Sean and I were part of the biggest walk in the world a couple of weeks ago. Every Dutch person knows of the Vierdaagse, or The Four Days Marches Nijmegan. It’s big because 40,000 people walk it. Then thousands more people line the streets to cheer, DJ, play in a band or sing to help the walkers stay motivated and 1.3 million more visitors attend the Vierdaagsefeesten or the 4 day festival, a big party that concurrently runs with the walk.
The Vierdaagse is an organised walk that has existed since 1909. Each year the registration is capped at 45,000 people, consisting of military and civilian participants, both Dutch and international. All those who complete the walk receive a royally approved military medal. The Vierdaagse Cross is awarded by the KNBLO, de Koninklijke Nederlandsche Bond Voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding, or Royal Dutch League for Physical Education. Completing the walk requires participants to walk a prescribed 40km route every day for four days (or 50km if you are male aged between 19 and 49 years).
The walk is not a charity event or a race. The purpose of the whole event is to promote the idea of healthy exercise and walking. We spent several Saturdays walking long distances through the dunes behind the North Sea coast to get ready for the event. Beautiful scenery but long hot days in the sun! I was sure after our training walks that we could finish the Vierdaagse and Sean and I agreed that the only obstacle that would stop us would be deathbed illness or blisters.
Each morning of the Vierdaagse walkers start at the same spot in Nijmegan. We were staying at a hotel in Osterbeek so needed to drive to a park and ride (P&R) station and catch a shuttle bus. We left our hotel at 3.15am each morning so that Sean and his colleague Leo could start their 50km walk at the required 4.15am start time. Nasty!
Waking up at 2.30am knowing you have to walk 40 or 50km that day is a bloody awful feeling.Too early to eat, no coffee making facilities for guests at our hotel, it was for the best if no one talked much. So we stayed silent for the entire ride to Nijmegan on that first day of the walk.
We were silent until we arrived at the start line. Then we couldn’t help but laugh. Thousands of party animals from the Vierdaagsefeesten, had stayed up all night and were at the start line cheering and whistling loudly at the walkers, shaking hands and high fiving with quite genuine admiration and encouragement. “Sucess!” They wished us luck. We didn’t realise it at the time but this ovation at the start line was typical of the entire walk.
Sean had to start his walk at 4.15 each morning but as my wave started at 5.45am and on alternate mornings at 6.15am, I had time for cappuccino or three at the start line. This also buoyed me along.
The walking itself was not actually hard. The road surfaces were smooth and flat. There is much talk of the road of the seven hills that has to be conquered on Day 3, but what a Dutchman calls a hill is really a speed hump. The difficulty was really with our feet. Blisters affected Sean badly he had to pull out before the start of day four when his big toe got infected. Ick.
The monotony of walking for eight or ten hours was really taken care of by the spectators and their entertainment. We walked through numerous villages where all the residents would come out of their homes and cheer us on. The towns were decorated with signs and hundreds of flags. Children would stand on the side of the road with bowls of lollies and plates of biscuits for the walkers. Aged care homes would wheel out all their elderly residents so they could watch the passing parade. The town mayors and officials would be there with chains of office. Some families kept their garden hose running for free water bottle fill ups or set up trestle tables with coffee, tea and cold drinks. A few homeowners even opened their WC’s for walker toilet stops.
We were surprised at the number of Dutch along the route who were either in a band or could DJ. Rarely were we walking in silence although I really never need to hear “Take me Home, Country Road” again in this lifetime. Although many songs were repeated along the route (“It’s Raining Men” was played without fail every time the rain started); I was surprised at the eclectic mix of nostalgic Dutch ditties, dance, disco, and top 40, including a song by Sak Noel called Loca People with the F word in it. Folk of all ages would be dancing, bopping and singing along to the music no matter what the style or lyrics, profanities don’t raise an eyebrow here.
Outside the villages, there was no chance of peace and quiet if I was walking alongside any of the military units who would sing loud military cadence songs. I met one Aussie air force cadet and a few other Aussie civilians, I only wish I had an Aussie flag on my backpack like some others did.
Walking back into Nijmegan on the last day was wonderful. Thousands of cheering people lined the roadside for several kilometres cheering us on. I have never felt such camaraderie and part of such a positive community spirit (in a community where I don’t even speak the official language)!.
Since we’ve been back in The Hague, so many people are interested in hearing about the Nijmegan Vierdaagse. Most people have seen it on the news or have a friend who did it, or have always wanted to do it. We are definitely glad we did it!
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