International Four Days Marches Nijmegen

In April 1908 the Dutch League for Physical Education, (Nederlandsche Bond Voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding, or NBVLO) 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. 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 Vierdaagse Cross.[4]

From 1910 the Vierdaagse became an annual event, based in a different town each year, although mobilisation during World War I meant that no marches took place in 1914 or 1915. In 1919 the first woman completed the route. In 1924 the event was held in Nijmegen, and from 1925 this became the permanent centre for the event.[5]

With Amsterdam hosting the Olympic Games, 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.[6] From the 1920s the numbers of walkers increased significantly. In 1920 under 500 had taken part,[7] 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.[8]

After a successful trial event in 1935, four–day marches held annually at various locations across the Dutch East Indies 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 Group Medal.[9]

The 1940 Vierdaagse was cancelled after the German invasion, with a local Nijmegen walking club organising an emergency (nood 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 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–days 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.[10]

Despite Nijmegen suffering considerable war damage, the Vierdaagse recommenced in Nijmegen in 1946 with over 4,000 participants.[11]

Badge awarded to all who completed the first day of the 2006 event

The popularity of the Four Days Marches continued to increase, breaking the 10,000 barrier in 1954. The participation in 1967 of Prince Claus, 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,[12] with a record 48,986 registering for the 100th March in 2016.[13] 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.[14]

In 1972 hot weather led to a shortening of the distances by 10 km each day.[15] 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 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.[12]

On 17 July 2014, flight MH17 was shot down with 192 people from the Netherlands on board. In memory of the crash, no music was played on the last day of the marches and the festivities toned down. The 100th Four Days Marches took place in July 2016, celebrated by numerous side events, including an optional daily 55 km route, the maximum official distance until 1967.

On 21 April 2020 the Vierdaagse organisers announced that the 2020 event would not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.[3]

A team from South & East Midlands Wing, Air Training Corps, 2006

Originally primarily a military training event for the Dutch infantry, since 1928 the Vierdaagse has attracted armed forces personnel from other countries, when Germany and Norway sent army teams. Forces 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 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 waved 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), as they do not start in Nijmegen but in the military camp Heumensoord, just south of Nijmegen, which is built for the event every year.

• Cottaar, Jan (1966). Op Gouden Voet (in Dutch). Nijmegen.
• De 4Daagse website, Stichting (2020). Archive Downloads. Stichting De 4Daagse. Accessed 7 July 2020
• KNBLO (1991). De Wereld Wandelt (in Dutch). Nijmegen.