The Dutch Unicycle Track Nationals of 2026 were great fun. The day consisted of eight disciplines; 50m one footed, 100m, 800m, 5km, 10km unlimited, Longjump, IUF Slalom and 10m slow.
Main interest: 10K and Longjump
To be honest, I really didn’t train track at all this year. Mostly because of UNICON coming up this summer I wanted to focus solely on training Flatland and other urban disciplines. Nevertheless the NKE is always a great opportunity to see some friends and have a fun day of riding.
Going into it I was mostly looking forward to the 10k and the longjump. The 10k on a 36” unicycle feels great to ride. And the longjump is also fun because it involves jumping and as you might have noticed I like that.
Don’t crash
The day started off with the 800m. Last year I had managed to crash twice during that race, and even though it produced some very nice videos, I really wanted to try to not repeat that this year. That mindset seems to have worked because I did in fact, not fall at all.
After the 800 I went to do some slalom practice with a few friends. But before I could get the real slalom attempt in, it was already time for 10k. After some nerve-wracking minutes of waiting at the start line, the race began. With very good vibes from my music and from the people cheering at the sidelines I made it over the finish with a pretty decent time. After the race I was very dead but it definitely lived up to my expectations.
After the 10k I decided to go ride the slalom. To me the slalom always looks very impressive when watching the pro’s, but it’s never really sparked my interest. Nevertheless the event would feel a bit incomplete without riding it, so I just went for it anyway.
Not pushing it to the limit
Next up was the 50m one-footed and the 100m, in which I also successfully crossed the finish within a reasonable time and without falling. Especially the 50m one foot was quite relieving to finish because riding a racing uni one footed feels very different from my trusty 19”.
After that it was finally almost time for longjump, but before that I wanted to get the 10m slow race out of the way. It went fine, but it was nothing special. Which is kind of inconsistent because with no track training you’d expect me to become slower with all of the disciplines…
Onto longjump! While I’ve always been jumping it sideways, this time I wanted to try jumping it static too. That means jumping over the gap without any pre-hop or ride-up. I really like this technique, mainly because I also use it in trials and long jump on platform. I ended up jumping 160cm, and one very close attempt to 170cm.
Exploding tire
Finally, the last race of the day. The 5km.
During the longjump I got told that the tube of my race uni -which I had left in the sun by mistake- had “exploded”. Even though I am a very responsible and professional track racer, I did in fact not have a spare tube with me. After a few futile attempts to mend the tube, I decided to ride the 5km on a spare 24” I luckily happened to have with me.
With more good music and a surprisingly comfy unicycle I started the 5km. I was very much feeling the race and really enjoyed it. After finishing it I was exhausted -yet again- but it was probably my favourite 5km race I’ve ever ridden!
A little while later was a small unicycle- and circus gear lottery, and when that was finished the award ceremony took place.
See you next year!
After all the medals had been given out and the new Dutch Champions had been crowned, the day had officially come to an end. I had a lot of fun which is exactly what I was hoping for when going into the event. Big thanks to all of my friends for the great vibes, I’m looking forward to seeing y’all again. And of course thanks to the team of volunteers for making the event happen.
Until next time!