Get out and start living
Experience IVV Sports
Although walking is the primary activity, IVV sports include cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing and other popular activities
Health & Fun
The IVV is all about Fun, Fitness, Fellowship and Personal Challenge!
The IVV was founded in 1968 by clubs from Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria, to encourage recreational walking as a healthier activity for the public. Since then, it has broadened to include cycling, swimming and cross-country skiing. (In Australia, it is mostly walking events!)
There are over 40 countries taking part in the IVV.
Australia joined as a direct member club in 1999 and AussieWalk IVV subsequently formed to become a national member of the IVV in 2016.
AussieWalk IVV sanctions all IVV walks in Australia, including the Rotary Aussie Peace Walk.
Above: Beautiful winter walk in Namadgi National Park in the Australian Capital Territory.
Marietta, a visiting American IVV walker, joins locals in an IVV walk at Narooma on the NSW south coast.
Above: Fitness, friendship and fun at the IVV Crazy Horse walk, USA
The IVV Record Books
Why become an IVV Walker?
The IVV provides an incentive program to keep you on a path to better fitness and wellbeing with rewards for participation in self-paced non-competitive IVV sanctioned events. The IVV can also provide that extra level of motivation to get out and walk, rather than sitting on the couch!
The minimum distance for IVV walking credit is just 5km, so this program is achievable for most people.
International travel is not required, but if you travel, the network of permanent IVV trails and events are a magnificent way to discover new places and meet like-minded people.
To encourage and recognise repeated participation in IVV events, an award system has been set up, recognising both the number of walks completed and the total distance covered.
IVV walking offers almost limitless flexibility. You can walk with others or solo on one of many permanent trails at a time and day that suits you. You can walk in Australia or internationally.
Participation is low cost with many free walk opportunities in Australia.
See below for costs.
Above: IVV Europiade in Sicily, Italy
Right: An IVV walk in Victoria, Canada
The initials IVV stand for ‘Internationaler Volkssport Verband’ – translates as the ‘International Federation of Popular Sports’
Costs
New walkers may purchase a starter kit for $10. The kit includes your first distance and event record books, plus coupons to complete 3 permanent trails in Australia at no additional cost. Subsequent record books are $10 each. The purchase of the books covers the cost of the award.
Australian IVV walks normally cost $5/walk for adults ($1 for under 10s and $2 for 10-17-year-olds). The cost to take part in international IVV walks will vary by country.
Australian IVV walkers can also join AussieWalk IVV to access all Australian permanent trails for free plus receive other benefits. Registered Australian walking groups/clubs are also invited to join AussieWalk IVV.
Around the world, over 7,500 IVV events are organised each year. Many enjoy the fellowship and fun that comes from catching up with old friends and walking partners from other events.
Above: IVV walkers at an event in Brazil hold up their IVV record books.
‘Free’ IVV Walks in Australia
- World Walking Day (May) and St Nicholas Embassy Walk (December)
- Heart Foundation Walking (HFW) walks across Australia that is a minimum of 5km (or at least 1-hour duration)
- Weekly Australian ParkRuns (or ParkWalks for some of us!)
- ACT Walking For Pleasure members get free IVV credit for any club walks
- And of course, the IVV stamp is included in your registration for the Aussie Peace Walk.
Also, see IML walking. There are hundreds of IVV walks in Australia.
In Australia, ParkRun events can count toward IVV distance points. There are 399 ParkRuns held weekly across Australia.
Special Awards
Besides the standard IVV awards described above, there are many special award programs which have been developed in Australia and internationally to add further interest and incentive for walkers. These can be completed in parallel with the standard IVV awards, or even undertaken separately.
Special award programs currently available in Australia are:
- Walk Australia (complete one IVV walk in each of the 6 states and 2 mainland territories),
- Walk IVV Americas and Oceania (complete any 20 IVV walks in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA or Brazil)
- Lakes of Canberra (nominally 50km), and
- Centenary Trail (nominally 150km).
For more information, please speak to the volunteers at the IVV desk at the Aussie Peace Walk. They are all keen IVV walkers.
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