Er is een kans van 17% dat u liever file rijdt dan sport. Reaal, realist in verzekeringen
This year, there was very little time between the Centurion event in Douglas and the Roubaix 28 hours, so most walkers had to choose. Also in september, many long distance walks such as Amsterdam-Tilburg (125 km), Nijmegen-Rotterdam (160 km), Haaksbergen (80 km), Zeewolde (110 km) and Waalwijk (80 km).
In Drunen, my father Jo Leijtens (Centurion 966) photographed me in the sanddunes during the 50 kilometer Dunes Walk (organized by D.A.K., Drunen Athletics Club). For many local walkers from Waalwijk, Drunen and surrounding villages, this is an important training event for the Waalwijk 80 km.
South of Rotterdam, the marsh near Barendrecht: this is the Summer Walk (organized by S.D.S., Stronger Through Struggle) along the nothern most part of the delta area.
S.D.S. always uses the marsh, full of willows, as the main attraction in their 50 kilometer Summer Walk...
...although this new suburb of Barendrecht and it's artificial hill (from which the picture was taken) shows urbanization does not have to be an ugly thing.
Modern technology used during the 80 kilometer Kennedymarch in Waalwijk, September 9th and 10th: this personal card has a chip incorporated into it's fabric (see the small dots just above 'Software Society'). The progress of all 2900 walkers (only 700 of whom would not make it this year) could be followed via the internet all night and day. Despite the hot weather, 2200 finishers is a very good result for Waalwijk.
In Roubaix on Saturday morning September 16th, all 63 race walkers in the 28 hours race received the information booklet. In it was a picture of me (nr. 72) and Boudewijn Blom (36) during the 2004 28 hours.
Rieks Haan, ready to give up after only 6 hours of walking in the incredible hot and humid conditions of Saturday afternoon, managed to pick himself up again and headed for an amazing 226 kilometers at the finish line on Sunday evening.
Ad Leermakers and myself just managed to keep walking for 28 hours. Ad did 179 kilometers and I was able to do 189 kilometers. We did not have a support team this year, but luckily some Belgian (Ludo Schaerlaeckens for example) and British friends helped out during the first hours. Sunday morning my parents and Coby Leermakers travelled to Roubaix to care for us the last few hours and drive us home safely.
Rieks' performance won him the third prize, just after Ossipov and Letessier. As usual in France, he was given at least three throphies and several other prizes. Standing right behind him in the Salle des Mariages of Roubaix town hall, the mayor of Roubaix.
I finished in 18th position and received the trophy of blood donors (donneurs du sang) from this nice lady. Of the many sponsored throphies, this one I really liked getting, since I am a blood donor myself.
Ad Leermakers, finishing 22nd, was also called forward (all 37 finishers received a throphy and some other prizes).
Of course, being a famous walkers in France (since his 5 finishes in the Paris-Colmar event), Ad always gets some extra attention. And this was his 23rd Roubaix 28 hours race!
One final prize for the Dutch team: the second place in the national team challenge. France finished first, the Netherlands second and Belgium third. These results are calculated by combining the best three walkers of each country. Since Great Britain was the only other country with more than two walkers, they probably finished fourth place...
One more certificate to add to the collection: for Ad, Rieks and me, the long distance season 2006 ended here, in success.