The 102nd edition of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse kicked off at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday. A total of 44,480 people are participating in the four-day hike this year. The first day of hiking s known as the Dag van Elst, or the Day of Elst in English. Participants will hike through the Betuwe towards Arnhem and the come back to Nijmegen via Bemmel, covering 30, 40 or 50 kilometers.
2,951 hikers did not show up on Tuesday morning - 300 more no-shows than last year, De Gelderlander reports.
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.
Nijmegen's annual four day hiking event, the Vierdaagse, kicked off on Tuesday morning. The first hikers started their journey at 4:00 a.m. and by 6:30 a.m. over half of the 42,036 participants were on the way, the Volkskrant reports.
This is the 101st edition of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse, which ends in the Nijmegen city center on Friday. Hikers from no less than 67 countries are participating this year. The youngest participant is 11-year-old Maud Molemans from Nijmegen, the oldest is 94-year-old Herman Dubie from Amsterdam. This is the Amsterdam man's 20th Vierdaagse.
People participating in the Nijmegen Vierdaagse hike next week, will have to take high temperatures into account, according to Weeronline. From Sunday, temperatures will rise to tropical highs of above 30 degrees on Wednesday, according to the weather service.
The Nijmegen Vierdaagse is happening between Tuesday and Friday next week. Some of the accompanying parties already start on Saturday.
The Heumensoord asylum camp in Nijmegen is closing early in May. All of the about 3 thousand people living in the largest asylum center in the Netherlands need to be moved elsewhere by May 2nd, the COA announced on Tuesday
No longer is the second day the day that most people give up. Only 857 didn’t reach the finish on day two and that’s a meager 2%. Much less than the usual 4%.
The fact that most people give up on the second day is no longer valid. The first time this didn’t happen was two years ago. The warm weather of this year was expected to bring back the tough image of the second day but the new trend is set.
Vierdaagsefeesten
The participants in the 97th edition of the Vierdaagse will face this year, in addition to the considerable distances they have to walk, another obstacle. During the coming days the temperature is probably going to be 26 or 27 degrees.
Participants of the Vierdaagse, which will start on Tuesday July 16, are advised to drink extra. Sun burn is also very likely so a good sun protection is advised. Because during the night the temperature can drop to 15 degrees, late night partiers are advised to bring a sweater.
