Airborne March
Airborne March is the Netherlands’ annual remembrance of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. It started in 1947 and is held on the first Saturday of September in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem. Thousands join veterans, relatives, soldiers and cadets from the UK and the Netherlands to honor about 1,750 British and Polish soldiers and airmen who died and are buried at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek. The event also reminds younger generations of the sacrifices made to defend democracy.
The Police Sports Association 'Renkum' started the walk in 1947, calling it Airbornewalk, later renamed Airborne March with permission to use the Pegasus emblem. Proceeds help veterans and next of kin travel to the ceremonies; since 2011 other aligned charities can also receive support.
There are four distances: 10, 15, 25 and 40 kilometers (the longest distance is for individuals). The routes run through the Veluwezoom forests and the Renkum area with views of the Rhine, and about 17 nationalities take part each year. Many groups choose the longer routes. The event takes place at sports park Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, next to the Airborne Museum, near the old Hartenstein Hotel that served as the battle’s HQ. The route passes key wartime sites around Oosterbeek, and more than 10,000 British cadets have taken part in battlefield tours and education over the years.
In 2016 the march marked its 70th edition with a record 36,191 participants from more than 20 countries. The march was cancelled in 2020 and again in 2021 because of COVID-19.
Future dates: 2025 September 6; 2026 September 5; 2027 September 4; 2028 September 2.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:09 (CET).