The new organising committee hopes the 39th edition of the well-known relay race can take place on Saturday 9 October. That would be exactly two years after the last race was held in 2019, as last year’s edition was cancelled due to corona. Registration opens on 1 June.
What’s special about the committee is that seven of its eight members have never run the Veluweloop themselves. Their lack of experience is compensated by ‘fresh perspective’, says chair Yvet Renkema (bachelor of Agrotechnology). ‘And all of us have an affinity with running, of course.’
As a result of the corona measures, Renkema has not been to the campus for a year, as all of her classes were moved online. Organising the Veluweloop is partly a way of compensating for the lack of student life. ‘I am currently writing my thesis, and I am cooped up in my room all day long. I want to do more with my time as a student than just study all day long.’
The new committee started its work in April. The point of departure is to have the Veluweloop take place in its normal form. ‘Especially the competition’, says press officer Sofie van Hemmen, (master of Food Technology). ‘But we have to wait to see if the party after the event will be possible. We think so, but whether there are still restrictions at that time remains to be seen.’
We want to turn Vredenoord into somewhat of a festival area
Yvet Renkema, chair Veluweloop committee 2021
Sustainability is a spearhead for the commission. This means that much of their PR is done through social media, and flyers are replaced with calling cards. Renkema: ‘we also aim to encourage teams to sign op as cycling team, and to use public transport to travel to the event.’ Cycling teams travel from leg to leg by bike; car teams use cars. Another point of focus is the set-up of Vredenoord near Arnhem. The Veluweloop passes this location twice. ‘We want to turn Vredenoord into somewhat of a festival area’, Renkema explains. ‘More options for food and beverage, and perhaps some dance performances and music.’ These ideas are still under development.
Ranking
A new feature is the fact that some of the legs will become available on Strava. This running app allows runners to share their performance. Van Hemmen: ‘This will apply solely to the legs that are open to the public.’ To enhance the spirit of competition, the ranking will include student houses, study associations etc., in addition to the normal categories (students, alumni, businesses). The organisation aims to have at least one hundred teams participate.
Last year’s edition was cancelled at the very last moment. There were no financial consequences. Many participating teams responded to the request to donate part of their entry fee. ‘All-in-all, we managed to break even.’
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