Competitive Nordic Walking: Are There Races and Events?

Nordic walking is often perceived as a gentle activity, reserved for Sunday-morning strolls. That is a reductive image. In France, a genuine competitive scene has developed over more than a decade, overseen by the French Athletics Federation. And for lovers of ultra-endurance, the discipline pushes its limits to events of 42 kilometres and beyond.

The official structure of Nordic walking competition

The French Athletics Federation (FFA) is the only federation with ministerial delegation for Nordic walking in France. It launched the national Marche Nordique Tour circuit in 2014, then expanded in 2016 to three categories of nature competition events:

• Discovery Competitive Nordic Walking (MNCD): events under 21 km — ideal for starting out in competition
• Long Competitive Nordic Walking (MNCL): events from 21 to 42 km — the discipline's "marathon" format
• Ultra Competitive Nordic Walking (MNCU): events over 42 km — for ultra-endurance walkers

These events can carry FFA labels (Regional and National) and take place mainly in nature, drawing on the codes of trail running.

The big events of the calendar

France's Nordic walking calendar is rich in events blending conviviality and competitive spirit:

• Euro NordicWalkin' Le Dévoluy (19-21 June 2026): the great annual European gathering, with learning, improvement and events for all levels. More than 3,000 participants every year.
• Euro NordicWalk'in Bordeaux (3-5 April 2026): the Nordic Walking Fair facing the Garonne, with competitive and discovery walks
• NordicWalk'in Lyon: 9th edition with emblematic routes through the city's historic districts
• La Normandique, Deauville: the eagerly awaited meeting on the Normandy coast
• The Bagnoles-de-l'Orne Nordic Walking Marathon: the reference event in marathon format

Competitive Nordic walking: a technical discipline

In competition, technique truly makes the difference. It is not the fastest legs that win, but those who best optimise their propulsion, their frequency and their economy of movement. The most experienced competitors — who test regularly at events like NordicWalk'in Lyon or the FFA marathons — are unanimous: pole quality is decisive.

Sergi Garcia i Gisbert, an experienced Spanish practitioner, tested the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche over a 93 km course mixing asphalt, trails and forest track. His verdict: poles "intended for experienced Nordic walkers, ideal for competition".

Nordic walking and ultra-endurance

The FFA's Ultra category (over 42 km) is booming. Events like the great Alpine crossings or ultra-walks of 120 to 200 km attract an ever-growing public. For these extreme formats, the equipment's endurance matters as much as the walker's physical endurance.

Alain Gestin, an ultra-walker who regularly walks with the MØNARC® Arcs de Marche, embodies this community of endurance explorers for whom the pole is a companion over the long hours and the long days alike.

👉 The MØNARC Arcs de Marche® for competition — monarc-nordic.com