After a three-year absence, the NSK Trappenloop (Dutch Student Staircase Run Championships) are back in the Erasmus building. 'This race belongs to Nijmegen.'

Running to the twentieth floor of the Erasmus building in two minutes. For years, this has been the winning formula for the Trappenloop in Nijmegen. Thanks to the ‘course’, the open stairwell in the Erasmus building, Nijmegen is the ideal location for the Dutch Student Championships (NSK).

The best location

‘It is always a bit of a wait and see whether we are allowed to organise the NSK,’ says Sophie de Groot of organiser ’t Haasje. ‘Students associations may apply for the Trappenloop. During the general assembly of the different student athletics associations, it is then voted on who gets to organise it. In other cities it is more of a building run, so we think that with our twenty floors in the Erasmus building we have the best location. This race belongs to Nijmegen.’

The Trappenloop is unchanged from other years. Only the duo run has been dropped. Participants can sign up for the individual run (10 or 20 floors), the beer chase (chug a beer first, then run) and the relay.

Course knowledge

Non-students can also sign up for the run on 3 February. The Nijmegen cognitive philosophy lecturer Frank van Caspel for example, who always managed to rank high on the leaderboard in previous years. ‘I have no clue in what shape I emerged from the covid years, so I’m still in doubt about participating’, he writes in an email. Van Caspel does boldly dare to say that he will go for a good result if he competes. But then again, he has knowledge about the course as an ‘Erasmus resident’. ‘Surely the athletics students from far and wide have a disadvantage against a veteran who knows the course well and runs up fifteen floors every day after lunch.’

The NSK Trappenloop (Staircase run, ed.) starts on 3 February at 6 pm in the Erasmus building. More information can be found on their website.

Translated by Jan Scholten