Bataveirenrace 2005
This weekend was an interesting one! I joined up with the 25-man relay team that headed to Nijmegen for the Bataveirenrace, 2005. Bataveiren was the guy that led the Dutch against the Romans way back in the day, and every year, there is this huge race of 185km over 25 stages to honour him. it was really cool! I wrote an article about it for the Dutch Mountains magazine, so you can get most of the info there, and then I'll follow up with my own more personal additions. You can also google bataveirenrace if you want more details...and pictures are there too.
Bataveirenrace 2005
It is just after 4pm on Sunday, my legs are sore, I have a bit of a sunburn and some catching up to do in the sleep department (although not as much as some people). I know 24 other people who are in the same position! This weekend, Dutch Mountains teamed up with the atheltes from UROS (the track team...) and ran the Bataveirenrace from Nijmegen to Enschede. The course is a whopping 185km making it the longest relay race in the world! This year over 300 teams of 25 runners each competed for the prized Swedish Dalarna horse (the race trophy), or just to have a well-earned good time at the closing party on the Twente University campus: the biggest student party in the Netherlands.
Who is “UROS/Dutch Mountains”?
Dutch Mountains was well represented by myself, Michael, Simon, Elton, Jolanda, Dionne, Remy, Wouter, Anton and Eric. Thanks to Hanneke, Ared, Charlotte, Jemke, Suzanne, Anne, Madelen, Rozanne, Thys, Anjenie, Tamara, Siem, Tim, Titia and Els of UROS for being the other half of our illustrious line-up for 2005.
The Race
The race is run in three shifts through 25 stages of varying length. The 3 shifts are Night, Morning, and Afternoon, beginning with the 3.6km first stage at midnight on Friday. Each shift runs a support van with the rest of the team, a driver and also a biker keeps pace with each runner to make sure everyone goes the right way on the candle lit route. I took the inaugural steps on our 185km journey to the obnoxious cheering of seemingly thousands of students each cheering on their teammates. The start line was definitely something to remember! So many smiling, cheering people set the right tone for the rest of the weekend. As we ran further from Nijmegen, and deeper into the night, the temperature got colder and colder and the support crew ever the more fatigued, but still we were ready with the layers, snacks and water bottles (and of course gummi smurfs!) to keep our guys going strong all night. The night shift included Micheal, Simon, Elton, Jolanda and myself. Jolanda closed off early in the morning and we then went off in search of a warm place to lie down.
Suzanne from UROS started off the morning crew at Dinzperlo. Featured Dutch Mountain-ers were Dionne and Remy who were done in time to meet myself and Jolanda (once we regained consciousness) for some ice cream and a sit in the sun at Twente Campus before the final shift finished their stages.
The afternoon crew included such esteeemed Dutch Mountains members as Wouter (the new), Anton and Eric. Eric was our stadium runner and proudly sported the red and white jersey we all know and love to a triumphant 149th place finish. The crowds roared! There were all sorts of costumes to look at including a distinct lack of costume in the case of one streaker we were all blessed to witness. We also saw a banana for what it is worth. We did what we set out to do: finsih in the top half, and so now its time to celebrate!
The Party
Our trusty white bus tranposrted all the UROS/Dutch Mountains gang to a gezellig restaurant downtown Enshede where we feasted on spare ribs, salad and of course fries with mayonnaise, all washed down with some well-deserved beer. When we’d had our fill, we made our way back to campus where the biggest party of the year was waiting for us. There were flashing ligths, live music, a ton of different rooms and tents to satisfy every taste and more familiar faces than I would have thought possible. I think almost all of UM was in attendance and the merriment was contagious! We partied as long as our legs would hold us and I only had to listen to the Anouk song twice. (For the record, I used to like that song, but now I think it is the most overplayed song in history). We poured ourselves into our sleeping bags and were rudely awakened too short a while later by the bright lights of the gym and morning radio shows. The weekend was over and it was time to go home to Maastricht.
The trip home was thankfully uneventful...all persons and bags made it from point A to point B and we even had time to stop for a Whopper at Burger King. Certainly the day’s highlight.
Thanks to all who came out! It was a great weekend and for those who are thinking about doing it, don’t hesitate! You should take my place for Bataveirenrace 34...unless I come back for it. Cheers!
So that's my pathetic attempt at journalism. i am almost embarrassed. I should also mention that I won my stage from my start group and finished 18th overall for that section out of 310. wow. was i ever surprised.
Anyway, here are some more interesting things to entertain you. first of all, there seems to be some dispute as to which town is the oldest in the Netherlands. Nijmegen is making the same claim as our very own Maastricht! They just celebrated their 2000th birthday and say they are the oldest, but I am sure that this is also a feather in Maastricht's cap, so I am a little confused. somebody google it and get back to me. they can't both be the oldest.
Enschede (established as the 11th largest town--no dispute i am aware of) is a difficult Dutch word to pronounce and unfortunately, sounds like the Dutch word for Vagina when the emphasis is put on the wrong syllable. yes, I found this out the hard way. how embarrassing. My Dutch certainly didn't suffer this weekend though. I was able to pick up a few of the things my friends were saying, and tried really hard the whole weekend. good practice for my dutch exam on thursday which i fully expect to fail nonetheless. it is a really hard language; even the dutch think so. I learned some new things though...for example, wisselpunt is a change point in the relay race. also, the dutch call the "funny bone" a "telephone bone" because it rings as such. (i also found this out the hard way...ouch.)
At the dinner, I was very happy to find some HP sauce on the table, which is not common in my experience of dutch restaurants. I showed my teammates how it is done and i think have provided a decent alternative to the white creamy sauce they even put on their ribs. although this kind had garlic and was actually pretty good. it is a good thing they ride bikes, because so much creamy white sauce could get to a person.
dinner conversation was great...I got to talk about home almost the entire time and i even found myself using my degree to some point to explain a little history. i guess i did learn something at u of t afterall!
the party was really fun, and for those who know what i am talking about, it really reminded me of Henley party crossed with Head of the Trent. good times!!
I'll leave you with that, as it is about time i did some studying after the weekend, and my tummy is growling.
Bataveirenrace 2005
It is just after 4pm on Sunday, my legs are sore, I have a bit of a sunburn and some catching up to do in the sleep department (although not as much as some people). I know 24 other people who are in the same position! This weekend, Dutch Mountains teamed up with the atheltes from UROS (the track team...) and ran the Bataveirenrace from Nijmegen to Enschede. The course is a whopping 185km making it the longest relay race in the world! This year over 300 teams of 25 runners each competed for the prized Swedish Dalarna horse (the race trophy), or just to have a well-earned good time at the closing party on the Twente University campus: the biggest student party in the Netherlands.
Who is “UROS/Dutch Mountains”?
Dutch Mountains was well represented by myself, Michael, Simon, Elton, Jolanda, Dionne, Remy, Wouter, Anton and Eric. Thanks to Hanneke, Ared, Charlotte, Jemke, Suzanne, Anne, Madelen, Rozanne, Thys, Anjenie, Tamara, Siem, Tim, Titia and Els of UROS for being the other half of our illustrious line-up for 2005.
The Race
The race is run in three shifts through 25 stages of varying length. The 3 shifts are Night, Morning, and Afternoon, beginning with the 3.6km first stage at midnight on Friday. Each shift runs a support van with the rest of the team, a driver and also a biker keeps pace with each runner to make sure everyone goes the right way on the candle lit route. I took the inaugural steps on our 185km journey to the obnoxious cheering of seemingly thousands of students each cheering on their teammates. The start line was definitely something to remember! So many smiling, cheering people set the right tone for the rest of the weekend. As we ran further from Nijmegen, and deeper into the night, the temperature got colder and colder and the support crew ever the more fatigued, but still we were ready with the layers, snacks and water bottles (and of course gummi smurfs!) to keep our guys going strong all night. The night shift included Micheal, Simon, Elton, Jolanda and myself. Jolanda closed off early in the morning and we then went off in search of a warm place to lie down.
Suzanne from UROS started off the morning crew at Dinzperlo. Featured Dutch Mountain-ers were Dionne and Remy who were done in time to meet myself and Jolanda (once we regained consciousness) for some ice cream and a sit in the sun at Twente Campus before the final shift finished their stages.
The afternoon crew included such esteeemed Dutch Mountains members as Wouter (the new), Anton and Eric. Eric was our stadium runner and proudly sported the red and white jersey we all know and love to a triumphant 149th place finish. The crowds roared! There were all sorts of costumes to look at including a distinct lack of costume in the case of one streaker we were all blessed to witness. We also saw a banana for what it is worth. We did what we set out to do: finsih in the top half, and so now its time to celebrate!
The Party
Our trusty white bus tranposrted all the UROS/Dutch Mountains gang to a gezellig restaurant downtown Enshede where we feasted on spare ribs, salad and of course fries with mayonnaise, all washed down with some well-deserved beer. When we’d had our fill, we made our way back to campus where the biggest party of the year was waiting for us. There were flashing ligths, live music, a ton of different rooms and tents to satisfy every taste and more familiar faces than I would have thought possible. I think almost all of UM was in attendance and the merriment was contagious! We partied as long as our legs would hold us and I only had to listen to the Anouk song twice. (For the record, I used to like that song, but now I think it is the most overplayed song in history). We poured ourselves into our sleeping bags and were rudely awakened too short a while later by the bright lights of the gym and morning radio shows. The weekend was over and it was time to go home to Maastricht.
The trip home was thankfully uneventful...all persons and bags made it from point A to point B and we even had time to stop for a Whopper at Burger King. Certainly the day’s highlight.
Thanks to all who came out! It was a great weekend and for those who are thinking about doing it, don’t hesitate! You should take my place for Bataveirenrace 34...unless I come back for it. Cheers!
So that's my pathetic attempt at journalism. i am almost embarrassed. I should also mention that I won my stage from my start group and finished 18th overall for that section out of 310. wow. was i ever surprised.
Anyway, here are some more interesting things to entertain you. first of all, there seems to be some dispute as to which town is the oldest in the Netherlands. Nijmegen is making the same claim as our very own Maastricht! They just celebrated their 2000th birthday and say they are the oldest, but I am sure that this is also a feather in Maastricht's cap, so I am a little confused. somebody google it and get back to me. they can't both be the oldest.
Enschede (established as the 11th largest town--no dispute i am aware of) is a difficult Dutch word to pronounce and unfortunately, sounds like the Dutch word for Vagina when the emphasis is put on the wrong syllable. yes, I found this out the hard way. how embarrassing. My Dutch certainly didn't suffer this weekend though. I was able to pick up a few of the things my friends were saying, and tried really hard the whole weekend. good practice for my dutch exam on thursday which i fully expect to fail nonetheless. it is a really hard language; even the dutch think so. I learned some new things though...for example, wisselpunt is a change point in the relay race. also, the dutch call the "funny bone" a "telephone bone" because it rings as such. (i also found this out the hard way...ouch.)
At the dinner, I was very happy to find some HP sauce on the table, which is not common in my experience of dutch restaurants. I showed my teammates how it is done and i think have provided a decent alternative to the white creamy sauce they even put on their ribs. although this kind had garlic and was actually pretty good. it is a good thing they ride bikes, because so much creamy white sauce could get to a person.
dinner conversation was great...I got to talk about home almost the entire time and i even found myself using my degree to some point to explain a little history. i guess i did learn something at u of t afterall!
the party was really fun, and for those who know what i am talking about, it really reminded me of Henley party crossed with Head of the Trent. good times!!
I'll leave you with that, as it is about time i did some studying after the weekend, and my tummy is growling.
posted by Unknown at Monday, April 25, 2005
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