Editing Elfstedentocht (section)

==Course and rules==
The tour, almost 200&nbsp;km (125 miles) in length, follows a closed or circular route along frozen canals, rivers and lakes visiting the eleven historic [[Friesland|Frisian]] cities: [[Leeuwarden]], [[Sneek]], [[IJlst]], [[Sloten, Friesland|Sloten]], [[Stavoren]], [[Hindeloopen]], [[Workum]], [[Bolsward]], [[Harlingen, Netherlands|Harlingen]], [[Franeker]], [[Dokkum]], then returning to Leeuwarden. The tour is held only if the ice is, and remains, at least 15 centimetres (6") thick along the entire course as about 15,000 amateur skaters take part, putting high requirements on the quality of the ice. The last tours were held in 1985, 1986 and 1997. All skaters must be members of the Association of the Eleven Frisian Towns. A starting permit and bib is required (€100 in 2017).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|title=Frozen in Time: Europe's Ice Epic|last=Bouwes|first=Ernest|date=2017-02-03|newspaper=The New European|pages=44–45}}</ref> Skaters must collect a stamp in each city, and at three secret check points, and must finish the course before midnight.

There are often points along the route where the ice is too thin to allow mass skating; they are called "[[kluning]] points" (from [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]] klúnje meaning to run on skates over a carpet<ref name=":0" />), and the skaters walk on their skates to the next stretch of good ice. In 1997 ice-transplantation was re-introduced to strengthen weak places in the ice, for instance under bridges.

The finishing point of the ''Elfstedentocht'' is a canal near Leeuwarden, called the "Bonkevaart", close to the landmark windmill, [[De Bullemolen, Lekkum|''De Bullemolen'']], Lekkum.<ref name=Finish>{{cite web|url=http://www.molendatabase.nl/nederland/molen.php?nummer=95 |title=Lekkum, Fryslân |publisher=Molendatabase |language=nl |access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Elfstedentocht routekaart OSM.png|thumb|''Elfstedentocht'' map|333x333px]]

===Route table===
{| class="wikitable"
!City
!Frisian Name
! Distance from Start (km)
|-
|[[Leeuwarden]] (start) || ''Ljouwert'' ||align="center"| 0
|-
|[[Sneek]] || ''Snits'' ||align="center"| 22
|-
|[[IJlst]] || ''Drylts'' ||align="center"| 26
|-
|[[Sloten (Friesland)|Sloten]] || ''Sleat'' ||align="center"| 40
|-
|[[Stavoren]] || ''Starum'' ||align="center"| 66
|-
|[[Hindeloopen]] || ''Hylpen'' ||align="center"| 77
|-
|[[Workum]] || ''Warkum'' ||align="center"| 86
|-
|[[Bolsward]] ||''Boalsert'' ||align="center"| 99
|-
|[[Harlingen, Friesland|Harlingen]] || ''Harns'' ||align="center"| 116
|-
|[[Franeker]] || ''Frjentsjer'' ||align="center"| 129
|-
|[[Dokkum]] || ''Dokkum'' ||align="center"| 174
|-
|[[Leeuwarden]] (finish) || ''Ljouwert'' ||align="center"| 199
|}