Rewards
As with many other sporting events, the 4Days Marches also has a reward system. Everyone who completes the 4Days Marches in accordance with the regulations will be eligible for a reward. Anyone who successfully completes the walking achievement event for the first time will receive a 4Days Marches Cross. Either a number pin or another type of 4Days Marches Cross is awarded for each subsequent successful participation. Every participant can also order a 4Days Marches certificate of participation.
Successful participation
We deem a participation in a regulation distance (or higher) for which the participant has received a 4Days Marches Cross or a number pin as a reward to be a successful participation. A previous participation as a ‘companion walker’ or on a certificate distance does not count as an official participation. But it is still an achievement, one which a companion or walker with a certificate can be proud of! If desired, the companion walker can order an ‘orderly medal’ via the Praefero website, or visit the stand during the 4Days Marches at the Wedren.
Group medal
In addition to each member getting the individual reward, your detachment will be awarded a group medal on successful completion of the 4Days Marches.
Official decoration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The 4Days Marches Cross is the ‘cross for demonstrated marching skill’, as defined in the Royal Decree of 6 October 1909. The medal is one of the official Dutch decorations and may be worn on the uniform of Dutch military personnel. There is also an official code for wearing the medal. The cross must be worn on the left side of the chest, about a hand’s width below the shoulder. Only one medal may be worn at a time and only one number may be pinned on the ribbon.
Certificate
A certificate is a personalized keepsake of your outstanding achievement and serves—alongside your 4Days Marches Cross or medal - as additional proof of your successful participation. The cost for a paper certificate is €16 and €4 for a digital certificate, which can be ordered during registration or until 9 July at 17.00 hrs CET via My Dashboard.
Even after this date, you can still order a certificate via e-mail. In that case, the costs are €21 for a paper certificate and €5.50 for a digital certificate. You can also order certificates from previous years this way. However, it is only possible to reorder certificates from the 4Days Marches of 2008 or later. Digital certificates can only be reordered for the 4Days Marches of 2023 or later.
If you complete the 4Days Marches, the certificate will be sent to you by mail within a few weeks after the event. If your participation in the 4Days Marches is not successful, you will not receive a certificate, and it will not be possible to refund the paid amount.
You can see an example of a certificate here.
More info
The 4Days Marches Cross – a medal – is officially named the ‘Cross for Proven Marching Skill’, as described in the Royal Decree of 6 October 1909. Often without realizing it, participants in the 4Days Marches receive an officially recognized royal distinction upon completing their achievement, which Dutch military personnel are permitted to wear on their uniforms. This makes the 4Days Marches Cross one of the official Dutch decorations.
The 4Days Marches Cross comes in bronze, silver, and gold, adorned with numbers, crowns, and/or laurel wreaths, depending on the number of times the 4Days Marches have been completed. The first time, participants receive a bronze 4Days Marches Cross. The second time, a bronze cross with a crown is awarded. After five completions, a silver cross is given, and after six, a silver cross with a crown. A gold cross is awarded after the tenth completion, followed by a gold cross with a crown for the eleventh.
In between these milestones, pins are issued to attach to the cross. Special, more valuable variants of the gold cross are awarded for 25, 40, 50, 60, and 70 completions. You can find a detailed overview of all numbers and their corresponding crosses here.
There is an official code for wearing the medal. The cross should be worn on the left side of the chest, approximately a hand’s width below the shoulder. Only one medal may be worn at a time, and only one number may be attached to the ribbon.
If you have lost a 4Days Marches Cross or pin, or if you’d like to order a certificate from a previous participation, send an email to our Service Desk (info@4daagse.nl). Once we confirm your eligibility, we will inform you of the amount to transfer, which varies depending on the reward. The costs for reordering a paper certificate are €21, and€5.50 for a digital certificate. You can see an example here.
Thirteen walkers have completed the 4Days Marches 60 times or more. For many years, Annie Berkhout held the record, completing the march 66 times, with her last participation in 2003. Currently, Bert van der Lans holds the record with 71 completions, followed closely by Dick Koopman with 70.
During the 4Days Marches, various walking organizations have stands at the Wedren start and finish location. Walkers can visit these stands for information and products. If you have a stamp book from one of these organizations, you can get your stamp placed or purchase other rewards. The location of these organizations is marked on the Wedren map.
Military participants can visit Charlemagne on the Friday of the 4Days Marches for stamps.
