History
For many years, Amsterdam athletes have participated in the most beautiful race of the year: the Batavierenrace! During the 2003 edition, a dream was born to achieve more, and the idea of an Amsterdam student athletics association came to life. After a brainstorming session on the grass fields of the campus in Enschede, a number of brave Amsterdam heroes put words into action and founded the Amsterdam Student Athletics Association Aquila. Founders Thijs Feuth and Jelle Kok were therefore appointed honorary members of the association for their contributions in its early years. From that moment on, Amsterdam students were united to compete together in many relays across the Netherlands. Victories soon followed at the Ekiden, Haasjes Cross Relay, Hart van Brabant Run, and many other competitions. A victory at the Batavierenrace is, of course, still on our list!
When the old guard stepped aside, Aquila had to be revived. Jasper Behnken, a former sports council board member, picked up the thread, and with the help of Maarten Bouwman and Wadse Stoffels, put Aquila back on the map. Within a few years, the association was thriving again, and Jasper was honored as the 3rd honorary member for this achievement.
At the end of 2011, the General Assembly decided to enter into a partnership with Phanos so that, after years of solely offering running training in the Vondelpark, track and field could also be introduced within Aquila. In 2013, Aquila was able to celebrate a successful second lustrum. With much enthusiasm and ambition, Aquila hopes to continue developing further in the coming years.
Association
Aquila organizes recreational running training sessions every Tuesday and Thursday from the Olympic Stadium. For more specialized training, you can join a training group of Phanos. Furthermore, the association aims to introduce students to the sport of athletics and involve them more in it. Aquila maintains contacts with various organizations (educational institutions, athletics clubs, etc.) to work as effectively as possible. Aquila’s goal is to promote student athletics in Amsterdam and to stimulate contact between student athletes. Informality and sociability are our top priorities. We provide teams for various athletics and running events such as the Batavierenrace.
Target Group
Students who practice athletics and students who are interested in athletics form Aquila’s target group. This should be understood broadly. To become a member, you do not need to be affiliated with the Athletics Union. Students who only want to participate in training sessions or events, or students who for other reasons are interested in athletics, can also become members.
Statutes
The statutes and internal regulations of A.S.A.V. Aquila can be requested from the board.
Become a member?
If you want to become a member, see the tab ‘Become a member’.