Nijmegen Travel Forum

After a grueling 11 hour car ride from Switzerland (with my fiance and her parents)the first day of the Vierdaagse was met with success by both myself and my 66 year old future father in law (The ladies weren`t walking). After one day, two deaths, several hundreds of heat related injuries, and the threat of a hotter second day, the 90th Vierdaagse was cancled .

I would think this would be big news in the Netherlands especially Nijmegen. The official site doesn`t say much (and nothing new since it was cancled), and I was wondering if perhaps someone local has heard anything more on this.

Thanks

I expect you already have this but below is copied from the official website:


To our walkers,

With great regret we have decided last night to cancel the 90th Four Days Marches. We have done so after careful discussion with the local authorities, the medical services as well as police and fire department.

To our dismay, yesterday, on the first walking day, two of our walkers have died. We feel sympathy for the families of the deceased.

Because the temperatures rose steeply in the second half of the afternoon, hundreds of people became sick. Both walkers and spectators. This has imposed great pressure on the medical services. For us, the well-being of walkers as well as spectators always comes first.

It was in the news. After the first day the Vierdaagse was cancelled because of the heat, 2 deaths and hundreds people fainted because of the heat. Lots of people were disappointed.

But no other news, that was it..

It had some consequences. Other events were canceled (like the Drentse bicycle days) or shortened/changed (part of the Strandzesdaagse beach hike was done by bus). Apart from that there was a discussion if the organization of the Vierdaagse was professional enough, or should be prosecuted (no).

I think the organisation is keeping a low profil. They knew the weather was going to be hot and they refused to shorten the route. which was a bit short sighted.
They claimed they didnt know about the weather.

The justice dept is doing an inquiry, but not one that can lead to a case in court.

The wheelchair vierdaagse at Delden was cancelled too.

Holland experienced some extreme hot weather and in the last days some extreme local rainfall.

PJ

yes we had extremly hot weather and unfortunately for all the organisers and participants of all kinds of events were unlucky because of that, lots of events involving a lot of walking and cycling were cancelled of the heat