Nordic Walking in a Group: Finding a Club Near You and the Benefits of the Collective

Nordic walking is often practised alone, along paths and mornings. But it is in a group that it reveals another dimension: that of the collective, the shared rhythm, the accelerated technical progress. Finding a Nordic walking club means choosing to turn a physical activity into a genuine way of life.

Why practise Nordic walking in a club?

The figures speak for themselves: practising a sport in a group more than doubles the chances of maintaining regular activity over the long term. Coaches, sports doctors and federations confirm it: regularity is the key to all the benefits of Nordic walking, and the group is the best guarantor of that regularity.

But the advantages of a club do not stop at motivation:

• Supervised technical learning: Nordic walking is a technical discipline. A badly acquired movement can wipe out the benefits of the practice. A trained instructor corrects mistakes from the start.
• Real progress: in a group, you naturally challenge yourself, increase distances, explore new terrain.
• Social ties and wellbeing: collective practice reduces isolation, improves mood and creates lasting bonds.
• Discovering equipment: many clubs offer trial sessions to test different poles before investing.

How to find a Nordic walking club?

In France, Nordic walking is overseen mainly by the French Athletics Federation (FFA), which holds the ministerial delegation for the discipline. Its website lists affiliated clubs by département. The French Hiking Federation (FFRP) also has many active sections. Beyond the federations, many independent clubs and local associations organise weekly outings.

To find a club near you:

• Consult the FFA directory on athle.fr
• Search local Facebook groups for "marche nordique + [your town]"
• Contact certified coaches in your region directly
• Take part in the big national gatherings: the Euro NordicWalkin' (Dévoluy in June 2026) or NordicWalk'in Lyon

Events for meeting the community

The Nordic walking community in France is lively and welcoming. Gatherings are privileged moments to discover new routes, test equipment and meet practitioners of all levels. The Euro NordicWalkin' brings together more than 3,000 participants every year and is the reference event of the calendar.

MØNARC® is regularly present at these events with a free loan pack letting you try the Arcs de Marche® with no commitment. A pair in the hands, and the difference is felt immediately.

Clubs and the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche

MØNARC® offers Nordic walking clubs a pack of 5 pairs of poles in different lengths, with matching straps, loaned free of charge for discovery sessions. This pack lets a coach have their whole group try the Arcs de Marche during an outing. No cost, no commitment. A concrete way of opening access to a French innovation.

For clubs that want to go further, the MØNARC® Academy offers certification courses led by Jean-Pierre Guilloteau (JPGmontagnes) and Nathalie Gilbert (Marche Nordique and co), making it possible to integrate the Arcs de Marche® into the technical teaching of Nordic walking.

👉 Information and loan pack requests: monarc-nordic.com

Since autumn 2026: the MØNARC® Partner Clubs

An additional marker now helps you choose your club. The MØNARC® Partner Club label distinguishes clubs able to explain curved poles to their members, because a MØNARC® approved coach teaches there or because the arcs already circulate among the members. Their members get €30 off per pair of arcs and group prices for collective equipment. And if you are still hesitating between solo practice and the collective, we have weighed the question in a dedicated back-to-season article.