Paul Bender is participating in the first P.E.I. military team on the Nijmegen March

Campbell Lea's Paul Bender is participating in the first P.E.I. military team on the Nijmegen March in the Netherlands is on its second day Wednesday.

Tens of thousands of people from around the world take part in the four-day event that spans 160 kilometres. Canadian military teams join the march every year. Lieut. Melissa Fudge with HMCS Charlotte is leading the 11-members P.E.I. squad. The team has been training since January hiking across PEI in their full combat gear.

The Nijmegen March dates back to 1909, and started as a military exercise to promote fitness. It is now largely a civilian event with more than 40,000 participants, about 90 per cent of them civilians.