Esther Hakvoort

Gezellig is how Dutch runner, Esther Hakvoort, would describe the Cape Wrath Challenge. She explains what this means, tells us more about her favourite runs, plus why she’s returning to Durness for her third time. ​

Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m from Zaandam, the Netherlands. I’m in a relationship with ‘that other Esther’. I work in the elderly care; partly as an occupational therapist in a nursing home and partly as a researcher. I’m a member of the local running club AV Zaanland and spend a lot of my free time – of course – on running, but also on volunteering activities. Last year, I was on the organising committee for the Zaanse Schansloop, an annual charity run with a beautiful course alongside our famous Dutch windmills, with lots of enthusiastic Japanese tourists supporting the runners. 
You can find us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/ZaanseSchansloop/


Tell us a bit your running history. What kind of running you enjoy most?
Zaandam is the finish town of the Dam to Dam Race, a 10M run from Amsterdam to Zaandam. It’s a huge event (about 50,000 runners) and our city centre changes into a big party. Around 10 years ago I watched the race and decided (after some beers) that it was time for me to run the race the next year. It was a very good decision: I joined a clinic at our running club and never left the club. The last few years, I’ve focused more and more on trail running. I love to run on our Dutch dunes and on our Wadden Islands.
 
How many times have you been to CWC?
This will be my 3rd time.


 
How did you first hear about CWC and what brought you to the event the first time?
‘The other Esther’ had been in Durness before and by browsing the internet for a nice race in Scotland we found this challenge.


 
Tell us what makes the event special to you? What makes you come back?
The beautiful surroundings, the friendliness of the locals and of the fellow runners, the great lunches, the ceilidh. Everything together, it’s perfect! 

 
What is your favourite race or run at Durness?
This is a difficult question - all the races have their own charm. But if I must choose, I’ll go for the beach run. It’s so much fun to see how runners get dressed up for this race, the children that join us, and the amazing beach itself, of course! And it’s nice to run for fun after three races “for real”.


 
What is your favourite part of the week, or favourite thing to do in the area? 
I really like to stroll over the beach and to hike in the surroundings. After that, it’s nice to drink a hot chocolate at Cocoa Mountain. 

 
What are you most looking forward to when you return? 
Balnakeil beach.


 
Describe Cape Wrath Challenge week in three words.
Challenging, Beautiful, Gezellig (Dutch for cozy, intimate, social, warm, not too big) 

 
Tell us about your all-time favourite run (that's not in Durness!)
My all time favourite run is the Vuurtorentrail (Lighthouse Trail), a trail run on Ameland, one of our small Wadden Islands. It combines dunes, beaches, and woods. Last year, they made it a two-day event, so now we have even twice as much fun.


 
Is there anything else you want to tell the CWC Community?
I would like to thank all of the people that make the event possible.