Region comes together for events surrounding the Amsterdam Marathon
October 26, 2018
Colleagues from across the Continental Europe region came together in the Dutch capital of Amsterdam for an eventful team bonding weekend in honor of the 43rd annual Amsterdam marathon
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Activities kicked off on Friday, October 19th with the arrival of team members from our Belgium operation to the city of Utrecht - a lively town situated in between our offices in Delft and Arnhem - where they were met by their Dutch colleagues. The evening began with dinner at The Green House, a restaurant that uses produce from its own urban garden or from local farmers to make its delicious dishes, and that is in a building that has been crafted with a circular economy in mind (i.e. recycled materials & broader environmental considerations). After this satisfying and sustainable meal, the group danced the night away at the evening’s surprise activity - salsa class!
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Quick stop on the bike tour to learn more about the historic city of Amsterdam.
The next morning, the group set off to Amsterdam to meet up with their Italian colleagues who had arrived late the prior night. They then took advantage of the sunny weather with a bike tour of the city. After mastering the balancing act of weaving in between tourists and avoiding locals whizzing past, the group settled in for a lunch next Amsterdam’s well-known canals. Once their bellies had been filled, it was time to fill their minds and eyes at the Maritime museum where they went on a deep dive into how the sea has shaped Dutch culture.
After a full day of activity, learning, and fun, the night winded down with a satisfying dinner at Instock, a restaurant that gathers unsold products from local supermarkets each day that would otherwise have been thrown away (examples being blemished fruits and vegetables, one-day-old bread and meat and fish surplus) and uses them to concoct tasty dishes. This proved to be a great way to end the evening, leaving the individuals participating in the next day’s race fueled and rested.
When Sunday came, the 23 individuals taking part in the Amsterdam Marathon events (13 participants for the half marathon and 10 for the 8km) were ready to get running. An additional group of colleagues came along to cheer as the racers made their way through the city streets, Vondelpark, and the passageway underneath Rijksmuseum where they finished in the Olympic stadium were the 1928 Olympics took place. Paces varied, but what remained the same was the Stantec logo which each runner proudly sported. This #StantecProud energy even brought the team strong times, as the 8 km business run group finished 17th out of 72 teams, and the half marathon business run group also finished 17th, out of 74 teams.
Stantec AMS Marathon 8 km Team.
After a great weekend of team bonding, evening eventually rolled around and it was time for everyone to part ways. Though this was the end of the Stantec Amsterdam adventure, it will certainly not be the last time these European colleagues will interact, as it proved to be a great event for building better relationships and collaboration between our European offices.