Netherlands group of 29 visits Northumberland for Kielder Marathon

Self-named group from the Netherlands, ‘The 26.2 Illegals,’ are planning to travel to participate in Kielder Marathon Weekend this October.

Fifteen years ago, the running group, The 26.2 Illegals, was formed by individuals from all over the Netherlands. Originally meeting in 2004, they got to know each other through PwC’s connected running program. Partners of PwC ran with their clients, mostly managers, directors or owners of businesses, all over the world. The program took runners to New York via Budapest to San Sebastian, then via Marseille to Chicago, to name a few.

Inspired by the program, a few members began organising additional activities, such as an annual training weekend in the Netherlands and a big event abroad. Their program started in Berlin, then via New York, Jungfrau, London, Boston and Two Oceans in Cape Town.

As they strayed from the original program, the name ‘The 26.2 Illegals’ stuck. “Illegals because the PwC management did not like this, 26.2 because we happened to be with 26 runners and 2 trainers. The combo is of course the link to the marathon 26.2 miles,” explains Hans van den Bighelaar, one of the Illegals.

The group now proudly wear their own orange shirt, with their logo and their flag. “It’s all with a big wink,” says Hans. “Despite the fact that all these years, in addition to our busy jobs, we have trained and run very seriously.” On top of the annual three-day training weekend in the Netherlands, they still organise a four-day or longer running trip abroad every year.

This year, they have chosen Kielder as the destination for their trip. In June, two of the group explored the area and returned with excitement to bring the others back in October. The group of 29, of whom 23 are running in various events at Kielder, are staying in Hawick, Scotland for a few days before the marathon weekend.

One of the runners, Simone, is the daughter of Bart, an original Illegal who sadly passed away a few years ago. Two weeks before his death, Bart ran his last 11.4km race, so in his memory, the group runs a distinct 11.4km every year. Bart’s wife Marianne and daughter Simone are always in attendance at these events, and the group fondly reminisces on the life of their friend together. Marianne and Simone will both be joining the group in Kielder this year. “That’s what you call ‘connected running,'” says Hans. “Illegal or not.”