Smørum Classic (2012)
A superb 100 km in Smørumnedre

Anyone who thinks that Denmark is flat will be disappointed in the area around Smørumnedre. It is a sloping landscape with the occasional fun hill. It is also the place where the only 100 km of Denmark is hiked, almost entirely in daylight.

It is 6 o'clock in the morning when 93 hikers set out from the school on the outskirts of the village. A street and a half further we are already in the middle of the fields, above which a harrier hovers. A gravel path takes us to a dark forest with impressive old trees. Here the plastic arrows and support ribbons are replaced with purple paper strips. The local game sometimes eats the way markers and paper doesn’t hurt them. With a group of seven I lead the way. Not that we are going that fast, the rests are geared to a pace of 4.2 to 6.5 km / h. The first one opens just when we arrive, but for the second we are too early and we have to wait a while. After this I decide to take it a bit easier. And why not, the surroundings are beautiful. There are a few narrow paths along the Furesø, a gigantic lake on which a lone canoeist paddles. Hay is drying on wooden contraptions, small bridges with shields of gold leaf, colorful farms. A thermometer indicates 24 degrees and it is not even noon yet. Lunch consists of red cabbage with small meatballs and an egg, but fortunately also regular sandwiches with cheese. After this rest I hook up with Flemming Nielsen, an old acquaintance from Euraudax, who speaks English well. With his company he provides fireworks at major events and in three weeks he will be in the final of the Danish championships. I hope he makes it far. We are having fun and time flies. After the first loop of 64 km we come back to the school. We can only continue in an hour and a half, so I decide to take a quick shower before dinner. It is wonderfully refreshing and when we continue it’s a bit cooler fortunately. The second 35 km loop is a bit more boring. The scenery is still beautiful, but the roads are long and straight. A conscious choice, march leader Søren explains later, to make it easier for the weary hiker to find his or her way in the dark. Because no matter how fast we walk, we still cover the last 10 km in darkness, crossing fields with a beautiful starry sky above. A headlamp is now definitely needed to discover the arrows, which have reflective stickers on them. At the last rest we hear that 16 hikers had to give up, quite a few. But there aren't that many 100 kms in Denmark, so for many of the people who dropped out, this was their first time. Still I am also happy when it is over. Even at night, the temperature remains quite high.

Everything about this tour is perfect, really. Beautiful scenery, very regular rest with good provisions (food and lemonade for free, soft drinks and beer for a small fee), the way marking is almost waterproof and next year there will probably also be an English route description available. The pace is slow, so that even people who normally would not venture a 100 km can handle this and it is mostly during the day! Since sleep deprivation is my biggest problem, I think it’s ideal. It is therefore surprising that only two Dutch people have registered. The only downside (for me) is the distance to Denmark. It will take you fourteen hours by train because you travel through Germany. A car would be much faster. Maybe I will rent a van next year if there is enough interest?