BMC Nijmegen Marches: Example Training Plan
Introduction
1.Training requirement. The Nijmegen Marches cover 100 miles (25 miles per day for 4 days). Seldom in military training are troops asked to cover such a distance and, were they required to do so, a considerable amount of training would be necessary. Physical fitness of a high order through personal effort is required, but this alone is not the passport to success at Nijmegen. Those who fail are mostly those whose feet have let them down. Feet must be sufficiently hard to withstand the constant pounding for mile after mile in all weathers. The recommended way to achieve this is to regularly train over a distance of at least 50 miles for several months before the event.
Training considerations
2.Distance. There is only one method of training suitable for long-distance marching and that involves getting plenty of miles “under the belt”. The aim should be to work up to, if not over, the distance involved fairly quickly and then concentrate on improving fitness and techniques. The distance involved in the early stages of training depends on the fitness of team members. Those leading a generally active life would find 10 to 15 miles (15 – 25 km) no problem; those leading a sedentary life would be wiser to start with something a bit shorter. In general, starting with marches below 6 miles (10 km) has little worthwhile training effect. The skill of marching is not only in being able to walk a long distance in a day, but in the ability to repeat the performance the next day. It is therefore recommended that training is conducted over consecutive days as much as possible.
3.Weight.
a.Males. For males aged 19 to 49, it is recommended that all training is completed carrying the minimum deadweight of 10 kgs (22 ¼ lbs approximately) plus food, water and other consumables. There is no point in training over long distances unless the feet and the body are accustomed to this extra weight. Personnel should be encouraged to experiment with different bags (Bergen/webbing) and differing weight types (sand/plates etc) during the early stages of training in order to establish what combination best suits them. Carrying the wrong combination can result in serious injury. Note that it will rarely be the case that a whole team is suited to carrying exactly the same load type in exactly the same type of bag and whilst uniformity is encouraged across the whole team, this should not be to the detriment of someone's health.
b.Females. Females are not required to carry deadweight and, in fact, to prevent injury, should be discouraged from doing so. It is recommended that females carry as little as possible (food, water, medical supplies, waterproof clothing and any other essential items only).
4.Other training aims. Team leaders are to note the following additional training aims and should provide their personnel with as much opportunity to train as possible:
a.Boots. Experimentation and 'breaking-in' of suitable boots. Boots will need to be supple, well-fitting and in a good state of repair. A suitable leather softener may be used for the uppers if necessary. Personnel should be encouraged to complete as much training as possible in their selected boots; it is unacceptable to arrive in Nijmegen with new or barely broken-in boots.
b.Socks. Experimentation with different sock combinations and routines. Personnel will need to experiment with several sock combinations to establish what best suits their feet. Some people find that a thin inner sock accompanied by a thicker outer sock works best while others will prefer to march wearing one layer of socks only. Some marchers will prefer to change into fresh socks at every rest area, others will prefer to keep the same pair on all day.
c.Marching as a squad. Marching in step as a squad over long distances is difficult and personnel will need to become accustomed to differing lengths of stride. This is particularly true for mixed teams where both under-striding (for taller people) and over-striding (generally by smaller team members) can cause serious stress injuries. Coupled with this is the need to practice march discipline, including overtaking other teams, dealing with toilet stops and rest area routines.
d.Marching surface. Training must take place over hard, cobbled and cambered tarmac roads. When marching on cambered roads, a team should, wherever possible try to march on the crown of the road.
e.Know your people. Individuals react differently when under physical stress. Through training, team leaders should get to know their team members so that they can recognise the signs and symptoms of stress and/or illness and can react appropriately in order to meet the changing needs of each individual.
f.Singing. The singing of marching songs not only helps to maintain a good marching rhythm within the squad, but also raises morale, attracts much more support from spectators, builds a strong team identity and combats boredom, which can be a real issue during long marching days. However, the ability to sing and stay in stepis a skill that needs to be learned (as do the words to the songs themselves of course).
g.Weather conditions. March discipline in hot and cold weather must be learned. The importance of drinking plenty of water at regular intervals cannot be over-emphasised. Marchers have died of heat exhaustion at Nijmegen but with proper training this danger can be easily avoided.
Training plan
5.Example plan. The example training plan given below is included to help team leaders to deliver realistic and effective training in the months leading up to the Nijmegen Marches. The plan should be considered the minimum and teams are encouraged to conduct as much training as possible.
Event / Distance Day 1 / Distance Day 2 / Deadweight carriedTraining Weekend 1 / 25 km (5-5 ½hrs) / 10 km (2-2½ hrs) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 2 / 20 km (4-4½ hrs) / 20 km (4-4½ hrs) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 3 / 30 km (6-7 hrs) / 20 km (4-4½ hrs) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 4 / 35 km (7-8 hrs) / 25 km (5-6 hrs) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 5 / 40 km (8-9 hrs) / 30 km (6-7 hrs) / 10 kg
Qualification / 2 x 40 km (8-9 hrs per day) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 6 / 40 km (8-9 hrs) / 40 km (8-9 hrs) / 10 kg
Training Weekend 7 / 30 km (6-7 hrs) / 30 km (6-7 hrs) / 10 kg
Nijmegen Marches / 4 x 40 km (8-9 hrs per day) / 10 kg
Further information
6.Joint Service Entry Procedures and General Information Booklet. Further information on core marching skills, training and medical advice is given in the Joint Service Booklet (available via Team leaders should use their training marches to develop these skills in order to develop a flexible, disciplined team. Only by doing this will a team leader be able to manage the team effectively on the road and adapt to the changing needs of individuals within the team.
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