Before the Four Days Marches runners reach the Via Gladiola today, the runners of the fifty kilometers await a ‘fatter’ highlight. In Vianen near Cuijk, the participants with the longest breath are welcomed with thousands of frikandellen. The Fransenstraat in the village has been renamed Via Frikandella for this occasion.
Edwin and Erwin are ready for it on Friday morning around seven o’clock. They live in the Fransenstraat and have a huge frying pan ready. “We know it’s not the healthiest, but it’s something different than a cucumber,” says Edwin laughing in the program WAKKER! on Omroep Brabant radio.
The initiative started in 2017 and has since “got a bit out of hand”. And all because the cheese was gone, Kris says. “Someone then opened his freezer and there were still some frikandels there. They then cut them up.”
The runners who were introduced to the Via Frikandella in previous years were enthusiastic, according to the initiators. “Fantastic Vianen, you are heroes”, they often heard. And of course they hope for this kind of reaction again today, on the traditional Brabant day of the Four Days Marches.
From eleven to half past twelve, Omroep Brabant will broadcast live the passage of the runners in Cuijk on the website, on TV and via Facebook.