Runners taking part in the 20th edition of the Roparun – a non-stop relay race from Paris to Rotterdam – are expected to arrive at the finish in Rotterdam on Monday afternoon.
About 275 teams – approximately 2,000 runners – are taking part in the 533-kilometer run. The Roparun is an annual event intended to raise money for cancer patients.
From next year, the race will have a second starting point: the German city of Hamburg. The organisers of the Roparun say the additional starting point is intended to reduce the extensive waiting list of people eager to take part in the event.
The Roparun was first held in 1992 as the result of a bet. In the first year, 13 teams completed the relay race from the Euromast in Rotterdam to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. For 12 years, the course went from Rotterdam to Paris. However, in 2004, the direction was reversed, and runners are now bid a festive welcome at the finish line in Rotterdam’s main street, Coolsingel.
(gsh/ae)
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