NWANA Nordic Walking Groups

Individual Community License

The Individual Community License is designed for people who want to practice Nordic Walking, connect with other participants, and help develop Nordic Walking in their city, neighborhood, or local community.

The license is open to everyone. No previous Nordic Walking experience is required.

This is an individual license within the NWANA NW Groups system. It allows a person to join an existing Community NW Group or become the first licensed participant connected with the formation of a new group in the corresponding area.

The annual fee for this individual license is $20. RunSignup automatically prorates the fee based on the time remaining in the current license year.

What Happens After You Obtain the License

After registration, you become a holder of the Individual Community License. NWANA records your location and identifies the corresponding community service area.

If a Community NW Group already exists in your area, you will be able to join it.

If no such group exists, your registration becomes the first confirmed expression of interest in creating one. Once the first licensed participant appears, NWANA begins preparing a dedicated website for the future Community NW Group.

NWANA does not create empty websites in advance for every city, neighborhood, or community. A new website is created when at least one person demonstrates a genuine interest in joining and developing Nordic Walking in that area.

Obtaining the license does not require you to create a group, become its leader, organize walks, or conduct events. However, the license does not rule out those possibilities. If you would like to take a more active role, you may help form the group, propose and organize walks or events, and be considered for the role of Group Leader.

Certain programs, official events, and qualified functions may require separate registration, training, or authorization from NWANA.

Participant Opportunities

Through the NWANA NW Groups system, you will be able to:

join a Community NW Group in your area;
receive news and information about the development of your local community;
participate in available walks, meetings, events, and initiatives;
connect with other people interested in Nordic Walking;
invite new participants;
suggest ideas for walks and local events;
help the group as a volunteer or organizer;
support the development of Nordic Walking in your city or neighborhood;
complete separate training for qualified roles in the future, if desired.

Participation in certain events, programs, or training may require separate registration and payment.

Individual license holders may register for and participate in NWANA in-person and virtual competitions in accordance with the rules of each event. They receive a 5% discount on NWANA competition registration fees.

If a separate athlete license is required for a particular competition, this requirement will be stated in the event rules. The athlete license can be obtained through https://license.nwaofna.org/.

How a Community NW Group Is Formed

The website becomes the online foundation for the gradual formation of the local group. It can be used to publish information, accept new participants, share news, create events, recruit volunteers, and develop Nordic Walking within the corresponding area.

The first licensed participant does not automatically become the Group Leader, website administrator, or person responsible for developing the group. Leadership and other roles may be established later as more people join and the local community becomes ready for more active operations.

There are no operating requirements during the initial formation stage. The group is not required to have:

a minimum number of participants;
an appointed Group Leader;
weekly or regularly scheduled walks;
an event calendar;
organized training sessions or competitions;
immediate RECOGNIZED status.

The group may remain in the formation stage for as long as necessary. The purpose of this initial stage is to give people an opportunity to register, find one another, and gradually begin developing Nordic Walking in their community.

Connection to NWANA Competitions

Members of fitness and wellness groups can participate in Nordic Walking for health and physical activity and, if they choose, take part in NWANA competitions and other programs.

Competitions give participants an opportunity to evaluate their progress, select suitable distances, improve their technique, and become part of the broader Nordic Walking system.

Holders of an active Individual License receive a 5% discount on NWANA competition registration fees.

Organizing Your Own Competitions

As the group develops, it will be able not only to participate in NWANA competitions but also to organize its own in-person and virtual Nordic Walking competitions. Organizing competitions is optional. If the group operates through a specific organization, such events must be conducted with that organization’s approval. Separate approval from NWANA will be required for an event to receive official NWANA competition status. The applicable rules and opportunities will be published at a later stage.

RECOGNIZED Status

Obtaining RECOGNIZED status is a possible future step, but it is not required for a Community NW Group to exist.

When the group has grown and is ready for more independent operations, NWANA will provide current information about the next steps and requirements for obtaining RECOGNIZED status.

These future requirements do not apply to individual participants or to groups during the initial formation stage.

RECOGNIZED status applies to the Community NW Group, not to an individual holder of the Individual Community License.

Financial Structure

During the formation stage, payments processed through the group website—including applicable license fees, donations, sponsorship funds, registration fees, and event revenue—are processed through NWANA.

After applicable operating expenses are covered, these funds are used to support the development of the corresponding Community NW Group and its future programs.

If the group later obtains RECOGNIZED status and is ready to operate independently, it may receive administrative rights to its website and connect its own payment account, subject to NWANA policies and the capabilities of the payment platform.

The $200 annual NWANA group membership fee applies only after the group obtains RECOGNIZED status. It is not the cost of the initial no-cost group formation stage and is not the cost of the Individual Community License.

Important Distinction

The Individual Community License does not automatically make a person an instructor, judge, official Group Leader, or representative of NWANA.

Official instruction, qualified functions, or regulated activities may require separate training, an appropriate license, or authorization from NWANA.