First runners on their way in the Nijmegen Four Days Marches

The 108th edition of the Nijmegen Four Days Marches started early this morning. At 4 a.m. the first walkers left for the fifty kilometers from the center of Nijmegen. The runners for the other distances also start a little later in the morning.

This year, more than 45,000 people will participate in the walk with participants from more than 70 countries. The number of younger participants has also increased in recent years. In 2016, runners aged 21 to 30 still made up 7.5 percent of the participants in the Four Days Marches.

Since then, the percentage of people in their twenties has increased almost every year, until now 20.5 percent. Today on 'Elst Day' the route goes over the Waal Bridge into the Betuwe. The first day of walking in the Four Days Marches is also known as 'Blue Tuesday'.

The center of Elst is decorated in blue and runners are welcomed by mop orchestras, street singers and thousands of spectators. Different route The organization of the Four Days Marches has adjusted part of the route on Friday this year. For years, tens of thousands of participants have been walking through the Elstweg, Doctor Moonsweg and Jan van Daalstraat in Beers on the fourth day of the walking event.

But not this year. The walking route for the 40 and 50 kilometers is slightly different than usual this year: According to the organization, adjustments to the route are necessary to ensure road safety. Some of the residents of the Brabant village are so disappointed about this that signatures are being collected to get the route through the streets of Beers again next year.

The municipality has announced that it will reassess the route next year. Via Gladiola The Four Days Marches ends next Friday. Traditionally, the runners' arrival takes place on Via Gladiola, the nickname of Sint-Annastraat, in Nijmegen. At the finish, the walkers are welcomed by thousands of spectators and showered with gladioli.