Tuesday, July 15, 2014

[0300hrs]

3.am Reveille. 3.10am Foot taping.

Constable Scott lays in one of four beds in the medical room to have feet taped and prepared. With over 52km of ground to March on day one, feet are protected with spray and layers of tape.

[0430hrs]

Police march over the bridge from Nijmegen, 5am in the morning.

Vancouver Police with their Dutch Hague Police counterparts mustered in full patrol uniform at the start line at 0430am.

Marching out of the City of Nijmegen in high spirits, the VPD/Dutch combined team quickly surpassed colleages from Rotterdam Police, and before the first rest stop in the village of Bemmel, they had passed Sussex Police from the UK.

[0600hrs]

Breakfast was wolfed down shortly after 6am, and the team sped quickly on in a north easterly direction. By lunchtime, the team was in Valburg beating fellow comrades from the London Metropolitan Police. Although not a race, a good pace helps morale and keeps energy up, and Chief Inspector Carolus Janssen set the bar just right, inspiring all members of the combined team to keep marching on as temperatures rose and feet became weary and sore.

Group photo after our support chef served us lunch.

[1600hrs]

By 4pm, everyone had succesfully marched 53km and stood down to enjoy dinner, drinks and commaraderie with their new Dutch friends.

Constable Sheila of the VPD and Stefan from the Swedish Police were featured as the cover-story of a local magazine that covers the march.