~Welcome to my web page about the 4 Day Nijmegen Marches~

Nijmegen, Netherlands Vierdaagse
The largest and most important walking/marching event on Earth.
~Walk 30 miles a day for 4 days, the last Tuesday in July, since 1909~

 Here you will learn everything you need to accomplish this event as a marcher and as a bike orderly,
I have won both medals, 25 years apart.
*Bicycle orderly web page coming soon, I need to transfer all my 1984 photos to CD's and upload them.

You can accomplish this event if you are dedicated and stick to the program without shortcuts.
See this years event on live streaming...happening right now! The 94th marches...
http://www.silverlightstreaming.eu/vierdaagse/

Everyone is different in their fitness, skin type, persperation amount and athletic ability level,
which has a great effect on your capacity to walk for long periods. Nijmegen is an equal opportunity event for all types of people, 11-90+ years old, men, women, 60+ different nations citizens, 20+ different countries military teams.
 Even people with past leg injuries and Parkinsons have accomplished this event...
wheelchair and leader dogs permitted as participants.

As the Dutch Fitness Council says with this event...
"Those who are willing to succeed, do succeed."
Orderly: 68th International Marches 1984, US Army Team, Supporters Medal (Team bicycle rider - support)
Marcher: 93rd International Marches 2009,  # 50 N 154, 4 Day Cross, Medal 1 (50km, as opposed to 40km*) 
*As an independent marcher you must do 50 kilometers a day instead of the Army teams 40 kilometers a day. 
(200 km vs 160 km) I walked 40 km farther at 2x the age as my team back in 1984 to get the same medal they did.
Marcher: 94th International Marches 2010 (Cancelled - low budget), # 50 D 474, (50 kilometers a day x 4)
Marcher: 95th International Marches 2011, Preparing now- see my charity page, (50 kilometers a day x 4)
https://www.firstgiving.com/account/fundraising/FRPPage.asp?id=1298598&did=1

 

What you'll get when you finish...

 

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You may request a certificate with your medal.
 I do this because it has in writing, your name and distance walked. You may elect 30km, 40km or 50km, but your age group and sex will dictate what distance you need to cover to earn the Dutch Army medal...
The 4 Day Cross.

25 years after my first Nijmegen 4 Days event,
in the 68th International Marches...
I got my 4 Day Cross in the 93rd Marches!
All photographs on this web page were taken by me during the 93rd 4 Day Marches in Nijmegen Holland 2009.

To give you an idea how long this walk is...
It is double the length of the "Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk."
Nijmegen is only 1 day longer at twice the distance.

The average age of participants is 53 years old.
I was passed by a 92 year old in 2009!

Can you go the distance?
Look how small the people get as they walk...mile after mile after mile all day for 4 days.
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~Practical?~
Can you participate from America and succeed?
Yes...but you'll need:

1) Excellent health and stamina.
2) 1-2 days to train per week, for 5 months, 1/2 - 1 full day.
3) The last week of July off to travel & march in the event. (July 17-24)
4) A $5,500.00 budget.
   $2,400 for flight, room ('4 days bed,' with a Dutch family in town), train, bus, taxi's and various fees. 
   $1,570 for organic groceries & sports massage, top self care - (for 5 months.) 
   $1,340 personal gear (itemized on 'gear' page) & pain relief lotion and meds.
If you can meet these criteria, your chance of success is nearly 100%

*No shortcutting anything: distance, diet, self care...or it may cause sidelining.
Inadequate funds or lack of capital will also prevent participation.

**If you can not meet these above conditions, I would not even start. 
Interruptions, injuries, time off, low budget, bad food, cheap gear, poor self care = drop out.

[email protected]