 1944 to liberate Arnhem and northern Netherlands.
(Wendy Bumgardner's note: On my only trip to Europe we happened to
arrive in Nijmegen and Arnhem just in time for this festival. I am half Dutch and my
ancestors came from this area of the Netherlands. It was thrilling to be on a bus with 30
Dutch boy scouts chattering in a language that my own family stopped using 100 years ago.
Rich and I enjoyed our walk across the "Bridge Too Far.")
Now I am fast enough not to walk in the crowds I know that it is good to look around too. Even though I am early, there are already people sitting in their garden, having breakfast while seeing the participants walk by. Many cheer you on. What a difference compared to the solitude of Denmark! Most bands are not ready to play yet. They don't start until the crowds come walking in. I suppose the crowds need it more than I do. Mind you, I do not walk alone, there are more walkers around. You meet the same people again and again. One has a rest here, the other somewhere else. You have a chat with a walker, a bystander, someone who sells drinks, fruit, whatever. It is enough fun for me.
Every day has a different route. Dutch people will tell you that the third day is hard: the 'zeven heuvelen weg'. The last part of the route has some 'hills', bumps if you like. As we come from a flat country some people find it hard. Don't get upset. We don't have mountains and the hills near Nijmegen are nice but not that spectacular. The good thing is there are many camping sites here and many people sit beside the road cheering to the walkers, even the early ones. Some probably sit there until the last walkers have passed. They need all the encouragement badly, very badly.
Usually I return to my sleeping address after I finish. Have a shower, have something to eat and drink, pamper my feet and have a cat-nap. Then I return to the finish, hand in my control card (control posts are not open by the time I finish) and see part of the crowds coming in, cheering and clapping as some have done for me.
Friday is party-day. Maybe not the first part but definity the second half. When you enter Nijmegen there are more and more people cheering and clapping. Everyone is a winner when finishing Nijmegen. I saw a CNN-crew a few kilometers from the finish. No, they were not ready to see me marching in in my Walklist t-shirt (!), so you didn't accidentally miss me on TV.
202 km. in 4 days, a total of 27 hours. (Are you sure you want to do the 50) About 35,000 walkers started Tuesday morning. About 11% had to stop and give up. First Aid and Red Cross measure tape, bandages and plaster by the kilometer and talcum powder by the kilogram. They used an amazing lot, probably a new record.
Nijmegen Vierdaagse 1997 Statistics:
- day 1 started: 36827; retired (drop-outs): 854
- day 2 started: 35973; retired:1456
- day 3 started: 34517; retired 1137
- day 4 started: 33380; retired 623.
- 32757 walkers finished the Nijmegen Vierdaagse succesfully.
- 4070 walkers in total had to give up (11%)
And now: back to 'normal': back to work.
Happy walks where-ever, whenever, whatever the distance: just enjoy!
Haervejsvandring Denmark:
Vandreforeningen FODSLAW
P.O. Box 268
8800 Viborg
Denmark
Vierdaagse, Nijmegen, Netherlands
K.N.B.L.O.
P.O. Box 61533
2506 AM Den Haag
The Netherlands
Name: Christina Elsenga
City: Groningen
Country: The Netherlands
Age: 32 years (for another three weeks to go)
Profession: Assistant Professor in Business Administration
Email: c.m.elsenga@eco.rug.nl
After I graduated 11 years ago, I decided I should do some sportsactivities but I
wanted to be free in where and when and I didn't want a lot of obligations. I didn't want
a teamsport and I didn't want to do a sport entirely on my own. I decided to do something
generaly known as silly and stupid: I started walking.
I started doing 10 and 15 kilometers walks and did 4 days in Apeldoorn as part of my
holidays. Gradually I really enjoyed the walks, the people, the countryside, etc. In 1995
I got a major back injury but was able to recover and, as walking is very good for your
back (as long as you walk with a correct posture), I enjoy it more then ever. By now
walking with everything that goes with it, has become a real hobby. During the walks I
made friends with several people all over the world and that is probably the biggest award
of all.
I am member of the FLAL (Frisian Long Distance Walkers) and RWV (Rotterdamse Wandel
Vereninging).
Some main events sofar:
- Apeldoorn 4 days: 3 times
- Denmark's Haervejsvandring: 4 times
- Nijmegen 4*50: twice
- 10 times a 100 kilometer non-stop walk in the Netherlands and Belgium
Walking Event and Trip Reports
