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Nijmegen March Facts


Poster for the Nijmegen March


  • The Nijmegen March (pronounced nigh-may-gun) originated in 1909 with Dutch military efforts to increase the long distance marching and weight-carrying ability of infantry soldiers, and eventually evolved into a prestigious international annual competition. Some more facts about the Nijmegen March: The four day march (in dutch 'Vierdaagse; or '4-daagse') is held annually and centered around Holland's oldest town, Nijmegen.
  • They comprise four consecutive days of marathon marching, each day 30 miles in length.
  • The town is given over to a huge festival before, during and after the event, which is the largest in a series of international marches.
  • The event is approaching its 100th anniversary; the only breaks have been for the two world wars.
  • It attracts over 40,000 entrants and a similar number of visitors and spectators.
  • Routes pass through many towns and villages, which are given over to a street party atmosphere. Thousands of spectators turn up to watch the 'river' of walkers go by.
  • Individuals, civilian groups, police/emergency services, military and cadet teams all participate from all over the world.
  • Walking sounds deceptively easy - to walk 30 miles, four times over is far more challenging than you may realize. Much training and personal determination is required to complete the distance.
  • The teams marches in uniform, representing services and our nations. 
  • Teams train, travel, and take part entirely on their own time and at their own expense.
 

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This page was last updated on 03/26/12.