The race of...
Below you can read the stories of some of our committee members. Have fun!
Miriam Zegelaar – WS & Alternative Event Workgroup
After participating in the Batavierenrace a few times myself and volunteering twice, I figured it was time to help organize the event—and that’s exactly what I did last year! But even after the race, I couldn’t quite let it go, so I joined the Competition Secretariat. This committee is responsible for the final results, so during the race, we hand out penalty codes, keep in touch with the exchange point teams, and create the schedule that determines when slower runners are picked up by the broom bus.
This year’s Bata is of course different than usual, which means the preparations have also been quite different. We’ve adjusted all the regulations for this year’s format, and all the other committees have also been working hard to make this edition possible. And none of this would have happened without the (only) Organizing Committee member, Tijmen! With all these adjusted preparations in place, we’re ready to make this a fantastic race—and I, for one, am really looking forward to it!
Thomas Krullaars - WL & Alternative Event Workgroup
About three years ago, during the 50th Batavierenrace, I joined the organizing board as treasurer and logistics coordinator in Enschede. That board year really got me hooked on the Bata, and I’ve stayed involved ever since. Normally, I’m part of the Audit Committee, reviewing the books every quarter, and for the past year I’ve also been part of the Race Coordination team.
As race coordinators, we oversee the entire event and make sure everything runs smoothly and safely. That means we’re constantly on the move during the race, handling all the little and not-so-little problems that come up—ranging from upset neighbors or lost runners to the unfortunate incident of an injured participant. Last year’s edition was eventful, but we can look back with pride because we handled exactly the kinds of situations we had trained for.
We’ve already completed our first training session for this year, covering scenarios for both the ‘regular’ and the ‘alternative’ Bata. So we’re well-prepared! I’m also part of the working group organizing this year’s alternative edition. It may be a smaller effort compared to the full-scale Bata, but it’s just as important that everything is arranged properly. I was really happy to see how quickly all the team spots filled up this year, and I’m confident this edition will be just as unforgettable—with participants once again giving it their all. See you at the race!
Jolien Kessels - Icie & Alternative Event Workgroup
After participating myself and being a volunteer once, I organized this fantastic event last year. After spending a year on the Organizingcommittee, I couldn't let go of the Batavierenrace. That's why I joined the Internet Committee (Icie). With this committee, we've been busy all year keeping all the online systems of the Batavierenrace up to date. This year, we've made some changes to the registrations and have been mainly working behind the scenes. During the race, we have a bit of a quieter time, and you can find me somewhere else within the race. See you at the race!