reflect the difficulty of the course. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, both the 2020 and 2021 Vierdaagse events were cancelled. On Fridays of the event, as participants near the finish, the public presents walkers with gladioli, a symbol of victory since Roman times, when gladiators were likewise showered with these flowers. The entry into the city and towards the finish, along the St. Annastraat, is for that reason called Via Gladiola during the event. As far as a week ahead of that Friday, people will reserve spaces alongside the Via Gladiola by placing chairs and even couches. The finish is broadcast on Dutch television. Awards The marching event has three different types of awards: Cross for the Four Day Marches (Dutch: Vierdaagsekruis): awarded to participants who successfully completed the Four Days Marches according to regulations. The medal is an official Dutch decoration that can be worn on a Dutch military uniform. It is fully named "Cross for demonstrated marching skill", as defined by Royal Decree on 6 October 1909. Each year a walker receives a specific medal in bronze, silver or gold, with or without a crown, as well as ribbon numbers of varying design, to denote the number of times the event has been completed. Group Medal of the Four Day Marches Orderly Medal of the Four Day Marches (not an official award since 2017) History Early years In April 1908 the Dutch League for Physical Education, (Nederlandsche Bond Voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding, or NBVLO) was established to promote participation in physical activities across the Netherlands, including organising sports events. In September 1909 the NBVLO organised the first Vierdaagse. Planned primarily as a military training event, fifteen separate four-day routes were prepared across the country, each route totalling . Four of the routes were however cancelled at short notice, three due to an outbreak of cholera in Rotterdam and one due to poor road conditions. In total, 306 soldiers and ten civilians took part. Military participants who completed all four days received the newly instituted Vierdaagse Cross. From 1910 the Vierdaagse became an annual event, based in a different town each year, although mobilisation during World War I meant that no marches took place in 1914 or 1915. In 1919 the first woman completed the route. In 1924 the event was held in Nijmegen, and from 1925 this became the permanent centre for the event. With Amsterdam hosting the Olympic