Belgium's Infamous 100km 'Death March' Sets Off Into the Night Tonight

Tonight, thousands of hikers will set off from the small Flemish town of Bornem on one of Belgium's toughest annual traditions, a 100 kilometre overnight walk known as the Dodentocht, which translates from Dutch as the Death March.

The event began in 1970 with just 65 walkers connected to a local hiking club. It has since grown into one of the biggest endurance walking events in Europe, drawing more than 10,000 participants every year since 2009. This year's 13,000 tickets sold out within an hour and a half of going on sale back in March, with hikers traveling in from the Netherlands, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and even the United States.

A blessing before the walk

The most devoted participants gather the evening before the march at the Abbey Church of Bornem for a prayer and a ceremony blessing their shoes, a local tradition meant to bring good fortune for the long night ahead. On the day itself, everyone sets off together at nine in the evening, walking through the dark across Klein Brabant, the cluster of small towns that sits between Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent.

The route is mostly flat and paved, passing farmland, quiet villages and a handful of local landmarks along the way, including a stop near a Duvel brewery where walkers can grab a free beer. Fourteen checkpoints line the course, stocked with food and staffed by medical volunteers, with golf carts on standby to carry anyone who needs to drop out back off the trail. Supporters gather along the route through the night to cheer the walkers on.

A test that not everyone finishes

Roughly six to seven out of every ten walkers make it the full distance. Those who do are given a medal and a piece of gingerbread at the finish line, along with plenty of applause. The name is not purely for effect either. In 2010, a five time finisher who had trained properly for the walk collapsed just 300 metres from the end and died of cardiac arrest, a rare but sobering reminder of how demanding the route can be.

This year's heat led organisers to consider trimming the course, something that happened once before in 2022 when the full 100 kilometres was cut down to 66.6. After talking with local authorities, organisers decided to keep the full distance this time, adding extra water stations, cooling measures and safety staff along the way instead.

The Dodentocht has never billed itself as a charity walk in the way some other Belgian hiking events do, but its motto, walking for a better world, has led many participants to raise money for causes of their own choosing, and the event's website now includes a section for registered charities. A ticket for this year's edition cost 62 euros.