Vierdaagse kicks off with most foreign participants ever; 86 nationalities represented

The Nijmegen Vierdaagse kicked off on Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people are participating in the four-day walking event, covering either 30, 40, or 50 kilometers per day. This year, a record number of people from abroad are participating. A record 86 nationalities are represented. Almost 10 percent are from Nijmegen, RTL Nieuws reports.

All 47,000 available places for the famous walking event, known as the Nijmegen Four Days Marches in English, were taken this year. Over 1,500 people did not show up for the first day of marching. Most participants walk the 40 kilometers.

The first marchers started at 4:00 a.m. with De dag van Elst. The route takes the walkers through the Betuwe, crossing the dike between Lent and Oosterhout, passing through the blue-clad town of Elst, and returning to Nijmegen via Bemmel. On Wednesday, they’ll head to Wijchen, on Thursday to Groesbeek, and on Friday, they’ll do the traditional arrival on the Via Gladiola in Nijmegen.

According to March leader Henny Sackers, there are more and more younger participants. The average age is currently 47.9 years. In 2019, it was 53 years.

Over 6,400 soldiers are participating this year, including 2,446 from the Netherlands. Defense and the Vierdaagse have been linked since the event started in 1909 as a military march.

Soldiers from many NATO member states, Ghana, Indonesia, the Grenadines, and the Caribbean island state of Saint Vincent are also participating. The soldiers are required to walk the 40 kilometers in uniform, carrying at least 10 kilograms of equipment.