2 5 ▁of ▁the ▁years ▁between ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁championship ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁S lik ker ve er , ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁Since ▁artificial ▁ice ▁became ▁common ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁Dutch ▁speed ▁sk aters ▁have ▁been ▁among ▁the ▁world ▁top ▁in ▁long ▁track ▁ice ▁sk ating ▁and ▁mar athon ▁sk ating . ▁Another ▁solution ▁to ▁still ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁sk ate ▁mar ath ons ▁on ▁natural ▁ice ▁became ▁the ▁Altern ative ▁El f sted ento cht . ▁The ▁Altern ative ▁El f sted ento cht ▁races ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁other ▁countries , ▁such ▁as ▁Austria , ▁Finland ▁or ▁Canada , ▁and ▁all ▁top ▁mar athon ▁sk aters , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁thousands ▁of ▁recre ative ▁sk aters , ▁travel ▁from ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁to ▁the ▁location ▁where ▁the ▁race ▁is ▁held . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁N RC ▁Hand els bl ad ▁journalist ▁Ja ap ▁Blo ember gen , ▁the ▁country ▁" t akes ▁a ▁car n ival ▁look " ▁during ▁international ▁sk ating ▁champion ships . ▁ ▁Olympic ▁Games ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁Olympic ▁Congress , ▁the ▁deleg ates ▁agreed ▁to ▁include ▁ice ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁Olympics , ▁after ▁figure ▁sk ating ▁had ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁Olympics . ▁However , ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁put ▁an ▁end ▁to ▁the ▁plans ▁of ▁Olympic ▁competition , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁winter ▁sports ▁week ▁in ▁Cham on ix ▁in