- The race is 177 kilometers from Nijmegen to Enschede.
- It contains 25 stages, whereby17 stages are run by men and 8 by women.
- If a man runs a woman’s stage, the time is multiplied by a penalty factor of 1.4.
- A team cyclist accompanies each runner. Cyclists have a map of the route and guide the runners as well as encourage, support and carry their warmer clothes.
- 330 teams have entered the competition this year.
- Runners wear a green vest that carries a computer chip. When they run through the official relay gate, their time is registered. Acting like a baton, this vest is then passed to the next team member who is ready to run.
- The prize for the winning team is a wooden Swedish horse (For why, seebelow)
A bit of race history
- The idea started when in 1972 a group of students from Nijmegen returned from the SOLA-relay in Sweden. They were so enthusiastic that they decided to organize a similar event in the Netherlands.
- The name, Batavierenrace, comes from the Latin name of the Germanic Batavi tribe who lived around the Rhine Delta in 50 BC.
- The first race had 575 runners. This year there are nearly 8000 participants.
- Last year, the UT/Saxion Team came in 4th place, clocking in at 11 hours and 43 seconds.
- Last year, the ITC Run4Fun Team boasted the most nationalities in a single team.
- In 2006, the race was listed in the Guinness World Records as the relay race with the highest number of participants.
About the organization
- Students from Radboud University Nijmegen and the University of Twente organize the event with the assistance of the Batavierenrace Foundation Board.
- There are 600 volunteers, including medics and 150 motorcyclists who guard the dangerous points on the route.
Post-race revelry
- The race ends with the biggest student party in the Netherlands with over 12,000 attendees.
- There will be free massage available to runners on Saturday afternoon in the UT Sports Center.
- The UT sets up 1600 sleeping tents for overnight guests.
Catherine Ann Lombard
