It was a Wednesday afternoon when I heard that my presence in Amsterdam was requested for the following Monday . Last-minute travel is always a panicked affair , but I still tried to see if I could find a marathon to run . As luck would have it , the Amsterdam Marathon was on the weekend I was in town , but as luck would have it , they had closed their entries several weeks beforehand .

Undeterred I sent an imploring email to the contacts listed on the website , politely requesting a last-minute entry . As this is a ‘ big city ’ race with thousands of competitors , my expectation for a positive response ( or any response at all ) was not high . It was therefore a very pleasant surprise when I received a reply just over an hour later , stating that if I was willing to part with 69 Euros , then a marathon entry was mine .

Big City Race Vibes

A 10:30am start allows one a nice Sunday lie-in before catching the train to the start at the Olympic Stadium ( built for the 1928 Games ). In addition to the marathon , they also have a 7.5km race later in the morning and a half marathon starting at the rather odd time of 2pm , as well as a 1km run for the kids . The total number of participants is over 20,000 , and while I ’ m not sure how many starters they had , there were 7,000 finishers in the marathon .

They have “ predicted time ” seeding batches , but my late entry meant that I joined the back group . Here I struck up a conversation with an Australian anaesthetist ( who rather ironically suffers from insomnia ) as he was wearing a Comrades cap . He told me he had two starts , no finishes , and attempting comrades for a third time in 2010 . Soon the gun went off and there was a really festive atmosphere in the Olympic Stadium , with loud clapping and cheering from the thousands of spectators in the stands . They seemed a lot less enthusiastic by the time I eventually crossed the start line over 10 minutes later !

Water tables were every 5km , which seems to be a European standard , with energy drinks and bananas also being provided . There were plenty of other South Africans on the road , including one particularly haggard RAC runner who was trying to buy some Coke mid-race . ( I assume that meant the drink , but as we were in Amsterdam , you never know ...) We did run past a few “ coffee ” shops , but fearing that my blistering 6min / km average pace might lead to being singled out for a urine test , I did not investigate . Besides which , marathon running is supposed to be an individual sport rather than a ‘ joint effort ,’ and everyone knows that you run slower on grass !

Dodging the ‘ Traffic ’

The finish was back at the Olympic Stadium , where runners received a finishers ’ pack consisting of jelly babies , biscuits and an energy drink . ( I was surprised not to find any cheese or tulips .) Although we had run past the Heineken Brewery and along the Amstel River , there was no free beer on offer , so I headed back to my hotel directly after the race , and by the time I had satisfied my thirst , the results ( including splits for each 5km ) were already in my inbox .

On reflection , I was quite pleased to survive this marathon … In Amsterdam one has to contend with the danger of drugs and the hazard of hookers , but there is another , far more treacherous evil roving the streets of this city – the peril of ‘ pedallers ’ who mow down distracted joggers and tourists with indiscriminate glee . The malicious menace that millions of psychotic cyclists present has been the downfall of many an aspirant runner in Amsterdam !

If there is an accident between a car and a bicycle in Holland , the motorist is considered guilty until proven innocent . This protection means that cyclists operate with complete impunity in this country , and this in turn has resulted in the Dutch strain of the cycling pandemic becoming particularly virulent and noxious . I can only think that this anonymous quote is attributable to a Dutch source : “ As a driver I often hate pedestrians , and as a pedestrian I often hate drivers , but no matter what the mode of transportation , I always hate cyclists .”

The route is spectator-friendly , as it goes out and back in a few different directions and includes stretches through Vondelpark , past the Rijksmuseum ( home to much of Rembrandt ’ s legacy ) and out along one side of the Amstel River and then back along the other side . My one criticism of the route is that much of the “ old city ” is avoided , which really is the most scenic part . Perhaps they are trying to ensure that tired runners don ’ t get distracted and disappear into Amsterdam ’ s most notorious attraction , the Red Light District , or that someone might try and stick their finger in a dyke . On the upside , it was nice to run a flat marathon after Voet of Afrika and City to City back home on preceding weekends , and I realised that this was my third Dutch marathon , and I have yet to find a hill .

Cruising through the Vondelpark

Heineken Brewery … sadly no free beer

New Rijksmuseum exhibit

Amstel River , with faster runners on the other side

About the Author

The Running Mann has run over 240 marathons and ultras , and his current mission is to run every marathon in South Africa . He recently fulfilled a lifetime goal of securing a shoe sponsorship from The Sweatshop Broadacres and Asics South Africa ( and a running kit sponsorship from Runderwear ), thus allowing him to run more races and share their stories . You can follow his adventures on Twitter , Facebook or Instagram , and on his popular blog .

Images : Courtesy Stuart Mann

26 ISSUE 139 MARCH 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za

Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 139, March 2021 | Page 26

Where Bicycles Rule the Roads