The route of the Egmond Half Marathon, which will take place next Sunday, will be adjusted due to the heavy rainfall of the past period. It is the first time that organizer Le Champion has had to change the route due to rain.
“We are busy adjusting the route based on the rain and the water level,” organizer Jan Willem Mijderwijk said. The rainfall has been high everywhere recently, including in the Egmond dunes.
As a result, some paths on the regular route through the dunes are flooded and thousands of runners cannot cross them. However, runners and supporters should not expect a completely different route, because according to the organizer the adjustments will probably not be too bad.
The Lange Plas under water
What will be different due to the heavy rain is the ‘home base’ in Egmond itself. Normally, Le Champion has a large tent erected on the Egmondia fields at the De Lange Plas sports park in the coastal village. But that complex lives up to its name and is also partly underwater.
According to Jan de Jong of Egmondia football club, the tent, where the runners can change clothes and get a bowl of soup, will therefore be moved this year. “The tent is enormous and it cannot stand on the football field due to the high water and will now be placed next to the sports hall. Three thousand people come by and that would not have been possible without a tent.”
De Jong says that there is a cinder track running along the football field, which is now completely under water. “If it freezes, the children can skate on it next week,” he says cheerfully. “As Johan Cruijff always said: ‘Every disadvantage has its advantage’.”
More clarity on Tuesday
Mijderwijk from Le Champion says that there will most likely be more clarity on Tuesday about exactly how the route will run. The organization first sits down with the municipality to discuss the solutions.
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