The 97th edition of the Nijmegen Vierdaagse – a four day walking event – kicked off at 04.00 on Tuesday morning.

Almost 42,500 people are taking part in this year’s Vierdaagse, which involves walking 50, 40, or 30 kilometres every day for four days.

The most dedicated walker is 81-year-old Bert van der Lans who is taking part in the event for the 67th time. Some 200 people aged 80 plus are taking part this year, Nos television said.

Sunshine

This year participants are being warned to make sure they drink enough because of the warm weather. The temperature around Nijmegen is expected to reach around 27 Celsius by the end of the week.

The first Vierdaagse, or four-day march, was held in 1909 as a way of keeping the army fit after the introduction of motor vehicles.

There are all sorts of variants on the Vierdaagse theme, such as the Avondvierdaagse, which involves walking in the evening and is mainly done by primary school children.