Nijmegen four-day walk starts

Tuesday 21 July 2009

The first of the 41,205 people taking part in this year's four-day Nijmegen walk (Vierdaagse) started out at 4am this morning, news agency ANP reports.

The walkers will follow a 30, 40 or 50 km route through the Betuwe healthland region every day for four days.

First over the finish line on Tuesday was 38-year-old Simon Brownlee from England, who completed the 50 km just before 10am. This is his 13 Nijmegen walk. He told the the Volkskrant that the weather was perfect. 'I couldn't ask for anything more,' he said.

The first Nijmegen Vierdaagse took place in 1909 as a way of keeping the army fit following the widespread use of motor vehicles. Many other cities have since copied the tradition. Some 5,000 soldiers are taking part in this year's event.

© DutchNews.nl

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