About 1.2 million people participate in 106th edition of Nijmegen Marches

About 1.2 million people attended the Four Days Marches in Nijmegen last week, a spokesperson for the organization said on Saturday. According to her, that is in line with previous years. "We think there may have been a little less than last year, but the difference is negligible."

The atmosphere was good during the festivities. "It was a genuine Four Days Marches festival week," says the spokeswoman. "The atmosphere was very friendly, the party locations were well-filled, and the streets remained clean for the most part. That did us a world of good."

At the beginning of this week, it got very busy with performances of Roxy Dekker, De Bankzitters, Snollebollekes, Lee Towers, and Ronnie Ruysdael. On Friday evening, the police also issued a so-called crowd warning for the performance of Superstrings, but according to the organization, the flow remained good, and it was not too full anywhere. Visitors to the parties on Friday also took the heat into account, says the spokeswoman. "They took more time for things and paid close attention to each other."

More people were out and about in the city on Friday night than Thursday night, as more walkers mingled with the partygoers. Friday was the last day of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, which was completed by more than 41,500 walkers this year. They all received the coveted Four Days Marches Cross. Despite the heat, only 317 walkers dropped out on Friday.

Only at the 100th edition in 2016, when more starting tickets and an extra 55-kilometer route were offered, more walkers reached the finish line. Then, there were 42,557. This year, for the first time, a starting ticket could be transferred to someone else. The organization suspects that this contributed to the high number of participants who appeared at the start on Tuesday and also finished on Friday.

Furthermore, the weather conditions were favorable on the first few days of walking. On the last day of walking, the routes were shortened by 10 kilometers due to the heat. This gave participants more time to complete the course. Additional water points were also placed along the route, and soldiers did not have to walk with packs.

March leader Henny Sackers is "tremendously proud of all the walkers who have achieved this feat." He expresses his appreciation for "the tireless efforts" of the many volunteers who have guided the event. "The 4-Day Marches is an unparalleled highlight on the Dutch events calendar."

The 107th edition of the Four Days Marches will occur from 15 to 18 July 2025. It will be the hundredth time that the marches will be held in and around Nijmegen. The first few editions were held in various places in the country. "That promises to be a special edition", says Sackers.