(partly translated from my dutch Strava report)
Maarten and I ran together for the first 60km, and we had some much appreciated support from friends at a couple of places along the way. We resupplied at public water taps, a supermarket in Mook. We stopped at two cafes for drinks, and at a snackbar for fries.
We started off very calmly, especially in the hills. Around 6:00 PM, I went ahead of Maarten and picked up the pace a little bit. He caught up with me again during a nice, long break at the snack bar in Grave, where the surprise welcoming committee was waiting!
We wanted to embrace the 'Walk of Wisdom' concept as much as possible. We dutifully sought out all the bird rings you’re supposed to collect and string onto a leather cord. Sometimes it took a bit of searching—especially in the dark—to find the little container or jam jar holding them. I also walked the entire time without headphones, to stay true to the spirit of the concept.
The night was a mixed bag. Sometimes I was making good progress, other times I was fumbling around in a dark patch of woods.
The final eastward stretch from Afferden to Nijmegen went beautifully fast—until the last few kilometers slowed to a crawl on the rough riverside path along the Waal. It was scenic, but involved a lot of searching and tricky terrain. Walking became even more of a slog near the 'Grindgat' (gravel pit) due to loose sand and pebbles. A truly comprehensive trail experience.
But it was a beautiful day. Huge thanks to Maarten for the time we walked together, and to Manon and Rogier for their help when we needed it. And thanks, too, to my legs for holding up so well.
In the end, I finished at 149 km. Together with Manon —our walking welcoming committee— I laughed as we ran laps around the Stevenskerk until I saw 150 km on my watch. I hit 'save,' and —darn it— it jumped right back to 147,97.
Honestly, finishing was more important to me than my FKT. But, as Eef had already made the entry for the longer version I thought, let's see if it gets accepted. I imagine my exact track will deviate a little bit from his. I saw how fast Eef ran on 20 June when he had to abort it half-way due to the heat. If he would continue that speed he would run it in literally half my time :-) Looking forward to seeing your well-deserved FKT Eef!