The 45th Batavierenrace , world's largest relay race, will take place on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 April. This year, a special refugee team will be taking part.
The Batavierenrace, from Nijmegen to Enschede, is the largest relay race in the world. After the race, the University of Twente campus will host the Batavieren Party, the biggest student party in Europe.
Ellen Bourgondiën, one of the student organizers: “I've always had a soft spot for the less well off members of our society. I feel the need to help. That’s why I was so keen for a refugee team to take part. The refugees have had more than their fair share of suffering, so I wanted to give them an uplifting experience. This will enable them to relax with their peers, to enjoy themselves, and to see that studying can be fun. Hopefully, this will help them to forget the miserable situation in which they find themselves - if only for a little while. The refugees are all taking a preparatory course for senior secondary vocational education and training. Who knows, they may even end up studying at the University.”
The refugees will be running with students from AIESEC, the association that moulds students into young leaders by providing professional internships, volunteer projects and board positions throughout the world.
Special atmosphere
The party is open to everyone. Around 10,000 revellers are expected. Jelmer van Straelen, one of the organizers: “The general atmosphere throughout the Batavieren Race itself, and at the party afterwards, is very pleasant, very peaceful. This comes from training together (or not training together), going on through the night, and running, followed by the party to end all parties. Together with the enormous camp site on the University of Twente campus, where 3,500 people spend the night, this generates a truly amazing atmosphere. Everything is organized by a large group of volunteers, university staff and others.”
