The 104th Nijmegen Four Days Marches has started. A day later than usual, as the first day of hiking was canceled due to the extremely high temperature yesterday. According to the weather advice team of the Four Days Marches, the walking tour on Wednesday will also be “a challenge”, because the mercury rises to around 30 degrees Celsius with high humidity.
However, yesterday there were also the necessary runners who already started. So is Tamara Hiddes from Emmen. “It was fine to do,” she says. “I was back in at 11 am, so it wasn’t that hot yet. I walked 35 kilometers, which is a good preparation for the rest of the week.”
Yesterday Hiddes started at 3.45 am, today she was allowed to ‘sleep in’. “I had a late start,” she says this morning as she runs. “We were scanned at 5.50 am and are still walking in Nijmegen. It’s going great.”
March leader Henny Sackers of the De 4Daagse Foundation gave the traditional starting signal early this morning at 4 am. The runners go in the direction of Wijchen and return to Nijmegen via the city center. The Day of Wijchen in other years causes the most dropouts, but “everything is different now”, according to a spokeswoman for the Red Cross. “This is now the first day of walking. In other years, hikers who have already made it through the first day with difficulty drop out on the second day. Given the weather forecast, we are taking into account many treatments along the way.”
Hiddes isn’t worried yet. “It will be warm, but not 39 degrees either. I was able to get used to it a bit yesterday. I continue to drink well and keep my hands and cap wet.” And the muscle pain? According to her, it fits. “I had a little bit of muscle pain, but I can get rid of it now. Every day the muscle pain is probably getting worse, but that’s part of it.”
The resident of Emmen is looking forward to today’s route. “We started in Nijmegen and then go through the woods. And then to Wijchen, which is really fantastic.” Hiddes expects to arrive around 3 p.m. “Then back soon. Shower, sleep, eat and sleep again.”
Tomorrow she expects a tough day. “We have to cross some hills and the weather forecast is not very good,” she says. “A lot of thunderstorms are also expected, I don’t like that very much. But I walk with 40,000 others, there is probably someone who wants to protect me.”