Discover Nordic Walking
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RACES NEXT WEEK
OCTOBER 3, 2026
2026 NWANA Open 1K Nordic Walking Series
Open to participants worldwide.
Walk anywhere and submit your result online.
OCTOBER 4, 2026
2026 NWANA Open 10K Nordic Walking Series
Open to participants worldwide.
Walk anywhere and submit your result online.
RACES THIS WEEK
OCTOBER 10, 2026
2026 NWANA Open 3K Nordic Walking Series
Open to participants worldwide.
Walk anywhere and submit your result online.
OCTOBER 11, 2026
2026 NWANA Open 15K Nordic Walking Series
Open to participants worldwide.
Walk anywhere and submit your result online.
Event Description
2026 NWANA OPEN NORDIC WALKING SERIES
The 2026 NWANA Open Nordic Walking Series is a structured virtual competition series organized by the Nordic Walking Association of North America.
The Series is open to athletes from any country and is designed to create a consistent competition system across multiple distances and stages throughout the season.
Approved results become part of the official NWANA competition record and contribute to Performance Levels, event placing, season standings, recognition, and prizes.
PERFORMANCE LEVELS
Every approved result is classified as Elite, High Performance, Performance, Competitive, or Open according to the time standard for that distance.
1K
Elite — under 6:00
High Performance — under 6:30
Performance — under 7:00
Competitive — under 7:30
Open — 7:30+
3K
Elite — under 20:00
High Performance — under 21:00
Performance — under 22:00
Competitive — under 23:00
Open — 23:00+
5K
Elite — under 33:00
High Performance — under 35:00
Performance — under 37:00
Competitive — under 40:00
Open — 40:00+
10K
Elite — under 1:05:00
High Performance — under 1:10:00
Performance — under 1:15:00
Competitive — under 1:20:00
Open — 1:20:00+
15K
Elite — under 1:40:00
High Performance — under 1:50:00
Performance — under 2:00:00
Competitive — under 2:10:00
Open — 2:10:00+
20K
Elite — under 2:20:00
High Performance — under 2:30:00
Performance — under 2:40:00
Competitive — under 2:50:00
Open — 2:50:00+
HOW IT WORKS
A Performance Level is assigned separately to every approved result. An athlete may therefore compete in different Performance Levels during the same season as performance changes.
Men and women are ranked separately within each Performance Level. Level Place shows the athlete’s position within their Performance Level and gender for that stage.
SEASON STANDINGS
Approved results earn points within the athlete’s Performance Level and gender. Because each result is classified independently, an athlete may accumulate points in more than one Performance Level during the season.
If athletes are tied on season points within the same Performance Level and gender, the faster approved result is used as the tie-breaker.
STRICT TIME BOUNDARIES
All under standards are strict. The result must be faster than the listed time to qualify for that level. A result exactly equal to a boundary is classified in the next applicable Performance Level.
THE PURPOSE OF THE SERIES
The NWANA Open Nordic Walking Series creates an ongoing competition record, gives athletes a clear progression pathway, and provides a foundation for rankings, future live competition, national championships, and North American continental competition.
Fundraisers and Teams
The 2026 NWANA Open Nordic Walking Series can grow through fundraisers, team fundraisers, sponsors, employers, clubs, schools, NW Groups, and community supporters.
Create a fundraiser, build a team, invite your workplace or group, and help bring more people and resources into the series.
The 2026 NWANA Open Nordic Walking Series is an international virtual competition and participation series organized by the Nordic Walking Association of North America. It brings together official Nordic Walking divisions, supporting walking and running participation options, teams, sponsors, fundraisers, and community supporters.
The Series is open to participants worldwide. Athletes may complete their registered distance from any country during the official event period and submit their result online according to the rules of their distance series.
RunSignup determines the displayed country from the address entered during registration. Participants may also indicate which country they wish to represent in the NWANA Series.
The series includes Nordic Walking distances of 1K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, and 20K. Participants can choose the distance series that best fits their level, goals, and schedule.
This page is the main hub for the NWANA Nordic Walking Series. From here, participants can choose a specific distance series, such as 1K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, or 20K. Each distance series has its own registration page, events, results, and standings.
Yes. The NWANA Nordic Walking Series is structured as a virtual series. Participants complete their registered distance during the official event period and submit results through RunSignup according to the rules for that specific distance series.
Yes, Nordic Walking poles are required for official Nordic Walking results. Official Nordic Walking standings are separate from supporting walking or running participation.
Use the distance buttons on this page to choose your series. You can register for the 1K, 3K, 5K, 10K, 15K, or 20K Nordic Walking Series from the main series page.
Official results may be reviewed before approval. NWANA may review submitted activity data such as GPX/FIT files, Garmin, Strava, Coros, Polar, Suunto, Apple Watch data, screenshots, elapsed time, moving time, distance, pace, route data, and heart rate when available.
For official Nordic Walking Series results, the activity should be completed as one continuous effort without rest breaks or stopped-time breaks. If you prefer flexible participation with breaks, a non-competitive activity option may be more appropriate.
Approved results earn points toward season standings within the athlete’s Performance Level and gender.
Each approved result is independently classified as Elite, High Performance, Performance, Competitive, or Open according to the time standards for that distance.
Because Performance Level is determined separately for each result, an athlete may appear in more than one Performance Level during the same season.
Season points are accumulated within the applicable Performance Level and gender. If athletes are tied on season points within the same category, the faster approved result is used as the tie-breaker.
No. Official Nordic Walking results, rankings, and championship standings remain separate from supporting walking and running series. Supporting participants can still join the event experience and help grow the visibility of Nordic Walking.
A NWANA Athlete License is not required to register unless stated for a specific event. However, licensed NWANA athletes may receive benefits such as registration discounts, rankings eligibility, education access, and other benefits as NWANA programs expand.
NWANA Athlete License holders may receive registration benefits, including 10% off NWANA race registrations, plus access to future athlete development, rankings, education, and competition pathway opportunities as programs expand.
Yes. Teams, clubs, employers, schools, Nordic Walking groups, sponsors, and community supporters can participate, fundraise, sponsor, or help bring more people into the NWANA Series.
Yes. Participants and supporters can create fundraisers or team fundraisers through RunSignup to support the growth of the NWANA Nordic Walking Series and related development programs.
Use the Results or Results / Standings links on the series or distance-specific pages. Each distance series may have its own results and standings page.
Use the Contact Us form on the RunSignup page for questions about the series, teams, sponsorship, fundraising, or registration. You can also contact NWANA at info@nwaofna.org.
Yes. NWANA is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor.
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