Challenging sports events along the Dutch coast – PWN Egmond Half Marathon and AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond ATB beach race

On 10 and 11 January 2015 thousands of sports enthusiasts will come to the seaside town of Egmond aan Zee to participate in the PWN Egmond Half Marathon or the AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond ATB beach race.

These heroic events, which run along the beach and through the dunes, attract 17,000 runners and 3,500 bikers each year. The fields will include hundreds of athletes from countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Sweden. No less than 25 different nationalities are represented.

Participating in Egmond aan Zee, 30 minutes north of Amsterdam, is challenging. Typically held in early January it is an unique event in the Dutch calender because of its course. Seven of the 21,1 kilometres are on the soft sand of the shores of the North Sea, and another nine kilometres see the runners tackle dunes and hard-packed country tracks.

Dutch runners refer to this event as a real winter classic, and one which you have to experience at least once in your life. Every year international top athletes, such as Ayele Abshero, one of Ethiopian top-class marathon runners, come to Egmond to compete in this unique race.

On 10 January, one day before the half-marathon, the AGU Egmond-Pier-Egmond is being held for the 17^th time. This 36 km ATB beach race is the largest beach race in the Benelux and starts at the Egmond aan Zee boulevard. The course takes the participants across the beach to Wijk aan Zee, where the 17 km turning point is situated. Every year, the very best Dutch cyclists battle against one another to win this race. Last year’s race was won by Marianne Vos, the 2012 Olympic women’s road race champion.

Get your New Year off to a great start and enter one of these heroic events. Registration for both events is open until 14 December 2014. Those who are looking for an extra challenge, can enter both events and join the so called ‘Combination Ranking’.

More information can be found at www.pwnegmondhalvemarathon.nl or www.aguegmondpieregmond.nl.

Those who prefer to walk can come to Egmond aan Zee on 24 and 25 January for the PWN Egmond Walking Marathon.

This walking event consists of two beautiful routes along the beach and through the North Holland Dune Reserve. More information and registration can be found at www.pwnegmondwandelmarathon.nl.

Jan Willem Mijderwijk
Senior event manager Le Champion