Chris (26) runs a marathon in socks for Alzheimer's research

Chris van Dommele (26) is participating in the Amsterdam Marathon. He's not wearing running shoes, but socks. With this eye-catching event, he's raising money for the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam through the Alzheimer Socks fundraising initiative. His motivation is personal: his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at a relatively young age.

One in five Dutch people develop dementia , the majority of whom have Alzheimer's disease. The disease is progressive. Medications exist to slow the decline, but there is still a long way to go. Therefore, significant funding is being raised for research.

His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at 53. "When she started changing, we initially thought she was suffering from burnout or stress. She was fired from her job, but things weren't going well at her new job either. She forgot things, lost initiative, and her emotions became more sluggish. Only later did we discover Alzheimer's."

It's now been over three years since the diagnosis. "Physically, she's still doing reasonably well, but you can tell her initiative is waning. Her emotions have blunted. Yet, she's often happy and cheerful when we do something together, and we're grateful for that. It's especially hard for my father. He's the one who lives with it every day."

Chris came into contact with a fundraising initiative from the Alzheimer Center Amsterdam. "Every year, eight young people form a small startup that sells socks: Alzheimer Socks. They raise money for Alzheimer's research. When I heard about the initiative, I immediately thought: I want to do something for that."

And so the plan was born: running a full marathon (42 kilometers and 195 meters) in socks. Chris: "It attracts attention and fits perfectly with the campaign. And if you can also explain why you're doing it, it really resonates."

While the idea sounds playful, the execution is serious work. Chris has been training for the marathon for five months. "I'm now at 20 kilometers and have two more months to go. At first, it was really painful: after three or four kilometers, I already had blisters. Now I'm building up calluses, my technique is better, and it's going much better."

It's quite a transition, going from comfortable, shock-absorbing running shoes to bare feet. To get the hang of it, he enlisted a barefoot coach: "You really have to learn to walk differently. Fortunately, she helped me a lot. It's also interesting: there's a whole movement that says you walk more naturally without shoes. Running has less impact on your joints, provided you master the technique."

Still, running in socks isn't without risks. "Sometimes you're walking on rough asphalt or there's glass on the ground. That's a bit annoying. And if you get blisters, you can miss training for days. Then I sometimes have to cut back to one training session a week. But things are looking up."

Chris's reactions from those around him are mostly surprised, but positive. "People say, 'Great initiative, but are you sure? Can't you just do a half marathon? Or wear shoes with socks over them?'" Nevertheless, he's determined to complete the marathon barefoot.

Although his mother doesn't fully grasp everything, Chris believes she's proud. "She's certainly aware of the topic. She talks about it, asks how things are going. It's still difficult to gauge how much she feels and how much she reveals, because my father mentions things. But I really think she understands. And that's wonderful."

He hasn't lived at home for a few years now, nor have his two sisters. "We see her about once every two weeks. On those days, we try to be extra patient. It helps to repeat things often, to have regular topics of conversation. What happened yesterday is difficult. But this project is something she can still follow."

Chris isn't a seasoned runner. "I've done a half marathon, but it's not really my favorite activity. Yet, this is different. It gives me a tangible goal. Something concrete with which I hope to contribute to a solution, or at least get a step closer."

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