Nijmegen Vierdaagse kicks off with 44,702 participants

The 103rd edition of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse, known as the Four Day Marches in English, kicked off with 44,702 participants at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning. On the first leg of the four-day walking event, participants will walk from Nijmegen through the Betuwe to Arnhem, NU.nl reports.

The Vierdaagse marchers were waved off by numerous spectators along the roadside in Nijmegen on Tuesday morning. This tradition seems to be expanding rapidly over the past years. The Vierdaagse organizers have no problem with this, as long as the spectators do not hinder the participants, according to the newspaper.

For the first time in history, the walkers have the Waal bridge near Nijmegen completely to themselves. Public works department Rijkswaterstaat is renovating the bridge and due to resulting lane closures, there is not enough room for the Vierdaagse participants and traffic. Vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists will have to cross the Waal on other bridges until Wednesday morning.

The Four Day Marchers will last until Friday. Last year just over 41 thousand people crossed the finish line.