{"id":5760,"date":"2025-04-07T14:25:28","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T12:25:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.bureaurotterdam.nl\/verhaal\/volunteers-make-the-rotterdam-marathon-the-most-beautiful\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T16:07:07","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T14:07:07","slug":"volunteers-make-the-rotterdam-marathon-the-most-beautiful","status":"publish","type":"verhaal","link":"https:\/\/rotterdammakeithappen.nl\/en\/stories\/volunteers-make-the-rotterdam-marathon-the-most-beautiful\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteers Make the Rotterdam Marathon the Most Beautiful"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row row_height_percent=”0″ override_padding=”yes” h_padding=”2″ top_padding=”0″ bottom_padding=”0″ overlay_alpha=”50″ gutter_size=”3″ column_width_percent=”100″ shift_y=”0″ z_index=”0″ content_parallax=”0″ uncode_shortcode_id=”212650″][vc_column][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”193846″]The 44th edition of the NN Rotterdam Marathon<\/a> 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. \u201cIn your own city, with your own people, no complaining, just being there for one another. That\u2019s what I love,\u201d says Rotterdam native and volunteer Andr\u00e9 Hoogendijk<\/a>, who holds one of the best positions as finish line coordinator on the Coolsingel.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two weeks before the marathon, Andr\u00e9 already starts to feel the excitement. \u201cEveryone knows: when it\u2019s the second week of April, it\u2019s happening again. You see the signs going up. You think: that\u2019s ours.\u201d Andr\u00e9 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. \u201cI\u2019d walk ahead like Napoleon, with all the runners behind me. It was amazing.\u201d Now he stands next to the mayor at the finish line, making sure everything runs smoothly and safely. \u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n

Energy <\/strong>
\nVolunteer Bo Koopmanschap<\/a> can also be found at the finish line. This sports physiotherapist from Rotterdam helps runners alongside a medical team. \u201cWe 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<\/a> 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.\u201d Bo is also a runner himself and hopes to one day run the marathon. For now, he loves volunteering. \u201cEveryone in the city is involved on marathon day. Everyone is excited. That gives so much energy. In other cities, people prefer to go away for the weekend during the marathon.<\/p>\n

Embraced<\/strong>
\nAndr\u00e9 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. \u201cOn the Coolsingel, the crowds cheer the runners on ten rows deep. You\u2019re practically carried to the finish line. If I can contribute to that by making sure everything runs smoothly, that\u2019s just beautiful.<\/p>\n

Bo also sees the Rotterdam Marathon as something special. \u201cRotterdam 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\u2019s 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\u2019s what Rotterdam loves.<\/p>\n

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The image of all those runners crossing the Erasmus Bridge, with boats spraying water\u2014those are scenes seen around the world.<\/blockquote>\n

Icons<\/strong>
\nThe marathon route and the iconic landmarks runners pass contribute to the event\u2019s success. \u201cWhen 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\u2014then I feel extremely proud of what we\u2019ve accomplished together,\u201d Andr\u00e9 says with a broad smile.<\/p>\n

Bo knows what makes the Rotterdam Marathon so special. \u201cThe course runs right through the city center. You don\u2019t see that much in other places. And those are the images that are broadcast worldwide\u2014runners on the Erasmus Bridge, boats spraying water\u2014it\u2019s an incredible sight.\u201d And for many locals, that\u2019s not a problem, Andr\u00e9 adds. \u201cClosing down the entire Hofplein? That\u2019s something, right? Trams not running their normal routes. But no one minds. They\u2019re proud of the marathon.<\/p>\n

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People with disabilities run the Your Marathon Challenge.<\/blockquote><\/p>\n

The marathon is for everyone, Bo believes. \u201cWhat I love about Rotterdam is that people stay until the very last runners cross the finish line. They\u2019re welcomed by the winner and the mayor, complete with confetti and police motorcycles. That\u2019s another way this city puts itself on the map.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9 adds to this, expressing his deep appreciation for a special group of runners. \u201cPeople 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\u2019m incredibly proud that we make space for that, too.<\/p>\n

Lifestyle<\/strong>
\nFor sports physiotherapist Bo, the marathon resonates on another level\u2014health. \u201cHalf of all adults are overweight. A healthy lifestyle isn\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Andr\u00e9 isn\u2019t worried about getting enough exercise. He\u2019s a runner, has completed the marathon once, and now volunteers at several events. \u201cIt\u2019s such a joy to see the other volunteers again during the marathon\u2014many of them keep coming back. And the satisfaction it brings, cooling down together afterward with some fries and satay\u2014it\u2019s just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

#rotterdammakeithappen #demooiste #marathonrotterdam #rotterdamhealthycity #volunteersrotterdam #togetherwemakeithappen<\/p>\n

Pictures from Golazo<\/a> and media library<\/a> from Rotterdam. Make It Happen.<\/p>\n

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