Vierdaagse

Rain gear was the order of the day for the first group of hikers kicking off the third day of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse. On Thursday the hikers were greeted by heavy rainfall and thunder when they started their hike on the Wedren in Nijmegen at 4:00 a.m., according to the Gelderlander.

The rain, thunderstorms, hails and strong winds expected in the Netherlands for the coming hours, caught the Vierdaagse organizers completely off guard. Vierdaagse weatherman Jules Geirnaerdt did not see it coming, a spokesperson for the organizers said to De Stentor. "That can happen."

The first aid posts along the route for the second day of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse are so busy on Wednesday that the Red Cross had to call in extra volunteers, a spokesperson for the Red Cross said to NU.nl.

The first participants in the 100th edition of the Vierdaagse in Nijmegen started their march on the 55 kilometer route at 4:00 a.m. this morning. Over the next four days 50 thousand people will march through the Betuwe and the Gelderland town of Est, passing Huissen, Arnhem and the dike between Oosterhout and Lent, and over the Waal bridge in Nijmegen, to end where they started - the Wedren,

Rising temperatures across the Netherlands are expected to peak above thirty degrees on Saturday, making way for thunderstorms Saturday night and a brief cool off on Sunday. The rising heat has led many weather experts to warn people participating in the Vierdaagse march in Nijmegen, a four-day walk where participants journey between 30 and 50 kilometers daily.

Traditionally the Vierdaagse started at the third Tuesday of July. A total of 42.493 participants started at the four day march.

At 4.00 am Minister Edith Schippers gave the sign after which the fresh participants took off. Although usually people might find it a little bit early, the walkers were pleased that they could walk at least a few hours in the cold morning air. They knew that the mercury would hit the high twenties, so most people were well prepared for the heat.