About us
Organisation
The Enschede Marathon is organised by the Stichting Enschede Marathon.
Throughout the year the marathon office is managing the organisation of the Enschede Marathon; the international top-sporting event held annually on the third Sunday of April.
The marathon office is supported by a fixed group of sector heads and committee members. On the day itself, around 950 volunteers are committed to let the event proceed as smoothly as possible. The day depends on the help of our volunteers!
Staff Marathon office
Sandra Melief, Director
Gracia van der Boon, Assistent Manager
Management
Jetse Eringa, Chairman
Malou ter Laak, Secretary
René Wennink, Treasurer
Erwin de Kovel, Member
Sector heads
Jolanda Sciarone, City Center
Norbert Geuverink, Care
Catharina Broekman, Transport en Loistics
Gerard v.d. Krogt, Jury
Ties Wessels, Jury
Henk Wiersma, Competition matters
Peter Lenderink, Regristration office
Matthie Kroezen, KidsRUN
John Peters, Press
Wouter Gerritsen, Start en Finish
Jasmijn Jansen, Side Events
Sabine Wennink, Side Events
Huub ter Braak, Signs & Banners
Marketing and Communication
Bart Ensink
Rick Wildeman
Gerry Visser
Roxanne vd Laan
Walk advisors
Marti ten Kate
Huub van Langen
Ingrid Prigge
Herman Moelard
Gea Siekmans
Committee of Recommendation
De heer M. ten Kate
Mevrouw E. van Langen
Mevrouw E. Terpstra
Mevrouw drs. B. Fransen
De heer G. Wanders
Mister S. Dano
De heer en mevrouw Van der Meer
De heer J.W. Boomkamp
De heer H.W. Kesler
mevrouw drs. A.Th.B. Bijleveld-Schouten, commissaris van de Koning in de provincie Overijssel
Oldest marathon of the Netherlands!
The Enschede Marathon is the oldest marathon of The Netherlands and Western Europe. At the first edition, in July 1947, 51 runners participated in the running competition. Today, almost 11.000 participants participate and the number is growing every year. The course is known as very fast and Enschede is therefore in the top 5 of Dutch marathons together with Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Eindhoven. Along the course, some 82.000 loyal spectators are encouraging the runners every year. Traditionally, around 950 enthusiastic and involved volunteers are helping to make the day a success. Through their years of experience (some more than 30 years!), the volunteers of the Enschede Marathon are contributing significantly to putting together a highly successful event.
Distinctive in the international world of marathons: ladies first
Since 2015, the Enschede Marathon has given more attention to top female athletes and focuses on strong women. In this way, the Enschede Marathon distinguishes itself in the major international offer of competitions. The organisation commits almost the entire prize money for a strong female participant field.
With women who have run a time of 2.25-2.30 hours and men finishing at 2.20, a more compact leading group has emerged and therefore an exciting battle for the final victory.
The first woman participated in the Enschede Marathon in 1981. This was the American Jane Wipf and she finished in 2:38.21.
The Twentse Vrouwenloop / The Twentse Women’s Run
The Twentse Vrouwenloop is a special running event aimed entirely at women. The event was created in 2010, as the Enschede Marathon endeavoured to get more women running. Meanwhile, it fits in beautiful with the focus on women during the Enschede Marathon.
The Twentse Vrouwenloop does not only represent running a fast time or becoming first, but focuses primarily on health, sociability, sportsmanship and the support for a charity. The Twentse Vrouwenloop event will take place on a Sunday in June.
History
In August 1946, during the European Championships at the IAAF Congress, it was decided that an athletics competition between the Netherlands and Czechoslovakia would take place in Enschede. In preparation for the competition, the delegations from both countries meet. At the Czechoslovakian delegation, Ir. Bukovsky, also the organiser of the Kosice marathon, has an important role. It was decided to also run a marathon during this Nations competition.
Eventually, the competition takes place on Saturday, July 12, 1947 with 51 marathon runners participating. Of them 33 are able to reach the finish in the G.J. van Heekpark. The Fin Eero Riikonen is the winner in a time of 2:44.13 and at the finish line he greets Fanny Blankers-Koen. The Fin finishes nine minutes before the first Dutchman Joop Overdijk, who becomes Dutch Champion and takes fifth place. The competition is a big success; it is believed that this cannot be a one-time event, and so the oldest marathon of the Netherlands is born.
From 1947 the marathon takes place every two years. From 1991 this cycle will be accelerated to an annual period.
In 1992, once Apartheid was ended, the South African sports boycott ceased and Willie Mtolo was able to compete internationally. In his first year of competition abroad, his first marathon was the Enschede Marathon, which he won. In the same year he also won the New York City Marathon.
In 2000 the competition was cancelled due to the Vuurwerkramp (Firework disaster) that occurred on May 13, 2000 in the residential area of Roombeek.
Thanks to the excellent performance of Stephen Kiprotich during Enschede’s 43rd marathon (2011), the Netherlands’s oldest marathon is now ranked eight in the ranking of international marathons.
Facts and figures
Social media
Facebook – 8213 followers and 8417 likes
Instagram – 905 followers
Twitter – 3040 followers
Participants
10.200 participants at all distances
655 participants on the Marathon
2725 participants on the Half Marathon
2605 participants on the 10km
1618 participants on the 5km
2400 participants on the KidsRUN
Competition
11.000 sponges
60.000 cups
9000 bidons
1000 volunteers
Pacers on the whole and half marathon
Every 2,5 km a service post
At 2/3 of the course a gel drink
Hot showers & changing rooms near the start/finish area
1500 meters of hose for the water supply
Spectators
Over 95.000 spectators
Live registration via RTV Oost and TV Enschede FM
Events at the H.J. van Heekplein
Others
First marathon of the Netherlands since 1947
On April 19, 2020 is the 52th edition of the event.
Volunteers
Throughout the year a large group of volunteers is busy with the organisation of the Enschede Marathon; the international top sporting event held annually on the third Sunday in April. On the day itself, over a thousand volunteers are committed to let the event proceed as smoothly as possible. The day depends on the help of our volunteers!
Why it is such fun to volunteer at the Enschede Marathon:
- You get the chance to work on a great event!
- You get a staff shirt from the Enschede Marathon.
- Free packed lunch and free coffee/tea/lemonade on the day of the event.
- Invitation to the Marathon ‘Thank you’ reception (in the week after the event), including consumption vouchers
Also want to get started as a volunteer? The following vacancies are still available.
EXPERIENCE the Netherlands’s oldest marathon as a volunteer.
Results
Curious about the results from previous years? Take a look at www.uitslagen.nl
