Volunteers Make the Rotterdam Marathon the Most Beautiful

The 44th edition of the NN Rotterdam Marathon on April 13 promises to be another spectacular sporting celebration. Made possible in part by 1,500 volunteers who form the beating heart of the event. “In your own city, with your own people, no complaining, just being there for one another. That’s what I love,” says Rotterdam native and volunteer André Hoogendijk, who holds one of the best positions as finish line coordinator on the Coolsingel.

Two weeks before the marathon, André already starts to feel the excitement. “Everyone knows: when it’s the second week of April, it’s happening again. You see the signs going up. You think: that’s ours.” André works as a project manager for the government and has been volunteering for eight years with the core team of sports event organizer Golazo. He started out managing the start, leading 3,000 runners per wave to the starting line on the Erasmus Bridge. “I’d walk ahead like Napoleon, with all the runners behind me. It was amazing.” Now he stands next to the mayor at the finish line, making sure everything runs smoothly and safely. “The biggest challenge is to make sure everyone crosses the finish line running, without causing bottlenecks. I also have to keep the press in check and ensure the timing system runs properly.”

Energy
Volunteer Bo Koopmanschap can also be found at the finish line. This sports physiotherapist from Rotterdam helps runners alongside a medical team. “We screen them for exhaustion or physical issues that need immediate attention. Some are treated on the spot, while others are taken into the medical tent. There are specialists from Erasmus MC and other hospitals who know exactly what to do. Rotterdam really has that well organized. I walk around helping runners with muscle cramps or acute injuries.” Bo is also a runner himself and hopes to one day run the marathon. For now, he loves volunteering. “Everyone in the city is involved on marathon day. Everyone is excited. That gives so much energy.”

Embraced
André volunteers at about fifteen sports events across the Netherlands each year. But the Rotterdam Marathon, in the city where he was born and raised, is by far his favorite. “On the Coolsingel, the crowds cheer the runners on ten rows deep. You’re practically carried to the finish line. If I can contribute to that by making sure everything runs smoothly, that’s just beautiful.”

Bo also sees the Rotterdam Marathon as something special. “Rotterdam embraces the marathon. In other cities, locals prefer to leave town during the event. Here, everyone shows up to cheer. That energy pushes the runners forward. It’s very Rotterdam to give someone a boost like that. This is a city where we put our shoulders to the wheel and help each other through. Hard work is appreciated here. That’s what Rotterdam loves.”

Icons
The marathon route and the iconic landmarks runners pass contribute to the event’s success. “When the sun shines on the Coolsingel, an iconic piece of Rotterdam, with the mayor at the finish line and a million spectators throughout the city—then I feel extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” André says with a broad smile.

Bo knows what makes the Rotterdam Marathon so special. “The course runs right through the city center. You don’t see that much in other places. And those are the images that are broadcast worldwide—runners on the Erasmus Bridge, boats spraying water—it’s an incredible sight.” And for many locals, that’s not a problem, André adds. “Closing down the entire Hofplein? That’s something, right? Trams not running their normal routes. But no one minds. They’re proud of the marathon.”

The marathon is for everyone, Bo believes. “What I love about Rotterdam is that people stay until the very last runners cross the finish line. They’re welcomed by the winner and the mayor, complete with confetti and police motorcycles. That’s another way this city puts itself on the map.”

André adds to this, expressing his deep appreciation for a special group of runners. “People with disabilities run the Your Marathon Challenge. They save up their distance all year and complete the final stretch on the Coolsingel during the marathon. I’m incredibly proud that we make space for that, too.”

Lifestyle
For sports physiotherapist Bo, the marathon resonates on another level—health. “Half of all adults are overweight. A healthy lifestyle isn’t as normal as it used to be. I see it in my practice every day. The marathon represents the satisfaction of setting a major goal and achieving it. Not waiting for it to come to you, but lacing up your shoes and going for it.”

André isn’t worried about getting enough exercise. He’s a runner, has completed the marathon once, and now volunteers at several events. “It’s such a joy to see the other volunteers again during the marathon—many of them keep coming back. And the satisfaction it brings, cooling down together afterward with some fries and satay—it’s just awesome.”

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Pictures from Golazo and branding toolkit from Rotterdam. Make it happen.