The finish
After 23 hours, 34 minutes and 17 seconds I cross the finish line (the 22nd finisher) for what was to be the last time. Jill, Kenn, Spencer, Ingrid, Rob, Wim , Marc, Xavier, Alain, Wim, Jacques, and many others congratulate me. It feels wonderful. I did it! I am a Continental Centurion! Then Paul puts his head out of the wagon where al the timing etc. is done. "Do you think you could manage another small lap? It's just a kilometre and you would be in a much better position on the 24 hour list'. Can I? Can things get worse from a few more steps? I get back on track, leaving behind an almost flabbergasted Jill with cheers from the Belgian gang. Finally I walk three small laps, doing a total of 163,892 meters in 24 hours and 28 seconds, finishing at a 5th position on the 24 hour list. Most walkers stopped after finishing the 100 miles at much, much better times than mine.
A chair! I see a non-occupied chair! That is the last thing I walk for. The rest of the day will be stumbling if I move at all. I sit down to inspect the damage done. Feet like modern art, that's all I can say. Rain and mud (and the distance) caused big blisters and chafed bits of the skin till bleedingpoint. One toenail "swims' in a blister. "It will heal, you know, eventually' Jill assures me. Even after having walked 50 miles himself Marc Collinet is a very helpful and much appreciated walking stick.
We have to wait a while for the little "ceremony' by Hans van der Knaap, the secretary of the RWV. This gives us time to congratulate and hug each other, to realise there is life after a long walk, although a bit painful. This weekend 24 walkers qualified for the 100 miles, 28 walkers qualified for the 24 hours (the limit being 144 km.) and 5 new Continental Centurions were added to the list.
The days after…
Yes, I was tired, sleepy, excited, happy and grateful for being able to this and having great friends who supported me during the walk or by sending cards or e-mails and phoning me up. My feet looked awful but the body is a remarkable thing: they do heal. The following Monday my muscles were a bit tight. Now, a week later I start thinking of walks to come. There is a 40 km. nearby next Saturday. Second week of July there is 300 km. in 7 days in Denmark and the week after that 4 days and 200 km. in Apeldoorn. No, I won't do Nijmegen this year. But there is a non-stop 100 km. in Denmark first of August and the Frisian Woodway 110 km. 21st of August by the Frisian long distance walkers (http://www.wsv-flal.demon.nl, then choose the English version) and many shorter walks to do in autumn. I might even do this sort of thing again some day. The walkers are simply too enthousiastic and the organisation too good not to try again. Thanks!
Final results
A list of results will likely be published on RWV site. Here are only the first four positions of the 24 hour race and the 100 miles race. The next 100 mile event will be on the Isle of Man, Great Britain, 21/22 June 1998. Other Centurion qualifying races in Britain in the future are still uncertain. The RWV will organise a 100 mile/24 hour in two years time.
24 hours:
- Arie Boertjes, 201,774 meters in 24 hour, 5 minutes, 17 seconds
- Marleen Radder-Willems, 189,125 meters in 24 hours, 6 minutes, 50 seconds
- Dave Bindervoet, 167,779 meters in 24 hours, 5 minutes, 24 seconds
- Joop Wissink, 166,791 meters in 24 hours 8 minutes, 15 seconds. Joop was born in 1925!
100 miles:
- Bernardo José from Spain, 18 hours, 23 minutes, 58 seconds
- Arie Boertjes, 18 hours, 47 minutes, 36 seconds
- Ad Leermakers, 19 hours, 44 minutes, 57 seconds
- Marleen Radder-Willems, 19 hours, 46 minutes, 27 seconds.
By the way, at walks I do stop at times to stick my nose into nice smelling roses, but not when I know I will be passing the same bush 41 times…
Christina Elsenga
International Walking Events Links
