Amsterdam area. Long Track Speed Skating. Waterland-North Ice Tour. Speed Skate It.

Marathons of the Netherlands
Skateways.

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Strap on the speed skates and watch for the officially approved skating tours that crop up north of Amsterdam (a 16 mile route, the Waterland-North)  in 2012).  On the day of the Waterland-North, there were 32 other officially approved tours, including near The Hague.  There is a Royal Dutch Skater's Union, the KNSB.  Apparently a single such tour near The Hague drew some 70,000 skaters, see article by Matt Steinglass, Why the Dutch Love to Get Their Skates On, in the Financial Times at http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/2/6ea81714-56f2-11e1-be25-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1nV2gxhkV.

Netherlands speed-skating tours. Imagine this frozen, swept, with ruts, skate sharpeners, side food.

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Along the way, find food stands, blade sharpeners, through the polders, and get your card stamped at the end for proof of Feat.
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Its other, perhaps more important than fitness and fun purpose:  civil coordination to get the volunteers out to lay mats for walking around too-low bridges with skates on, sweep the ice, set signs, and cooperate with the Icemaster on safety.
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Many years, the ice remains too fragile. Consider the 125-mile "Elfstedentocht" -- last Skate? 1997. See it at http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57373580/ice-not-thick-enough-for-dutch-skating-marathon/

Peterson's Magazine 1865 also featured the sport in sporting mode in the US.

Skating US 1865, Peterson's Magazine vol XLVIII

Devotees in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada also sweep its Rideau Canal for a skateway for some 6 miles, see http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/places-to-visit/rideau-canal-skateway.
Inline skaters also have their tours, see international destinations as http://www.skatelog.com/events/marathons-fasst.htm