Thread by @SimonGleave

If you followed me last year (and are from outside the Netherlands) you might remember this.

Van der Weijden eventually had to stop after 55 hours and having swum 163km.

Today he has started another attempt. This should be international news in my opinion.

https://twitter.com/SimonGleave/status/1031423332007272448

Just over 10 months later and Maarten van der Weijden is SWIMMING the route of the Elfstedentocht again - it is actually 196km.

He began at 5.30pm (6 hours ago) and has passed his first city (of 11).

If Van der Weijden achieves this, he is expected to finish at 7.30pm on Monday (after 74 hours).

It is for charity (he raised 5 million euros in 2018) and there is a website here where you can donate (and follow the livestream or get live updates).

11stedenzwemtocht.nl

Van der Weijden will arrive at the second of the 11 cities (Ijlst) in the #Elfstedenzwemtocht in around 15 minutes. It looks as though it is about the 26km mark (of 196).

Sloten (40km) will be the third city at around 5am on Saturday morning (so in just over 5 hours time).

Live feed as Van der Weijden approaches Ijlst (put your sound on)

11stedenzwemtocht.nl/livestream/

If you clicked on that live feed, you'll know that Van der Weijden has passed IJlst more or less at the time expected. Next stop is Sloten at 5am CET.

This is the route with his current position marked (also available via the link in the above tweet).

#elfstedenzwemtocht

Maarten van der Weijden will be taking a short break to sleep between 1am and 2am Dutch time (it is just before 1 now).

#elfstedenzwemtocht

Van der Weijden reached Sloten, the 3rd of the 11 cities on the #Elfstedenzwemtocht, at 5.20am.

He took a break around 4 & slept for 1 hour just before this.

Sloten was around the 40km mark. Now Maarten moves on towards Stavoren & is expected to arrive there at 1.40pm CET.

When Maarten van der Weijden reaches Stavoren, he will have swum around 66km since setting off from Leeuwarden at 5.30pm CET yesterday.

A reminder that there is a live feed here where you can follow his progress: 11stedenzwemtocht.nl/livestream/

Van der Weijden swam past the 50km mark just after 8:00 this morning Dutch time

That is a little over a quarter of the distance he is attempting to swim

As has been pointed out to me by @sorensen_andy, the #elfstedenzwemtocht is 6.25 times the cross-channel swim distance

@sorensen_andy Van der Weijden is about half an hour ahead of schedule on his attempt to swim the course of the Elfstedentocht skating race - a distance of 196km.

Follow his progress via the live stream or live map (see attached) and donate here: 11stedenzwemtocht.nl

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy Obviously undertaking something like this means needing to eat. Van der Weijden has recently stopped to eat a lasagne.

Photo at this link: nos.nl/artikel/229011…

@sorensen_andy Maarten van der Weijden is actually swimming too fast compared to his schedule and is expected to slow down.

He has passed the 60km (of 196km) mark for his swim and will get to the 4th city (of 11) well ahead of the 13.40 expected time.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy The 4th of the 11 cities on Maarten van der Weijden's swim, Stavoren is about to be passed.

You can follow the livestream (put your sound on) here:

11stedenzwemtocht.nl/livestream/

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy Another #elfstedenzwemtocht live stream here (with commentary - in Dutch). Throughout the swim, Maarten also has the company of other swimmers as you can see.....

nos.nl/livestream/229…

@sorensen_andy Van der Weijden arrived in Stavoren at 12:58 Dutch time (about 7 minutes ago) which was 42 minutes ahead of schedule.

He has a tear in his swimsuit which can be seen at the photo at this link. There is a reserve suit if necessary:

#elfstedenzwemtocht

nos.nl/artikel/229011…

@sorensen_andy So, with 63km behind him and another 133 to go he is nearly a third of the way there.

Next stop is Hindeloopen (the 5th of the 11 cities) which he was scheduled to arrive at at 6pm CET but that may be earlier as he is quicker than expected.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy Maarten van de Weijden had clearly gone further than 63km when I wrote the tweet above as he has now passed 73km. The people who swam with him in Stavoren raised nearly 360,000 euros for charity.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy For those who are more used to miles, 196 kilometres is around 122 miles. Imagine swimming that far in open water. I can barely do a few lengths in the local pool.

Donate here: 11stedenzwemtocht.nl

@sorensen_andy Maarten van der Weijden has reached the 5th of the 11 cities on the #elfstedenzwemtocht in the last few minutes. He is now more than an hour ahead of schedule.

77 of the 196km now covered, 119km to go. Next stop is Workum where the expected arrival time was 8.20pm.

@sorensen_andy The likely arrival time in Workum is probably going to be nearer to 7pm now.

Maarten enjoyed a meal just over two hours ago and the roads going into Hindeloopen (the 5th city) were gridlocked and spectators could only reach the city by bike.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy Van der Weijden's swim began just over 24 hours ago. Since then he has slept for around 2 hours (in 2 spells) overnight and has swum 82km.

Workum (the 6th of the 11 cities) just over an hour away by the looks of things.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy The 6th (Workum) & 7th (Bolsward) cities have been passed and Maarten van der Weijden has swum more than 100km.

That milestone was reached half an hour ago.

Onto city 8 now - Harlingen - which was due to be reached at 10.20am tomorrow but may be earlier.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy The plan is to have a couple of hours sleep later.

At least that is Maarten van der Weijden's plan during ghe #elfstedenzwemtocht. I plan to have considerably more.

He has now swum 105km which is astonishing in itself.

@sorensen_andy Regular reminder to share as much as possible. This incredible, crazy and eccentric feat should be international news in my opinion.

I'm off to sleep now. For an overnight live feed, try here: 11stedenzwemtocht.nl/livestream/

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy Maarten van der Weijden managed to get 3 hours sleep overnight and is now just a few kilometres outside city number 8 (of 11), Harlingen.

He is now half an hour ahead of schedule and expected to finish the #elfstedenzwemtocht at 7pm CET tomorrow evening.

@sorensen_andy Harlingen was reached at 9am Dutch time so now it is on to city number 9, Franeker. Van de Weijden is expected to arrive there at 1pm.

He has now swum 118km since beginning at 5.30pm on Friday. I don't think I have ever managed to swim even 1km.

#elfstedenzwemtocht

@sorensen_andy I'll be out for most of the day as the world championship of an Olympic sport is being hosted here in the Netherlands (#FIBA3x3) so I'll be there.

For updates on the #elfstedenzwemtocht try:
11stedenzwemtocht.nl/doorkomst/

nos.nl

Both have live streams.

@sorensen_andy OK, after a great day watching 3x3 basketball I am back to update you on Maarten van der Weijden's incredible swim.

He reached the 9th city of Franeker at 12.45 CET, nearly an hour ahead of schedule.

#elfstedenzwemtocht #swim11

@sorensen_andy City 10, Dokkum, is nearly 50km away from Franeker though and this part has been named the "hell of the north" by Maarten van der Weijden.

As you can see though, he is well on his way. He ate macaroni around 2.45pm near the beginning of this bit.

#elfstedenzwemtocht #swim11

@sorensen_andy Earlier today, the current amount of money raised by Van der Weijden's swim was announced. It stands at 1.4 million euros which is slightly more than at this stage during last year's attempt.

The final total for in 2018 was around 5 million euros.

#elfstedenzwemtocht #swim11

@sorensen_andy If you want to donate, you can here.

There is a button on the page to do so or you can transfer money to the account number at the bottom of the page.

#elfstedenzwemtocht #swim11

11stedenzwemtocht.nl

@sorensen_andy Expected arrival time in Dokkum is 10.20 tomorrow morning although as Van der Weijden is one and a half hours ahead of schedule, it may well be before 9am Dutch time.

He has just eaten. Plenty of photos of his swim here

#elfstedenzwemtocht #swim11

nos.nl/artikel/229024…