Explore The World by Foot
Discover IML Walking
FOSTERING INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL and friendship THROUGH WALKING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLd
Healthy Travel
The Aussie Peace Walk is an affiliated event on the international IML calendar. We hope to encourage participants in the Aussie Peace Walk to consider getting involved with organisations such as the IML or IVV. Both organisations offer great incentives to walk for friendship and good health.
The IML Walking Association (formerly the International Marching League) is an international non-profit organisation, founded in 1987 to promote good health and encourage friendship between people all over the world. Their slogan is ‘Nos Jungat Ambulare’ which, means ‘may walking bring us together’.
The IML endorse a series of annual multi-day walks that take place across the globe with the purpose of promoting international travel and friendship through walking.
The Rotary Aussie Peace Walk, previously The Canberra Two-Day Walk, was accepted as an IML event in 1997 and is the only sanctioned IML event in Australia.
What makes an IML Walk special?
Events go through a rigorous assessment process prior to being approved. When attending an IML event, you can be assured the event is of high quality, is well managed and well supported, with interesting, enjoyable and varied walking routes.
The official language of the IML is English, so even when participating in foreign countries, there will always be English-speaking volunteers to assist you.
Walks provide opportunities for great camaraderie among international walkers. When you attend IML events you will be sure to see friendly faces and meet up with walkers from previously attended events.
Above: Two Canberra walkers at the 2018 IML accredited Rotorua Walking Festival in New Zealand
Above: Walkers taking part in an IML walking festival at Jogjakarta, Indonesia.
Network of IML Partner Events
Qualifying as an IML Walker
An IML event will vary in duration from two to four days.
After successfully completing your first IML event you can purchase an International Walker Passport ($6) or an IML Starter Kit ($30), which includes the walker passport, bronze medal and event bar. Event bars are unique to each event, so you can then collect different bars from the various events around the world.
‘Successful completion’ requires you to walk a minimum distance of 20km on each day of the event (or 10km per day for those 70+ or under 10 years of age) to qualify for the IML stamp in your walker passport.
Get An IML Passport
When you finish two walks of over 20km at the Aussie Peace Walk, you will be eligible for an IML passport and your FIRST IML International Walking Medal.
Talk to the IML representatives at the Aussie Peace Walk administration area in Albert Hall.
Earning IML Walking Awards
Each page of your walker passport has spaces for 3 stamps, and each page must contain stamps from 3 different events. Only one stamp from subsequent Aussie Peace Walks can be applied to each page, and you will need to participate in other international events to complete each page of your passport. If you only walk in the Canberra event, you will only qualify for the initial bronze medal and bar.
Other special IML awards are:
Pan Pacific Walker – complete 8 different IML walks in the Pan Pacific region
European Walker – complete 8 different IML walks in the European region
International Master Walker – complete the 8 founding member IML walks
Global Walker – complete 75% or maximum 10 IML walks in each IML region (currently 10 European events and 8 Pan Pacific events)
Passports
The IML walker passports never expire.
There is no time limit to attaining the awards. If you enjoyed the Aussie Peace Walk and are interested in travelling to other similar walking events around the world, then we suggest you purchase an International Walker passport after completing the two-day Aussie Peace Walk and get your first stamp.
For more information, speak to the volunteers at the IML desk at the Aussie Peace Walk. They are all IML walkers who have travelled to many IML events around the world.
For more information, visit https://imlwalking.org/
Also, see IVV walking. There are hundreds of IVV walks in Australia.
Above: Australian walker taking part in an IML event in Arlington, Virginia, USA.
In some countries, IML walks attract teams of uniformed personnel, often in full kit.
The photo above was taken at the Closing Ceremony of the IML Blankenberge event in Belgium.
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