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186:) is an annual walk that has taken place since 1909. Based at Nijmegen since 1925, it now takes place in the third week of July. In 2016 it celebrated the 100th edition (reflecting that the marches were curtailed during the two world wars). Originally a military event with a few civilians, it now is a mainly civilian event. Numbers have risen in recent years, with over 40,000 taking part annually, including about 5,000 military, and is the world's largest walking event. Due to possible congestion on the route, since 2004 the organisers have limited the number of participants. Many take part every year, including several who have taken part in over 60 annual marches. The record is held by Bert van der Lans, who completed his seventy-first march in 2018, at the age of 86.
310:) was established to promote participation in physical activities across the Netherlands, including organising sports events. In September 1909 the NBVLO organised the first Vierdaagse. Planned primarily as a military training event, fifteen separate four-day routes were prepared across the country, each route totalling 140–150 km (87–93 mi). Four of the routes were however cancelled at short notice, three due to an outbreak of cholera in Rotterdam and one due to poor road conditions. In total, 306 soldiers and ten civilians took part. Military participants who completed all four days received the newly instituted
37:
328:, in 1928 the Four Days Marches became international, with teams taking part from Germany, Great Britain and Norway. Non-Dutch participation continued, with the first Swiss group taking part in 1933. From the 1920s the numbers of walkers increased significantly. In 1920 under 500 had taken part, compared with 1,155 in 1928. In 1931 numbers exceeded 2,000 for the first time, with over 3,000 in 1935 and over 4,000 in 1937. The increase was mainly due to greater civilian participation, civilians outnumbering servicemen in all marches from 1932.
379:, husband of Queen Beatrix, helped to boost the event's popularity yet further, with over 20,000 taking part in 1982 and 30,000 by 1988. The number of participants now regularly exceeds 40,000. Due to this growth, since 2004 there has been an upper limit on the number taking part, with a record 48,986 registering for the 100th March in 2016. This increase has been boosted by a rising number attending from across the world. In 2019 6,347 non-Dutch walkers from 73 countries took part.
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others. In recent years military participants, including Dutch personnel, have numbered approximately five thousand, most marching in teams of between eleven and thirty members. They are required to carry at least 10 kilogrammes of dead weight (if they are over 18 years of age), although this requirement can be waived when temperatures get too high, as happened in 2006 and the last day of the 2014 march. Military teams have their own route, (40 km), starting in the
256:: Vierdaagsekruis): awarded to participants who successfully complete all four days. The medal is an official Dutch decoration that can be worn on a Dutch military uniform. Its full name is "Cross for demonstrated marching skill", defined by Royal Decree on 6 October 1909. Each year a walker receives a specific medal in bronze, silver or gold, with or without a crown, as well as ribbon numbers of varying design, to denote the number of times the event has been completed.
368:
213:, after extreme heat caused thousands of drop-outs and two deaths during the first day's march. Following the 2006 cancellation, it was decided that the organising committee would adjust the start time/distance/finish time to manage the event, instead of outright cancellation. The 2016 centenary event responded to unusually hot conditions by adjusting starting times and/or increasing the valid finishing time to reflect the difficulty of the course. Due to the
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official rules, which forbade any political display, including uniforms and flags. In spite of this, the march was banned by the German authorities. A number of small scale four-day walking events did however take place in 1941, including a number of less formal evening walks. With unauthorised gatherings increasingly restricted, no further events were organised before the end of the war.
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personnel from other countries, when
Germany and Norway sent army teams. Military teams increased greatly after 1945. The U.S. Army first took part in 1947, the United Kingdom in 1950 and Canada in 1952, with service contingents now also regularly travelling from Germany, Scandinavia, Switzerland and
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was shot down, with 192 people from the
Netherlands onboard. In memory of the crash, no music was played on the last day of the marches, and the festivities were subdued. The 100th Four Days Marches took place in July 2016, celebrated by numerous side events, including an optional daily 55 km
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In 1972 hot weather led to a shortening of the distances by 10 km (6.2 mi) each day. In 2006, the event was again affected by extreme heat, when it was cancelled after the first day after two participants died and many others required medical attention. Given the hot weather forecast for
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in Dutch) Four-Days March in August 1940. About 1,000 walkers took part each day, rising to over 2,000 on the final day, with many participants attending from across the country. In 1941 the NBVLO planned a vierdaagse based in
Nijmegen. Preparation for the July event included publication of the
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were likewise showered with these flowers. The entry into the city and towards the finish, along the St. Annastraat, is for that reason called Via
Gladiola during the event. As far as a week ahead of that Friday, people will reserve spaces alongside the Via Gladiola by placing chairs and even
446:) always draw a large crowd. It is known as one of the biggest festivities in the Netherlands, drawing a crowd of nearly 1 million visitors. It starts on the Saturday before the marches, and ends on the Friday. There is free music during the week, and special events on each day, such as a
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between 1936 and 1939. Organised by the Dutch Indies
Athletic Union under the auspices of the NBVLO, these events adhered to the same regulations as the Nijmegen event, with successful participants receiving the same awards, including the Vierdaagse Cross, and the
149:. The participants are mostly civilians, with a few thousand military participants as well. Military participants' distance is 40 km, in uniform, carrying at least 10 kg (22 lb) marching weight for men aged 18–49; for women, the weight is optional.
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in mid-July as a means of promoting sport and exercise. Participants walk 30 km (19 mi), 40 km (25 mi) or 50 km (31 mi) daily, depending on their age and gender and, on completion, receive a royally approved medal
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meant that no marches took place in 1914 or 1915. In 1919 the first woman completed the route. In 1925 the event was held in
Nijmegen, and from then this became the permanent centre for the event.
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was organised, with walkers completing the four days in their local area, thereby avoiding large groups. Even though the full
Nijmegen March was organised in 2022, the
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continued for those who did not take part in the main march. These walks did not count towards the
Vierdaagse Cross, although participants could buy a souvenir medal.
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In 2022, due to extreme heat with predicted peaks of 39 degrees
Celsius, the first day of the March was cancelled, with the 2022 march becoming a three-day event.
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205:. The routes always remain the same unless there is a specific need to change. This happened in 2007 when the walkers went along the Waalkade, beside the River
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the following days, the organisers decided to cancel the final three days of the walk, with a special badge awarded to participants instead of the cross.
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Due to predicted extreme heat on
Tuesday 19 July, the first march day was cancelled, with the 2022 march becoming a three-day event.
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The popularity of the Four Days Marches continued to increase, breaking the 10,000 barrier in 1954. The participation in 1967 of
136:) is the largest multiple-day marching event in the world, with tens of thousands of participants. It is organised every year in
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From 1910 the Vierdaagse became an annual event, based in a different town each year, although mobilisation during
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Originally primarily a military training event for the Dutch infantry, since 1928 the Vierdaagse has attracted
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After a successful trial event in 1935, four-day marches were held annually at various locations across the
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Canadian participant Xavier talks to a WW II veteran involved in the liberation of Nijmegen (2019)
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Each day of the marches is named for the biggest town on the daily route. Tuesday is the day of
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Heumensoord, just south of Nijmegen, which is built for the event every year.
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During the week of the Vierdaagse the accompanying festivities (known as the
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133:[ˈɪntərnɑʃoːˌnaːləˈviːrˌdaːxsəˈʔɑfstɑntsˌmɑrsə(n)ˈnɛiˌmeːɣə(n)]
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A team from South & East Midlands Wing, Air Training Corps, 2006
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Badge awarded to all who completed the first day of the 2006 event
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391:(34 mi) route—the maximum official distance until 1967.
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Both the 2020 and the 2021 events were cancelled due to the
217:, both the 2020 and 2021 Vierdaagse events were cancelled.
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The marching event has three different types of awards:
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The March always takes place in the third week in July.
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on Sunday night. Amongst the festivities is the annual
874:"Stichting de Vierdaagse No Four Days Marches in 2021"
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couches. The finish is broadcast on Dutch television.
853:"Stichting de Vierdaagse: Cancellation announcement"
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304:Nederlandsche Bond Voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding
241:The gold cross with 14 times participation pin
224:, a symbol of victory since Roman times, when
1126:History of Marches. Official website (2021).
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1234:Sports competitions in Limburg (Netherlands)
343:The 1940 Vierdaagse was cancelled after the
1164:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
1138:Archive Downloads, 4daagse website (2021).
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837:History of Marches. Official website 2021
1224:International Four Days Marches Nijmegen
1140:"History of the Four Days Marches (pdf)"
818:"Van der Lans scherpt record verder aan"
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458:, that takes place every day during the
360:Despite Nijmegen suffering considerable
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807:, p. Statistics 2013–2019 pdf.
493:Dropped out percentage of starters
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260:Group Medal of the Four Day Marches
267:(not an official award since 2017)
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1209:Medals of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse
1068:, p. Statistics 2013-19 pdf.
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53:Arrival of participants in 2019
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250:Cross for the Four Day Marches
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1244:Sports competitions in Arnhem
41:Flag of the Four Days Marches
1100:De 4Daagse website (2020).
324:With Amsterdam hosting the
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1199:History of the Vierdaagse
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1190:Official website (Dutch)
386:On 17 July 2014, flight
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1132:. Stichting De 4Daagse.
1106:. Stichting De 4Daagse.
1066:De 4Daagse website 2020
1016:De 4Daagse website 2020
1004:De 4Daagse website 2020
805:De 4Daagse website 2020
404:Alternatieve Vierdaagse
400:Alternatieve Vierdaagse
193:, Wednesday the day of
1204:Vierdaagse festivities
992:Archive Downloads 2021
421:Military participation
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201:and Friday the day of
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167:[ˌviːrˈdaːxsə]
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1178:(in Dutch). Nijmegen.
1134:Accessed 30 July 2022
1095:(in Dutch). Nijmegen.
1091:Cottaar, Jan (1966).
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1122:Accessed 7 July 2020
398:. In both years, an
396:coronavirus pandemic
215:coronavirus pandemic
1045:nijmegenmedals.com
880:. 8 February 2021.
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298:In April 1908 the
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1103:Archive Downloads
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601:19–22 July 2016
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1028:KNBLO 1991
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487:Finished
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75:Frequency
1160:cite web
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138:Nijmegen
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78:Annually
1150:30 July
1085:Sources
1051:24 July
478:Edition
272:History
195:Wijchen
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153:Summary
104:Website
94:Country
771:41,552
768:45,445
757:10.0%
751:39,019
748:43,363
731:34,934
728:38,455
667:41,235
664:44,702
647:41,006
644:44,480
627:38,409
624:42,036
607:42,557
604:47,166
587:40,092
584:42,684
567:39,910
564:43,013
547:39,396
544:42,493
527:38,144
524:41,472
513:10.3%
507:38,422
504:42,812
233:Awards
62:Active
59:Status
777:8.6%
774:3,893
762:106th
754:4,344
742:105th
737:9.2%
734:3,521
722:104th
673:7.8%
670:3,467
658:103rd
653:7.8%
650:3,474
638:102nd
633:8.6%
630:3,627
618:101st
613:9.8%
610:4,609
598:100th
593:6.1%
590:2,592
573:7.2%
570:3,103
553:7.3%
550:3,097
533:8.0%
530:3,328
510:4,390
308:NBVLO
306:, or
254:Dutch
203:Cuijk
121:Dutch
67:Genre
1192:and
1166:link
1152:2022
1118:link
1053:2021
578:99th
558:98th
538:97th
518:96th
498:95th
481:Date
388:MH17
349:nood
207:Waal
191:Elst
172:lit.
157:The
115:The
302:, (
1220::
1162:}}
1158:{{
1114:}}
1110:{{
1043:.
982:^
876:.
865:^
855:.
844:^
820:.
717:—
695:—
462:.
454:,
340:.
314:.
170:,
140:,
127:,
123::
1168:)
1154:.
1120:)
1055:.
994:.
859:.
839:.
784:*
714:—
711:—
700:—
692:—
689:—
678:—
252:(
184:'
178:'
161:(
119:(
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