▁sk ating . ▁Compet itions ▁were ▁exclus ively ▁for ▁amateur ▁sk aters , ▁which ▁was ▁enfor ced . ▁Peter ▁S inner ud ▁was ▁dis qual ified ▁for ▁professional ism ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁and ▁lost ▁his ▁world ▁title . ▁ ▁Long ▁track ▁world ▁records ▁were ▁first ▁registered ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 ▁and ▁improved ▁rapidly , ▁Ja ap ▁E den ▁lower ing ▁the ▁world ▁ 5 0 0 0 - met re ▁record ▁by ▁half ▁a ▁minute ▁during ▁the ▁Ham ar ▁European ▁Championships ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁The ▁record ▁stood ▁for ▁ 1 7 ▁years , ▁and ▁it ▁took ▁ 5 0 ▁years ▁to ▁lower ▁it ▁by ▁further ▁half ▁a ▁minute . ▁ ▁El f sted ento cht ▁ ▁The ▁El f sted ento cht ▁was ▁organized ▁as ▁a ▁competition ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁held ▁at ▁irregular ▁intervals , ▁whenever ▁the ▁ice ▁on ▁the ▁course ▁is ▁de emed ▁good ▁enough . ▁Other ▁out door ▁races ▁developed ▁later , ▁with ▁F ries land ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁Netherlands ▁hosting ▁a ▁race ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁but ▁the ▁Dutch ▁natural ▁ice ▁conditions ▁have ▁rarely ▁been ▁condu ci ve ▁to ▁sk ating . ▁The ▁El f sted ento cht ▁has ▁been ▁held ▁ 1 5 ▁times ▁in ▁the ▁nearly ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years ▁since ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁and , ▁before ▁artificial ▁ice ▁was ▁available ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁national ▁champion ships ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁in ▁