LDWA Events

A rolling calendar of Events taking place throughout the UK over the next 6-8 months is published in each issue of Strider and is available in the Challenge Events Calendar and Group Walks Calendar.

A Challenge Event is a walk mostly on footpaths and other Public Rights of Way (PROWs), across open fields and moors, avoiding tarmac as much as possible. The challenge is to the individual, e.g. 30 miles in 10 hours, it is NOT a race. The distances include at least one option over 20 miles - commonly 25, 26.2 ( Marathon) - with walks over 50 miles, e.g. 62 miles (100 kilometres) in 26 hours giving qualification for the LDWA’s ‘flagship’ Event, held over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in a different part of the country each year, namely, a Hundred Miles in 48 hours, with a limit of 500 participants.

All events have checkpoints, many with refreshments but it is essential to carry water and some energy-giving food of your choice. Many events have a ‘Marshals Walk’ a week or two before the main event and this gives members of the Group running the event a chance to do the event (complete with certificate and badge as appropriate) before helping at a checkpoint on the day itself. A route description is available on most events (Kanters using a series of Grid references are an exception) and, for longer distances, will be sent out (s.a.e. needed) before the day. Usually participants are expected to carry the relevant OS map(s) for the area and a compass and to know how to use them. You can now buy OS maps for Events from this site – event pages will increasingly include clickable purchase links and map links to show where events start and finish.

All events published in Strider are expected to meet the requirements set out in ‘Guidelines for Events – How to Organise a Challenge Walk’ which is available from the LDWA Shop and contains advice on all aspects including:- planning well in advance, devising and describing the route, consultation with residents and landowners, concern for the environment (e.g. avoid grouse moors in nesting season), checkpoint venues and staff, food, entry forms, check cards, insurance, first aid, communication.

Where the events pages of Strider show ‘SEF accepted’ the Standard Entry Form may be used but do check on special conditions, e.g. ‘lambing season, guide dogs only allowed’.

Join the LDWA and enhance your enjoyment of Challenge Walking.