If you live in Zaandam and need to be at Schiphol by mid-morning on 20 September 2026, the route you use every other Sunday will not work. The IJtunnel — the tunnel that connects central Amsterdam to Amsterdam-Noord, and the road most people take without thinking about it — closes for the Dam tot Damloop. We found out how badly this catches people out the first year we tried to run a normal Sunday-morning schedule through it, and we have planned around it every September since.
The short version: the Dam tot Damloop runs from Amsterdam to Zaandam on Saturday evening and Sunday 19—20 September 2026, its 40th edition. The Sunday race closes the IJtunnel and a string of roads through Amsterdam-Noord into Zaandam from early morning until roughly mid-afternoon. If your journey crosses between the two cities that weekend, plan for a longer route or an earlier departure — we cover exactly which roads and when below.
What the Dam tot Damloop Actually Is
The Dam tot Damloop is the largest running event in the Netherlands: around 50,000 runners cover the 10 English Miles (16.1 km) from central Amsterdam to Zaandam, with total weekend attendance across all events passing 70,000. 2026 is its 40th edition, run by Le Champion together with local athletics clubs. It is not a small local fun run — it is a national event, and the road network between the two cities is built around it for the weekend, not the other way round.
There are two separate events, on two separate days, and mixing them up is the most common planning mistake:
| Event | Date & time | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Damloop by Night (5 miles / 8 km) | Sat 19 Sept, starts 19:45–21:15, finish closes 22:45 | Starts and finishes within Zaandam |
| NN Dam tot Damloop (10 miles / 16.1 km) | Sun 20 Sept, starts from 09:19, finish closes 17:00 | Prins Hendrikkade, Amsterdam — IJtunnel — Amsterdam-Noord — Zaandam |
The Saturday night race stays entirely within Zaandam, so its impact on Amsterdam traffic is minimal. The Sunday race is the one that matters for anyone crossing between the two cities.
The Route, and Why the IJtunnel Is the Real Problem
The Sunday race starts on Prins Hendrikkade, right by Centraal Station, then goes almost immediately into the IJtunnel, the road tunnel under the IJ that carries most north–south car traffic between central Amsterdam and Amsterdam-Noord. From the tunnel, the route continues through Noord along Buiksloterdijk, Kadoelenweg, Stoombootweg and Appelweg, before finishing at Dam tot Dam Park in Zaandam.
Here is the part that catches people out: the IJtunnel is not a minor side road. If you normally drive between Amsterdam Centrum and Amsterdam Noord, or between central Amsterdam and Zaandam, this tunnel is very likely how you do it. With it closed for the race, traffic that would normally cross under the IJ has to divert — typically adding real time to any Centrum – Noord – Zaandam journey that Sunday morning, not just a few minutes.
What This Means If You Are Not Running
Most Dam tot Damloop coverage online is written for the runners: registration, pacing, start waves, medals. Almost none of it is written for the other 2 million people trying to get somewhere else in the city that weekend. Practically, here is who gets caught out:
- Schiphol travellers based in Zaandam or Noord. A route that normally runs through the IJtunnel needs a diversion, so build in extra time for any flight departing Sunday morning or early afternoon.
- Visitors staying in Amsterdam-Noord trying to reach central Amsterdam, and vice versa, since the tunnel is the direct link between the two.
- Anyone parked along the route. Dutch race organisers typically apply a wegsleepregeling — a towing arrangement — for vehicles left on the course itself in the hours before the race. If your car is parked directly on Prins Hendrikkade, Buiksloterdijk, Kadoelenweg, Stoombootweg or Appelweg, move it the night before.
- Anyone booking a taxi without mentioning the race. A driver who does not know your Sunday morning pickup falls inside the closure window will plan the normal route — and discover the diversion at the worst possible moment.
How We Actually Plan Around It
We are based in Zaandam and cross this exact corridor daily, so the Dam tot Damloop is not an abstract inconvenience to us — it is one Sunday a year we specifically plan the roster around. For bookings that fall inside the Sunday closure window, we route around the IJtunnel via the ring roads rather than discovering the diversion mid-journey, and we build the realistic extra time into the fare and pickup time we confirm with you, not into a surprise once you are already in the car.
If your journey that weekend starts or ends anywhere near Zaandam Station, the finish area in Dam tot Dam Park sits close enough that local road access changes too — worth flagging at booking even if your own trip has nothing to do with the race.
What to Do If You Are Travelling That Weekend
- Tell us the race is a factor when you book, even if your journey does not touch the runners directly — we will route around the closure rather than into it.
- Build in extra time for any Sunday-morning Schiphol departure if your route would normally use the IJtunnel.
- Move your car the night before if it is parked directly on the race route through Noord or Zaandam.
- Check which day affects you. Saturday night stays inside Zaandam; Sunday is the one that closes the Amsterdam–Zaandam link.
- Exact street-by-street closure times are published closer to the date by the Gemeente Amsterdam; we recommend checking that alongside booking your transport, not instead of it.
For the rest of the autumn calendar, our Amsterdam & Zaanstreek events calendar covers what else changes transport across both cities. Book your ride now and mention the race if your travel falls on 19—20 September.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Dam tot Damloop close the IJtunnel?
Yes. The Sunday race route runs through the IJtunnel almost immediately after the start on Prins Hendrikkade, which closes the tunnel to normal traffic for the duration of the event.
What time do the road closures start and end?
The Sunday race starts from 09:19 with staggered waves, and the finish closes at 17:00, so road closures along the route are in effect through the morning and into the afternoon. Exact street-level timings are published by the Gemeente Amsterdam closer to race day.
Does the Saturday night race also close roads in Amsterdam?
No. The Damloop by Night on Saturday 19 September starts and finishes entirely within Zaandam, so its impact on Amsterdam traffic is minimal compared with Sunday’s race.
Will my car be towed if it is parked on the route?
Race organisers typically apply a towing arrangement for vehicles left on the course itself in the hours before the event. If you are parked directly on Prins Hendrikkade, Buiksloterdijk, Kadoelenweg, Stoombootweg or Appelweg, move your car the night before.
Should I book my taxi earlier than usual for that weekend?
Yes, particularly for a Sunday morning Schiphol departure or any trip that would normally cross the IJtunnel. Tell us at booking that your journey falls on 19—20 September and we will route around the closure and build in the realistic extra time.
How many people take part in the Dam tot Damloop?
Around 50,000 runners take part in the main Sunday race, with total attendance across the full weekend — including the Saturday night race and children’s events — passing 70,000.
Sources: route, dates and timings referenced above are drawn from the official NN Dam tot Damloop event site and Gemeente Amsterdam, cross-checked against our own operational experience routing around the closure.