The fascination of sport on the Herzog Limburg Trail!
What happened?
On April 28, 2018, the record on the Herzog Limburg Trail for a distance of 144 kilometers stands at 15 h 55min 40s! A participant from the respectable Ultra-Lopers sports group set a new benchmark on the Duke Limburg Trail route. For Saturday, April 27 and Sunday, April 28, 2019, you can already register again on the Helipad.tk website to break this record! A very special achievement to cover over 140 km in one day. But the record is not the main focus! What is important is the experience of nature and culture, body and soul, which the ultra-lopers make possible for themselves in a joint run through 3 countries of the Euregio-Meuse-Rhine! Just themselves?
The Ambassade du Pays de Rode welcomed the Ultra-Lopers in the Ambassade's garden after completing their first stage from Kerkrade to Limbourg. Here they shared their experiences after 70 kilometers of the first stage with the admiring guests of the Ambassade. Quiet, cultivated people, sensitive nature lovers and meditative athletes are these ultra-lovers! In their own way, they are not only on the Herzog Limburg Trail, but also on an inner path of self-encounter and self-conquest!
The route consists of 31% forest paths, 38% country roads and 31% asphalt as well as a difference in altitude of 2500 meters. It is a so-called hybrid trail. Some sections can be very boggy, especially along the Geul. There are many beautiful panoramic views. From the Adolf mine in Herzogenrath, in particular, you can see for 40 kilometers.
Irene Kinnegim ran this route this year with an improvement of almost 4 hours compared to the 2017 record of Martino Corneillie, who ran this route in 19h47min5s. What a sporting achievement! At the same time, we admire all the 70 or so athletes who took on this ultra-long route again this year!
The original route is described in detail in a brochure published by the Stichting Hertog-Limburg-Pad, which is available in all three languages (NL, D, FR) in bookshops or via the Stichting HLP website. The Ultra-Lopers run a slightly modified route, so that more kilometers are covered by forests and paths and less by churches and asphalt. The original route, laid out by Frits Sprokel and the St. Catharine's Guild in Kerkrade in 2009, was inaugurated by King Willem Alexander. The route roughly describes the Duchy of Limburg from the 12th century. Many of the roads on this route are actually transit routes of the dukes of the time. The area was already trilingual at the time.
With their extraordinary event, the Ultra-Lopers are putting an exclamation mark behind the solidarity of our region, the Duchy of Limburg, and today's Euregio-Meuse-Rhine.
As Ambassade du Pays de Rode and Stichting Hertog-Limburg-Pad, we are putting an exclamation mark behind you, dear Ultra-Lopers! We would like to thank the organizer Willem Mucher, his helpers and all the athletes for this sign of friendly solidarity in our region, which connects you very closely with us as Ambassade. We look forward to the coming year with the ever-growing number of interested parties and participants! We will be happy to prepare a reception for you again in the Ambassade garden so that you can pause for a moment on your journey through 3 nations!