The 4 Days March in Nijmegen (Von Martin - Adobe Stock)
Crowds cheer, children slap candy into sweaty hands, and locals’ gift beautiful gladiolas as a symbol of strength and victory to tired military members and civilians from all over the globe as they cross the finish line having marched 100 miles over four days.
Ruck marches are a long-standing tradition within military organizations. They are a test of physical endurance, build comradery and even personal relationships with people from other countries. In Europe, The Nijmegen Foot March is one of the largest that individuals can partake in.
Below is an interview with Derek Burns and Tim W., two Army soldiers, as they recall their personal experiences of the event.
What is the Nijmegen foot march and who can participate?
Derek: “The official name the Dutch people call the event is the “4 Days March”. Civilians and Military personnel participate in a daily back-to-back-to-back-to-back walk/ruck march throughout rural Holland in July. Individuals from countries around the world (mostly Europe) participate. Nearly anyone can participate! There are teenagers all the way through some people in their 90s.”
Tim: “The Nijmegen Foot March is a four-day event. It has been going on for over 100 years and is open for military and civilians.”
What is required of military members?
Derek: “Each day is roughly the same distance, which totals around 100 miles across the four days! Military competitors carry around 20 lbs. and wear their services operational uniform.”
Tim: “Military members have to be in uniform for their respective country and must at all times be carrying 22 lbs. in their rucksacks, not including water.”
Did you face challenges?
Derek: “For the military marchers, I believe it is working as a functioning unit with your teammates. Every person has their own unique strengths and needs, and finding the balance to ensure that everyone on the team succeeds is a daily challenge during the march.”
Tim: “The challenges were the distance in of itself because training-wise it was a lot of prework. My team started training six months prior to the event. We rucked with heavier weight to try and make it easier for the actual event, about 45 lbs. Rucking 25 miles per day back-to-back takes a toll on your feet. It was important to take care of our feet, wrapping them, elevating them, soaking them and also staying hydrated. Getting up early was the hardest part.”
What was the best part?
Derek: “The community aspect! I was already close with my teammates, but I was able to socialize with so many other military participants in an environment that is built for fun! The location where all military participants reside during the event, camp Heumensoord, is engrained in my memory for some of the best moments I experienced while in the military!”
Tim: “Seeing the whole town being festive. Getting to interact with other militaries from different countries was really fun. A lot of other militaries had small events going on during downtime which was cool to participate in. One country had a medieval wooden throne with a person sitting atop it. Another person had a dulled axe and circled the crowd, picking someone out and asking, “What have you brought for the king?” If they had nothing, they would bestow them a silly nickname then make them sign a certificate saying they were ‘knighted’ with the silly name before shooing them off.”
Do you have any advice?
Derek: “Bring all the US/Service Branch patches you can spare! Take care of your feet! Socialize with the foreign military teams!”
Tim: “Train. The sooner the better! Make sure you have motivated people to march with. I don’t think I could have done it by myself. You might need new boots in preparation as well. But break them in before the march.”
Tell me more about some of the traditions during the event,
Derek: “There is nothing more special than marching on the final day and reaching the final few miles through the city of Nijmegen. The entire route is lined with tens of thousands of people cheering for those marching.”
Tim: “We got there a few days before the event started. The day before, the military does the two-mile Sunset March to a memorial site that honors soldiers that fought in Operation Market Garden in WWII. Sadly, on the night of the march there weren’t enough seats on the bus, so we weren’t able to go. But some of the other foreign national teams were handing out free food and drinks and they invited us, so we got to socialize with them, eat, drink and be merry!”
What made this event special?
Derek: “My team, the other competitors, Camp Heumensoord, the beauty [of the] Holland scenery, the medal and the finish line!”
Tim: “It was the most well-known ruck march that I’ve heard of since joining the military. It has a long tradition. I had a deep sense of accomplishment being a part of the community and a great time doing it with my team. It was a nice bonding experience.”
Were there any other memorable moments?
Derek: “Having my friends and coworkers share photos of me from the official YouTube livestream of the event was quite a memory to have and one that I showcase forever now as a great reminder of the event!”
Tim: “Via Gladiola. Once you’re officially done with the march you still have a couple more kilos to go. You can drop all your weight, walk down the street with everyone cheering and playing music, giving you food and drinks and at that point you know it’s done so you get your fourth wind if you will, because at that point you’ve exhausted your other winds, you’re just tired.”
