After three years of the so-called 'Death March' (Dodentocht) either being cancelled or shortened, a fully-fledged version of the event will once again take place this weekend.
The 54th edition of the unique activity, which sees people walk 100 km through rough and forested terrain, will start in Bornem (Antwerp province) at 21:00 on Friday evening. Some 13,000 participants are expected to take part in the march, which they will have to finish within 24 hours.
"We haven't been able to organise another 'normal' 100 km Death March since our jubilee edition in 2019. Two years of the pandemic and a heatwave have thrown a spanner in the works in recent years," the organisers noted.
This time last year, Belgium was sweltering under the summer heat, which resulted in the march being shortened for the first time in its history. Following discussions with the FPS Public Health, police, fire brigade and the municipality of Bornem, the health risk was deemed too high.
This year, however, ideal walking weather has been forecast – except for the occasional shower. "We are looking forward to having another normal edition for the first time since 2019," said spokesperson Ilse Robyn.
Credit: Belga
"As always, there are some people who cancel, mainly due to injuries because they are 'overtrained', but it isn't too bad." This year, organisers have offered a ticket swap option, and many people have indicated on social media that they are still looking for a ticket, so "we will still be very close to reaching the anticipated 13,000 walkers," she noted.
The organisation is providing both cold and hot drinks at the checkpoints – using recyclable cups – and has set up a water tap point in front of each checkpoint where participants can fill their own bottles.
