Foreword
General
Dear participant,
In this digital participants booklet you will find all necessary information about the 53rd Batavierenrace. You can navigate between all information by using the different headings on the left side.
Please read 'Important Information' carefully before starting the race!
If you have any questions you can contact the information desk as of Friday, May 24th, 12:00 am.
They can be reached by phone at (053-489) 3787 or you can ask them a question via Whatsapp at +316-58015344.
Chairman 53rd Organizing Committee: Tijmen Bartels
The Batavierenrace: an experience that is unforgettable!
Dear participants, crew, and partygoers,
It is with pride, enthusiasm and a good dose of energy that we announce the 53rd edition of the Batavierenrace! Although this edition has a different format than you are used to, it promises to be another sporting spectacle. In 2025, we will organise an alternative Batavierenrace in the form of a brand-new 20-hour run - a challenging, connecting and unforgettable sports event, all Bata-style.
On Friday 9 May at 22:00, the starting gun of this special edition will sound on the University Campus in Enschede. From then on, the teams will have 20 hours to run as many laps of about 5 kilometres as possible. The clock is ticking until Saturday 10 May at 18:00, and within that time it will be up to you - our fanatical runners - to give your all, encourage each other and make the most of it as a team.
The 20-hour run brings with it a fresh dynamic, but the core of the Batavierenrace remains: sportsmanship, togetherness, perseverance and, of course, conviviality. Whether you are a seasoned runner or participating for the first time, everyone is welcome at this unique experience.
As in previous years, the race is made possible by the efforts of more than 200 staff and committee members, recognisable by their jerseys, who are on hand day and night to keep everything running smoothly. Without their commitment, this event simply would not exist.
And of course, we also close this edition in style with a thunderous Bata Party, where achievements are celebrated and new memories are made.
On behalf of the entire 53rd Organising Committee, I would like to thank everyone who made this edition possible: our wonderful volunteers, committed sponsors, the University of Twente, the Foundation Board - and of course all participants.
We wish you an unforgettable 53rd Batavierenrace on 9 and 10 May 2025. Go on, enjoy yourselves, and show what you can achieve as a team!
Tijmen Bartels Chairman 53rd Organizing Committee of the Batavierenrace
Mariska van Sprundel
A lifetime of running: From student years to daily fulfillment
The student years are often considered the most beautiful time of one's life. It's a period of personal growth, and sometimes, due to all the beers and parties, even physical growth. In 2004, I began studying biology in Utrecht. Once I moved into my own place, I started to get the hang of student life. Beers and plates of pasta pesto came flying in at a rapid pace, and physical activity wasn't a top priority back then. My time was mostly dedicated to studying.
Amidst all the partying, there was also the need to earn study credits, and I took that seriously. Achieving passing grades meant studying hard. I never skipped a lecture. Once settled in my new place and on track with my studies, I felt it was time to get back into sports, to boost my fitness. I chose running, partly because a fellow student living nearby was keen on training together. We printed out a random schedule and hit the pavement three times a week. The first training went as expected – after ten minutes, we had to stop to catch our breath and let the side stitches subside. But with each session, we made progress. We named our two-person running club 'Boeien' – after one kilometer, we turned as red as a buoy, and we didn't care.
During my student years, I participated twice in the Batavierenrace with a team from my student association, U.S. Histos. What I remember is running the night leg, followed by a morning leg, with a few hours of 'sleep' in between. Team name? I don't remember. What has stuck with me is the grandeur of the event, the massive number of participants, the lively atmosphere, with the entire team in the van crisscrossing to be on time for the relays. And the fatigue. I must confess that after a night of staying up and two exhausting legs, I didn't make it to the party.
Sometimes, you just know that you've started something that won't end anytime soon. I've been running for seventeen years now, and it's no longer just for physical maintenance. It brings me much more than a healthy body. Running provides a satisfaction I can't compare to anything else. It has become a central element in my life, something I do almost daily without questioning it. I train for marathons, go trail running in the Alps during summers, participate in winter cross-country races, and in between, there's always a road race where I try to improve my time.
For the mind, running is an immediate reward, making it a goal in itself. After a day of work, a head full of to-dos, and then, bam, outside to let everything slide off. After about fifteen minutes, I find my rhythm. Every four steps, an inhalation, followed by four steps in exhalation. My tense office shoulders sway loosely along. In my head, the daily chaos is gradually replaced by flowing thoughts about various things. Once home, it's as if a new day has begun.
Problems are put into perspective, turning out to be no real problems in the end. One sport, with so many facets. I can't imagine ever quitting.
Chairman Batavierenrace Foundation: Chantal Hilgeholt
We can't wait
May 24th is the day. The 52nd Batavierenrace will once again kick off. One of the largest relay races in Europe, if not the largest. An annual spectacular event where students from all over the country come together to run, party, camp, engage in inter-university competition, and where many volunteers gather in one day and night. In the middle of the night, the adventure begins with the long relay run from Radboud University Nijmegen to Enschede. The runners are often accompanied by a cyclist, and along the way, team members take turns. Eventually, they end up in Enschede via Germany and the Achterhoek. I can already hear the roaring engines as they drive onto the track of the University of Twente. Always a goosebump moment, and soon the first runners follow. The competitive runners first, but certainly also the well-dressed ones make this race a spectacle. And after the race - after some rest - of course, the biggest student party in the Netherlands.
Above all, don't forget to enjoy this beautiful adventure. Whether you win or not, you experience this BATA together. A deep bow to all the runners, guides, volunteers, and committees who make this Batavierenrace possible once again.
Here's to a fantastic race, and enjoy it!