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To all the “followers”, supporters and sponsors of our Death March, 2015 edition,

Thank you for your support and encouragement and for the congratulations, before, during or after our “walk”. Donations for “Fight Against Cancer” come in, and we hope that more will come in, at the latest by November 15, because then we close the account (details for still doing so can be found here).

Friday, August 14 2015. We had a quiet morning, and in the afternoon back into bed to be well rested for tonight: the start of the Dodentocht. Jan for 4th time, Marjolein for the first time. Round 17h we eat some pasta, and then around 18u20 we leave for Bornem. All the way from the exit on the A12, the whole N16 to Bornem is one big traffic jam. There we walk the few hundred meters to the center. And then we follow the path to the starting point … On the way we drop our luggage, as to have dry, clean clothes and socks halfway.

Exactly 12.018 participants are gathered at the start of the 46th Death March. We are certainly not the first when we arrive on the square around 19h15. Many are already queueing, so we look for a place to sit or lie down somewhere so that we do not fatigue ourselves. The sun still warms us a bit as we sit here, around 26 degrees. Blessed, but rain might be on the way, the radio said. We’ll see.

Marjolein starts to get a bit nervous: why did she tell so many people that she would walk the Dodentocht, looking for sponsors for Fight against Cancer. Now she really has to finish this 100 km walk. Imagine that she fails …

We heart the church bells at 21:00 and the start signal is given. A large number of walkers, a gathering place in a car park close to the abbey, and the departure in one of the smaller streets of Bornem: this combination ensures that the funnel rather acts as an hour-glass and hikers come only through in dribs and drabs. We move along and sometimes stand still for long minutes. Finally, we pass the starting line at 21h30.

The first kilometers there is a lot of people along the route to cheer on the walkers. For us however, it is queuing and we don’t get near our normal pace. To make matters worse, it starts raining after about 6 kilometers as well. The first shower of the 4 we’ll get that night. And the rain also chases some people inside, leaving the famous atmosphere a little lacking. Kind of sad.

At the first checkpoint in Weert, there are so many walkers and we easily lose 10 minutes to get through the two rows of tables that make up the first supply here. Many thousands of walkers have apparently been for us because all the cups of water are gone; there is nothing left, and we are far from the last ones to arrive here. Fortunately, we have some food and drinks in our backpack and we make use of it.

The night whirls down on us, and after some 20 km we come back through Bornem. Many people are apparently chased away by the rain, because here and there we even see empty spaces in the main street; a phenomenon that has not happened in the last three editions. It’s already well past midnight, and we march towards checkpoint Friesland. A first bite, a rice cake from one of the sponsors disappears in the mouth, along with a drink of another sponsor. And so the journey continues towards Schelde and Sea Canal. It seems rather a procession because it remains one long line of walkers, with every few meters someone with a flashlight to bring a little light into the darkness.

After about 30 km, at the church of Ruisbroek, we change socks for the first time. So, it immediately feels better already. Meanwhile, it is 3:00 and the parties and supporters have now disappeared, probably in a cosy bed. And we keep on walking, kilometer after kilometer. Marjolein is slowly realizing that it is not a “walk in the park”. And she is not the only one. Between kilometers 30 and 50, there are already several quitters, and we already see several people already half limping, but still continue their journey. Around 4:30 Jonas (son/brother) and Ian (cousin) are waiting for us at the “copper cauldron”, quite close to the checkpoint Breendonk, with a drink and some bananas. Our legs and feet are still doing well, but the whole night walking between those “dancing” lights over sometimes muddy paths, has ensured that the stomach feels a bit dizzy. We must force ourselves to eat and drink, because without intake of energy we’ll certainly not make it.

As for the temperature during the night: we can not complain, because until 3:00 we were able to walk in T-shirt. Only the rain has given us some bad times, but it’s also gone by the morning.

Both at checkpoint Breendonk (Duvel) at 42 km, and at the post Steenhuffel (Palm) at 52 km, we see a lot of people take the local beer, but we prefer a cup of soup with a slice of bread, a sugar waffle and some water. We more like “to play it safe”; certainly with the somewhat uncomfortable stomach. On both checkpoints there are also a lot of “quitters”. Would one have to do with the other?

Our journey continues along major and minor roads, between the fields where the roosters start crowing, and through residential neighborhoods where residents are still in dreamland; we get to see just about all the different features of the Flemish countryside. I notice quite a few other roads and paths compared to the previous three years; that keeps it just more fun, except for the rain …

In the morning, around 8:00 am, Kristine (wife/mother) and Dorien (daughter/sister) come looking for us, on their bicycles. Jonas and Ian then look for their beds, because our “biker-girls” take over: bags crammed with extra drinks and bananas, dry socks and baby-oil for a massage later that day.

The kilometers are passing by slowly by and every now and then we have a dip. A glucose or fruit cake, however, can move that away pretty quickly. Also, at every checkpoint there is really sufficient energy available, perfectly offered by the many volunteers in this event: this is to be said as well!

Our feet and legs begin to feel the mileage now. The village centers of Buggenhout, Opdorp, Lippelo, Puurs, Oppuurs and Sint-Amands don’t follow fast enough to our liking. Moreover, it is raining again since the afternoon, but we still get to every village. Purely by chance, on the road between Opdorp and Lippelo, around kilometer 72, we found a few friends and family: a surprising and joyful encounter in the rain, a brief chat, and the routine broken; it makes the next kilometers a bit smoother. And with the necessary rests at some of those places, as well as a massage every now and then (thanks to the people who made available their garage!), we head to the Scheldedijk for the last 10 kilometers. We can actually take off again as our raincoats.

In Branst, we get to the last checkpoint. It is a vicious one (and a bit dangerous because it is still raining) because here we must leave the dike on a wooden gangway, fairly steep downhill and then up again: for some very painful to the legs.

Another few hundred meters embankment/dike, and then another 5 km towards Bornem Centre, and the weather gods are finally in a good mood: the rain has stopped. After each kilometer is a sign that counts down, but we feel every kilometer as if it is worth five, it seems that long.
And two kilometers from the finish, it starts to rain again! And that shows in the main street of Bornem: the fences are nearly empty. In the past years the supporters were standing there in rows, but now there are only a few brave people to encourage and congratulate us. Too bad, especially as it is Marjoleins first Dodentocht.
Forunaltely, the last 200 meters has some more people and there is some ambiance. We pose a while for a picture with the homemade banner and then go to the tent for the last scanning of the trip. At 19:57 our feet have finished these 100 kilometers, and we have been underway for 22 hours and 27 minutes for “Fight Against Cancer”.

The pain is almost everywhere: sore feet, the back is a bit stiff, overworked muscles, … But no blisters. That’s a relief. A nice shower and a good night’s sleep will wash away much of the physical pain.

It was tough, but hopefully worth the effort. We expect the next few days some more donations (possible until November 15), and hope that, thanks to you, we have contributed to the charity.

Thank you to all the generous sponsors and everyone who has supported us!

2 x 100 Greetings,

Jan and Marjolein