Participants in the Dutch Heart Foundation’s 11-Beach Walk raised a record amount of €505,328 today for research into hereditary cardiovascular diseases.
This edition was dedicated to 11-year-old Seppe, who lives with a rare hereditary heart muscle disease for which there is no treatment yet. Seppe received the check with the proceeds fromformer Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek, who ran the 25-kilometer race himself .
“It’s heartwarming to see how thousands of people are working hard, no matter the weather, to research hereditary heart disease,” says Hans Snijder, director of the Dutch Heart Foundation. “The commitment and enthusiasm of participants and volunteers were unprecedented. This amount will truly make a difference.”
Despite the persistent rain, thousands of walkers and runners enthusiastically crossed the finish line in the center of Zandvoort. The 11-beach walk included routes of 12.5, 25, and 50 kilometers. This year, there was also a 5-kilometer Heroes’ Route, specifically designed for participants recovering from cardiovascular disease, undergoing rehabilitation, or finding the strength to get moving again at some other point in their lives.
Not only the proceeds, but also the number of participants – 6,329 in total – set a new record. The proceeds from the walk will be used for research into a treatment for the hereditary heart muscle disease, similar to the one Seppe suffers from.
The 11-Beach Walk organised by the Dutch Heart Foundation has grown in recent years into one of the largest sponsored walks in the Netherlands.