The EUR-Roadrunners have created some traditions since the association was created in 1989. With the ever-changing (student) world, some traditions will be forgotten and some new ones will show up over time. This page gives you an overview of the current habits, contests and other traditions.
Our mascot Roadie
Roadie (Species: Roadrunner) has been our mascot since late 2016’s. He came from the United States and in his first week in the Netherlands he was stolen (‘gebrast’, a prank played by student associations) by WAV Tartletos, a student atheltics association based in Wageningen. During the heat of the moment, he got decapitated but quickly fixed again (Courier 16/17 ed 4)! You may see Roadie at some GMA’s or at events with other associations. He still wears the original colors of purple and yellow, even though the purple has now been replaced by black as official club colors. Roadie’s favorite words are “Meep Meep”. While Roadie is mainly sedentary, you can see how fast his ancestors were via this link.
The Race Ranking Contest
To motivate our members to reach their peak, the Roadrunners have set up a contest that spans an entire running season. In this competition, members can score points by running races, scoring more points by running longer distances or finishing before other members. The fastest runner does not always win, since you can get more points by being consistent and showing up for lots of races!
The Jan-Oosterhoff Bokaal
Jan Oosterhoff is undoubtedly the most influential member within the EUR-Roadrunners. Not only did he bring a big personality that heavily shaped the club culture for years to come, but he sparked and upheld many traditions. He is known in the Roadrunners as a chatterbox, photographer and living encyclopedia.
To appreciate him, we give the Jan-Oosterhoff Trophy to the member who joins the most trainings.
The Batavierenrace
Each year in April, a giant student relay race is organized in the Netherlands. Its route begins in Nijmegen, goes through Germany, to Enschede and ends at the University of Twente. There are three legs to the race, in which a total of 25 runners run 175km from Friday night to Saturday afternoon. Since everybody needs to be picked up and dropped off at the relay points, there’s guaranteed to be chaos and fun. The Roadrunners have made it a habit of participating in the race every year, and are typically ranked 30th or better out of 200 participating teams.
During the weekend, we camp on the grounds of the University of Twente. After the race ends on Saturday, we join one of the biggest student parties in the Netherlands: the Batavierenfeest!