Avondvierdaagse

Avondvierdaagse, the four day evening walk, which children in the Netherlands take part in sometime during May or June.  They walk either five kms or ten kms, depending on their age.

It is based on the real event which takes part in Nijmegen in July.  On this walk people walk about forty kms a day, for four days.   A gruelling event.

The Houten walk takes place on the third week in May, usually in warm weather, but it can often rain too.   We arrived in Houten late on the Tuesday, so I could only take part for three evenings.

I walked ten kms on two evenings, with Mia, and five kms on another evening with Abi and Raphy.  They joined the ten kms group on the last evening for the celebratory walk through Houten town centre, accompanied by an assortment of marching bands. The streets are lined with people on this occasion.  Such an amazing event.

Some of the schools setting off for the walk through the town centre.  

Parents and children walking briskly, at first.  On the last evening it is usually ends in a slow shuffle, which can be very hard on the legs.

The children receive medals each year, which are numbered.  There are also plenty of sweets too, which are worn around the neck.  Rather a contradiction to such a healthy event.

Abi proudly showing her medal, and her assortment of sweets.

Raphy's first medal, number one, and he was so proud.  He walked every evening, without a complaint, and no doubt doubled the distance due to running backwards and forwards along the line.   Raphy was so impressed with it all, he said that he wanted to do the ten km walk next year.   Not yet Raphy, another five years to go before you will be ten, and old enough for the long walk.  Great ambitions though.

Well done to all the children, and parents and grandparents. Quite an achievement, for everyone.  And tremendous organisation, for the people who run the event, and for the parents who manage to cook the evening meals as well as walk with their children.

An impressive four evenings of walks.