Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find a list of the most frequently asked questions and their answers about a year as Organizing Committee (OC) at the Batavierenrace. Is your question not listed or do you want to know more? Call 053-489 3787 (Enschede) 024-3615876 (Nijmegen) or send an email to interesse@batavierenrace.nl.

How can you spend a year organizing a race?
The Batavierenrace is not just any race, it is the largest student event in the Netherlands and the largest relay race in the world! Over 8,500 students will run(!) from Nijmegen to Enschede. For this we have to secure the 175 km route for runners and volunteers, manage our own radio network during the race, manage our own time registration system and report live from the race via radio and television. Making sure all materials and people are in the right place at the right time, and the event constantly moving around, makes it a logistical feat. And every year there are new developments. So this plan has to be kept up to date. Figuring this out yourself and thereby learning how to organize the Batavierenrace is the most time-consuming activity.

In addition, all information must be communicated in the right way to the 8500 participants and more than 700 volunteers. However, do not forget that the Batavierenrace must remain affordable for participants and requires a large contribution from sponsors. Maintaining contacts with, and looking for new sponsors, is also a time-consuming task.

How much time does a year of organizing take?
Your board year runs from September to September the following year. The distribution of your workload depends on your range of tasks. Generally, the workload is highest in March and April because of the approaching event. It is possible to hold a full-time or a part-time position within the organization. For a full-time position you have to think of 40 hours per week, for a part-time position this is about 20 hours per week. This also depends on your range of tasks. In the 47th OC there were three part-timers and 7 full-timers.

Do you receive credits for a board year?
No, you do not receive any credits. Unless you want to follow a management minor, to which you can link the organization of the Batavierenrace.

Do you receive financial compensation?
Yes, it is possible to apply for an activism scholarship at your educational institute. The amount of the scholarship depends on the educational institution and the number of hours you work. Also the expenses you make for the Batavierenrace will be reimbursed, for example, travel expenses.

Do you have to be a student in Enschede or Nijmegen for the OC?
No, that is not necessary. The president of the 45th OC studied in Utrecht, the secretary of the 44th OC in Amsterdam, and the secretary of the 49th OC in Wageningen. You do not have to be afraid to leave for a city where you do not know anyone yet because you fall into a warm nest at the Batavierenrace.

Do I need to have experience in organizing an event?
No, you don't necessarily need this. The Batavierenrace has been organized for 49 years and during these years a lot of knowledge has been gained in organizing this event. This knowledge has been recorded in a large number of scripts that give you something to hold on to when organizing the event. Enthusiasm and perseverance are much more important than experience.

The race has been the same for 49 years, you can't put anything of yourself in there, can you?
Oh yes you can! The 45th OC for example has added the center stage to the race so the race now starts in the center of Nijmegen instead of at the sports center of the university. The 47th OC for example has started a camping store in Enschede, so you can buy all kinds of materials there. And of course, the 48th and 49th editions. They had to be reinvented almost completely and were held online due to circumstances.

You can also use the name of the Batavierenrace to organize an additional smaller event in your year. The principle of the race will ultimately remain the same. The challenge is to put something of yourself into the race that will last for decades.

Do I need to have participated in the Batavierenrace at some point to organize it myself?
No, that is not necessary. The Batavierenrace is so big that you cannot know everything, even if you have run it before. This gives you the freedom to think more creatively than the existing solutions. Ultimately, of course, you can always use the recorded knowledge from previous editions.

Does it look good on your CV?
Yes it does! In a board year you learn a lot about working together, having contact with many different parties and learning to deal with responsibilities. Many of these things are not challenged during your studies, so you develop a lot of knowledge and skills in a board year that you do not learn during your studies. In addition, more and more young people are obtaining a degree in higher education and it is increasingly important that you can distinguish yourself from others. A board year is a very good and fun way to do this.

Do I need to be Dutch in order to be part of the Organizing Committee?
No, you do not have to be a native speaker. But it is important to have a certain level of Dutch understanding and speaking in order to communicate with our partners, internal committees, sponsors, and the involved municipalities.