What is an NW Group?
A local Nordic Walking group of NWANA inside a city territory. Every city territory in the United States has a default NW Group in the NWANA registry, most of them in FORMING status.
What does FORMING mean?
The group is gathering its people. A group becomes ACTIVE when it has a leader and regular activities running.
How do I join a group?
Free: press Join This Group on the group page and complete the free NWANA membership registration. Your member card waits in your RunSignup account, ready for your phone wallet. Back on the group page, confirm your group, choose how you want to take part, and add your ZIP code: you are recorded automatically.
Can an organization or community take part?
Yes: schools, companies, clubs, healthcare organizations, neighborhoods and other communities register free in their category and connect to their territory. The Organizations page shows the full path: register, connect, appear on the territory page with your offers, and hear from residents through the site.
Is joining really free?
Yes, joining is free. Every group page also has a separate, voluntary Support NWANA donation for people who want to support NWANA's work.
What is the Individual License?
A voluntary license in the national NWANA network, issued through RunSignup for $20 per year (about $5 through the end of 2026). It records you as a licensed participant bound to your home group. Joining a group is free; the license is a voluntary extra. Competitions run under the separate Athlete License.
How do group roles work?
Leadership and instruction are community roles: local people step forward to lead walks and teach technique. An instructor may also run paid programs with their participants under their own arrangements. NWANA supports every group with the network, standards, Academy education, programs and events.
Who runs a group?
Its own people: a group leader from the local community organizes activities. NWANA runs the national network: the registry, standards, instructor education through the Academy, programs and events.
Can I start a group in my city?
Your city already has its group in the registry. Open its page, join it, and choose a role interest: leader, instructor, participant, partner. A group's focus (its category) grows from the people and organizations who join it.
How can my organization take part?
As a community partner: host activities, involve your staff or members, or run a joint program. Choose the Community partner interest when you join your territory's group, or write to NWANA through the Contact page.