Editing Elfstedentocht (section)

== Similar events ==

=== Alternative Elfstedentocht ===
An "alternative Elfstedentocht" has been held every year in January since 1989 on the [[Weissensee (Carinthia)|Weissensee]] in [[Carinthia]], Austria.

The 930 [[Metres above the Adriatic|mAA]] (3051&nbsp;ft) lake is 12&nbsp;km long (7 miles) and around 3000 speed skaters do either the 50, 100 or 200&nbsp;km (30, 60 or 125 mile) course at what is likely to be the world's largest ice sport event.

The Dutch Speed Skating Championship is part of the event and the fastest competitors do the 200 kilometre (125 mile) course in just over five hours.<ref>Information about the event on the [http://www.weissensee.com/en/natureislauf/speed-skating/ homepage of the municipality of Weissensee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909005927/http://www.weissensee.com/en/natureislauf/speed-skating/ |date=2017-09-09 }} and the [http://www.weissensee.nl/ website of the organisers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316050844/http://www.weissensee.nl/ |date=2014-03-16 }}.</ref>

=== Fietselfstedentocht (Eleven towns by bicycle) ===
[[Image:Bolsward - Elfstedenrijwieltocht.jpg|thumb|Departure of the ''Elfstedentocht'' cycling tour in 2006]]
{{main|Eleven Cities Cycling Tour}}
The eleven towns cycle race was first held in 1912 and developed in parallel with its skating counterpart, but unlike the skating race, has taken place on almost every year - apart from the 2001 event which was cancelled due to [[Foot-and-mouth disease|foot and mouth disease]] and the 2020 event which was cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], it has taken place on [[Whit Monday]] every year since 1947. The event has become immensely popular and as a safety precaution it ceased to be a race but has become a tour with a maximum average speed of 25&nbsp;km/h (15 mph) between checkpoints.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.11steden.nl/pagina.asp?id=6170772
|title = Eleven-Cities-Cycling-Tour
|publisher = Stichting de Friese Elfsteden Rijwieltocht
|access-date = 2010-12-28
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718072331/http://www.11steden.nl/pagina.asp?id=6170772
|archive-date = 2011-07-18
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>

The tour, which starts and ends in [[Bolsward]] rather than Leeuwarden, is currently limited to 15,000 entrants. Between 05:00 and 08:00, entrants leave Bolsward every eight minutes in batches of about 600 and those who complete the 235&nbsp;km (146 mile) course before midnight receive medals.

In 2013 the organisers banned [[velomobile]]s from the event by limiting the event to two-wheeled vehicles propelled by human power.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.11steden.nl/nieuwsbericht.asp?id=3039668
|title = Geen velomobielen meer bij Fietselfstedentocht
|trans-title = No velomobiles at the Fietselfstedentocht
|language = nl
|publisher = Stichting de Friese Elfsteden Rijwieltocht
|date = 16 January 2013
|access-date = 17 January 2013
|archive-date = 1 February 2013
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130201215622/http://www.11steden.nl/nieuwsbericht.asp?id=3039668
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>

=== Zwemelfstedentocht ===
In 2018, Dutch long-distance swimmer [[Maarten van der Weijden]] attempted to swim the entire eleven city tour. This attempt ended due to poor swimming conditions and illness from ''[[Escherichia coli|E. coli]]''. The following summer he successfully completed the route, arriving at the finish in Leeuwarden on June 24, 2019. His effort raised over €6.1 million for cancer research.{{fact|date=March 2023}}

=== Elfstedentriathlon ===
The Eleven Cities Triathlon was completed for the first time by Frisian triathlete Stefan van der Pal in 2020. Within a week he swam 200 kilometres (125 miles) (five days), then cycled the trip (7 hours) and then ran the route again (32.5 hours). He raised €96000 for a foundation that is committed to research into brain stem cancer in children.

Between June 18th and 25th 2023, [[Maarten van der Weijden]] completed the Eleven Cities Triathlon. He raised over 3 million euro for cancer research. Unlike van der Pal, who ran, van der Weijden walked the last part.