Dam tot Dam Weekend cancelled 18 and 19 September

Tickets will be transferred to 2022 edition

Sports organisation Le Champion and the involved municipalities had to decide, in good consultation, that the Dam tot Dam Weekend on the 18th and 19th of September once again can’t be organised. Reason is the most actual corona measures from the government, in which the social distancing measure applies at least until the 20th of September. The municipalities are therefore obliged to revoke the earlier provided permission for the Dam tot Damloop, Dam tot Dam Wandeltocht and Dam tot Dam FietsClassic. The tickets of the participants registered until now will be transferred to the next editions on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September 2022.

Mainly the main distance of the Dam tot Damloop, the 10 miles from Amsterdam to Zaandam, is known as a large-scale event with normally 45,000 participants at the start. Usually the massive amount of spectators alongside the course, in the public space, makes it impossible for the safety institutions to maintain the social distancing rule. 
General director Ron van der Jagt from Le Champion: ‘’It is of course very sourish that the government has chosen to hold on to the social distancing rule until the 20th of September, while these sports events in the open air are planned for the 18th and 19th of September. Because of that the Dam tot Damloop, the biggest running event of the Netherlands, disappears for the second year in a row from the calendar, due to the corona measures.’’

For the other two large events in the same weekend, the Dam tot Dam Wandeltocht and the Dam tot Dam FietsClassic, mainly the maximum of 750 persons at the event location is the limiting factor. This number can’t be guaranteed at the start and finish on the Dam in Amsterdam and in the Dam tot Dam Park in Zaandam. These are impossible conditions to organise the biggest sportive weekend of the Netherlands, with, under normal circumstances, 85,000 cyclists, runners and walkers.

Van der Jagt finds it very pitiful that the Dam tot Dam Weekend again can’t be organised: ‘’We want nothing more than to organise these great events for cyclists, runners and walkers. We are a sports organisation, with a social mission. We only have one goal: get as many people to move as possible, in order to contribute to a healthy society. We don’t like to standstill.’’

Amsterdam City Walk and TCS Amsterdam Marathon will continue
Le Champion assumes that the Amsterdam City Walk on Saturday the 16th of October and the TCS Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday the 17th of October can continue. As it seems like at the moment, the social distancing rule will be dissolved on the 20th of September which means that events can take place in a regular way. In case there will be other limits at that time, the organisation will be adjusted where possible. Registration for both events is still possible via the websites.

Click here for the frequently asked questions about the cancellation