Stage 5

Eindhoven – Nijmegen – 81 km – 363 m D+, 429 m D-

Saturday the 20th of June 2026

The longest stage. The one everyone fears, yet longs to finish. Endless kilometers through sandy plains, farmlands, and rolling hills at the end. A true test of endurance.

This is the monster stage. Eighty-one kilometers of grit and determination. You set off in the sandy forests near Best, near Eindhoven, legs still heavy from the Ardennes. The haunting sound of the bagpipes cuts through the silence, echoing between the trees. It lifts your spirit, gives you goosebumps, and pushes you into motion. From there, the trail stretches endlessly: through farmlands, across maize fields, over farmyards and riverbanks, and into wide open plains that test your focus and stamina.

The Allied soldiers once called the road from Eindhoven to Nijmegen “Hell’s Highway” — and this stretch lives up to its name. Long, exposed, and relentless. Along the way, four checkpoints are your lifeline. Every 20 kilometers you hydrate, fuel, and reset before moving on. The organization does everything possible to help every runner finish this stage — yet there is a cut-off. Dutch regulations require the forest trails to be cleared by nightfall, so timing matters.

Finally, as you reach the rolling hills of Groesbeek, the finish line feels almost unreal. You’ve just conquered the longest stage of your life. This is why you came here.