Sunday morning, September 21. Dam tot Dam 2025 race day!
The city is quiet, unusually so. Streets that are normally busy are hushed, as if Amsterdam itself is holding its breath. But you can feel it in the air, the nervous excitement, the sense that something big is about to happen. The legendary Dam tot Damloop. The largest business run in the Netherlands is here!
The weather is moody. A light drizzle falls as we step outside, and the wind shakes the trees. Buienradar promises things will improve, but for now we tuck our jackets tighter, cross fingers and hope. Around Amsterdam Centraal, the energy is completely different from the stillness of the side streets. The top athletes are warming up with strides, eyes already locked on the finish line in Zaandam. They’ll be done in under 50 minutes, but behind them? Fifty thousand runners, each with their own story, each ready to take on 16 kilometers of effort, emotion, and celebration.
And somewhere in the middle of all that: our very own Day One teams.
The build-up
Each runner in our group has their own mission. For some, it’s all about speed, chasing a new personal best, the thrill of shaving seconds off a time that already seemed impossible. For others, the goal is simply the finish line: proving to themselves that they can do it, no matter how long it takes. And honestly: both are golden.
The pre-race rituals are unfolding. Shirts go on, and race bibs are pinned carefully, a ritual that somehow never gets old. There are no reckless shoe choices today. Everyone knows the rule: nothing new on race day. A quick banana disappears, someone sneaks in a final energy gel. Faces tighten with focus. There’s a special kind of silence in these moments, the quiet before the storm, where every runner is fighting their own little battle of nerves.
Of course, race mornings are never without chaos. Teams never show up complete in time. Trains are suddenly out of service. Trams so packed you can barely breathe. A flat tire, of course, for one unlucky teammate. But none of it rattles us. We’ve solved bigger problems together. A quick reroute here, a borrowed bike pump there and done. The team is complete.
The march to the start of the Dam tot Dam 2025
Bag drop is the next obstacle. Thousands of runners are shuffling towards the tents, holding their official white Dam tot Dam bags, trying to squeeze every last item into them. Will it fit? Barely. Someone jokes about leaving their shoes behind just to make it work. The queue stretches, a sudden downpour hits, but by now no one even cares. Rain is just part of the story. Part of building memories together.
With bags safely stored, we move as a unit toward the starting pens. Just a few hundred meters left before everything gets real. The group stops for a quick photo, smiling, arms around each other, the last moment of calm before the effort.
Then the practicalities: one last bathroom break, a sip of water. Jokes and nervous laughs mix with quiet moments of focus. I look at them and think: they’re ready. As they step into the start area, I wave them off. Their faces are serious now. This is so beautiful to see. They’re ready to crush 16 kilometers.
The race
And then they’re gone.
The Dam tot Dam is unlike any other race. The first big thrill comes immediately: the IJtunnel. Runners surge down into the darkness, hearing the music of the drumband at the entrance and the cheers of the crowd you leave behind, a wave of sound and energy pulling everyone forward. Once you are in the tunnel, the only thing you can hear are the breaths and the footsteps that echo in the tunnel. For a moment, you forget the distance ahead, you are just part of a moving river of people, carried by adrenaline.
The course winds through Amsterdam Noord, streets lined with supporters. Kids stick out their hands for high-fives. Bands play on corners, brass instruments blaring upbeat rhythms that lift tired legs. Someone shouts your name, printed on your bib, and suddenly you’re flying again.
Kilometer after kilometer, the vibe builds. The weather clears, and a patch of blue sky opens and there even is a warm ray of sunlight. The wind is still there, but it feels less like resistance and more like encouragement.
And then Zaandam comes into sight. The finish is close. Crowds line the barriers, screaming, clapping and playing Dutch folklore music. It’s impossible not to smile, even with legs burning and lungs on fire. This is why you run: to be carried by that wall of energy into the final meters.
One by one, the Day One teams cross the line. Some sprint. Some jog. Some stumble, half-laughing, half-crying. But all of them finish. What an achievement. What a camaraderie. Well done teams!
The celebration
And then the phones light up. The group chat explodes with photos: sweaty selfies, medal shots, finish line celebrations. Strava notifications buzz as every run uploads, one after another. “Kudos” pour in. Screenshots of new PRs fly across the chat. Someone already has a beer in hand. Why not, fully deserved!
But the real celebration is in the faces, the hugs, the relief. Goals achieved, battles fought, walls broken down. It doesn’t matter whether you ran 55 minutes or 95. What matters is that you did it. Together.
We gather as a team, medals clinking, laughter mixing with the stories of the race. “I thought I was done at kilometer 12.” “The tunnel was insane!” “Did you see that brass band?” Everyone talks at once, the details flowing out in waves. And then comes the best part: that first sip of a well-earned beer. Cold, crisp, perfect.
What a day. What a team.
What’s Next?
The Dam tot Dam wasn’t just a race. It was proof. Proof that early mornings (7.30 AM at ASV Arsenal for example!), tough training runs, and showing up for each other pays off. Proof that you’re stronger than you think.
So, what’s next? A half marathon? A full marathon? The dream of 21 or even 42 kilometers no longer feels so distant. The seed has been planted.
Today is Day One.
