Why a Runner would choose to Walk

Martin FryerThis article was written shortly before Martin completed his 5th Canberra Walking Festival event in 2016.

Dr.Martin Fryer is well known in the running community in Canberra, Australia and internationally, particularly in the ultramarathon arena. Martin has run over 100 ultramarathons since 1997 with highlights including wins at the Commonwealth 24 Hour Championships (UK, 2009: 255K), the Surgères 48 Hour Race (France, 2009, 433K), and the Sri Chinmoy 6 Day (2011: 784K) and 10 Day Races (2013: 1158K) in New York. In 2012 he set an age group (M50) World Record, running more than 247K on a 400m track in 24 hours in Taipei, Taiwan. More recently (June to August 2015), he finished in second place in the inaugural Tour de France footrace, in which he covered 2800K in 43 days without any rest days (equivalent to roughly 66 marathons).

Given Martin’s background, the organisers of the Canberra Walking Festival were a little surprised to see that Martin had entered their event for the first time in 2012 and has been participating every year since then. Naturally he entered the longest distances available each day, completing the marathon on the Saturday, followed by a 30km walk on Sunday. As might be expected, he has been the first to finish each year, although the event is not timed, and there are no prizes for coming first.

Martin is not the only runner who has walked in the Canberra Walking Festival, but we were interested to find out a little more about what attracted Martin to this event, and what keeps him coming back.

How did you first find out about the Canberra Walking Festival and why did you decide to participate?

I first found out about the Canberra Walking Festival in 2012 when I was doing an internet search for local road walking groups and/or events. The reason for that search was that I had incorporated walking into my ultramarathon training program since my first 24 Hour race in 2004 and was now looking for some social and structured way to continue that kind of training. When I saw that the Canberra Walking Festival had a full marathon walk on the Saturday followed by a 30K walk on the Sunday I knew that I had found a wonderful, challenging way of getting in two long back-to-back hard walks that would not only boost my walking strength and fitness but also give me a whole weekend of touring around Canberra’s superb paths and trails that I love so much.

How does a walking event of this nature compare to some of the other multi day running events you have completed?

The degree of challenge has been relatively high for me each year as I do the 42K/30K double without any prior long, hard, structured walking in preparation, so it is a matter of just winging it and using the event as a solid walk training block. The walking that I do in my normal training is usually in short bursts of 1 to 3 minutes interspersed between running periods that are roughly 3 to 5 times the walk duration. Quite a lot of this walking is also done on uneven trails rather than nice smooth bike paths, so the Canberra Walking Festival allows me to include some lovely long stretches of smooth surface in which I can get a good rhythm going. The overall difficulty is nothing like a multiday event where nutrition, hydration and trying to get sleep and recovery are major concerns. Therefore, my aim in the Canberra Two Day Walk is to push myself hard as I can. I do wake up very sore on the Sunday morning (following the previous day’s marathon) with tight hips and sore shins but normally these issues settle out after a bit of a warm up.

What sort of pace do you aim for when walking?

For the Canberra Two Day Walk I had no goal pace in the first year but now I roughly aim for somewhere between 8:00 and 8:30 min/K average pace for the marathon (5h45-6h) on the Saturday and a little faster on the Sunday.

What type of walking do you prefer?

I actually like a wide variety of locations, surfaces and terrains though if I was pushed I would say that my favourites involve long, steady climbs on non-technical bush tracks in the Brindabella Mountains and Namadgi National Park (ACT) that culminate in amazing views. I have no training in racewalking technique so I guess that I have some kind of fitness walking style?

Martin FryerThe rules of the Canberra Walking Festival specify “no running”. Do you find it difficult complying with this rule?

Not at all. The whole point of participating in these events for me is to walk and to strengthen some of those different muscle groups and tendons that are different to running, so I have no temptation at all to start running. In fact, in 2012 I followed up my Canberra Two Day Walks with a 24 Hour Walk at Coburg in April. Walking form is strictly observed at this event and I managed to cover 152 km in my first attempt, making me vow to go back one day and get the 100 miles with some proper training!

You also train other novice ultra runners and I recall you saying that you include walking as part of their training programs.

Walking is an absolutely critical part of the programs that I prepare for my ultramarathon squad, whether they are a novice or an experienced World class athlete. Most runners that I prescribe walking to know that it is in their best interests for high performance when I show them my results and other high performers in the squad (a few members of my squad were part of the Silver Medal Mens Team at the World 24H running Championships in 2015), but ultimately they quickly find out for themselves that it is not only a nice change, but they can cover long training distances with considerably less stress on the body.

The training sessions that I prescribe range from very long run/walks at a given time or distance ratio through to occasional pure power walks done for 45 to 90 min at maximum effort. There are so many advantages to being able to walk well for ultra-endurance athletes: it allows a change of muscle groups and a lowering of heart rate, it allows short breaks to take in food and drink without the bouncing of running, it is low impact, it works runners in a low aerobic fat burning zone, and it allows runners to do very long run/walks that allow faster recovery than pure runs and thus not interfere with the rest of the weekly program.

Why would you recommend the Canberra Walking Festival to other runners?

For all of the reasons described above: excellent low end aerobic training, superb courses and scenery, great organisation, meeting walkers from all around the world, very modest entry fees, great food from the local Scout groups at the end, and more than anything- getting out of your running comfort zone and doing something completely different! I should also point out that runners do not need to push themselves to complete the longest distances available on each of the two days. For example, a 5km parkrunner might choose to walk 10-11km on each day, and still find that to be an enjoyable but still challenging experience.


Walk, don’t run… the Canberra Walking Festival

Please enjoy this article written by one of our 2017 University of Canberra interns, Georgia Niedermeier.

Across two days, over the first weekend in April, 2017, more than 400 registered walkers took on various sections of the Canberra Centenary Trail for the annual Canberra Walking Festival. The festival is an event for all ages that undeniably lives up to that title. The youngest walker was 5 years old and the eldest, 92! Age did not hold the walkers back, with the 92-year-old returning from Saturday’s 5km walk before anyone else. The event boasted walkers from all over Australia as well as Russia, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Korea, Vietnam and Czech Republic. Walks ranging from 5km to the huge 44km marathon were available to choose from. Most walkers participated in walks on both Saturday and Sunday, managing to pry themselves out of bed for an second big day of walking through the Nation’s Capital.

The event has been running for 26 years and there are some who have participated from the get go. I had the absolute pleasure of being involved in this year’s event, as a University of Canberra intern, and took the time to talk with some walkers about why they love the festival. The most telling responses were generated by the question Why do you keep coming back? I was met with many incredulous looks, ‘Why wouldn’t I?’. The event is full of smiling faces, triumphant walkers, enthusiastic volunteers and an overall positive vibe. Why wouldn’t you come back?

Why do they return though? One couple from Sydney has made the trip to Canberra 21 times. They love the event and think Canberra is a beautiful place to walk and stay on for a post festival bike ride. Canberra is a wonderful location and this year’s use of the Centenary Trail exhibited some of Canberra’s best offerings. One local voiced her love of Canberra’s history. She believes walking through it is one of the best ways to absorb all the city has to offer. Other responses centred around challenge, incentive, and sense of achievement, but the resounding consensus was that the community is one you want to be a part of.

The walk is great exposure for Canberra as a tourist destination, with the trails taking walkers past some of Canberra’s tourism hubs. Some international walkers took the opportunity to stop in at the War Memorial during their walks while others were happy just ticking ‘see a kangaroo’ off their bucket list. Entrants up early on Sunday saw hot air balloons adorn the sky and walkers passing the Carillon around midday were treated to a recital.

For those after a little more incentive and reward, the Canberra Walking Festival is a member event of The IML Walking Association. IML encourages walking around the world, with awards on offer for completing walks in multiple countries.

This is not a competitive event, you do not have to be the fastest, strongest or fittest to feel the sense of victory that every walker exuded upon return to home base. After experiencing the event for myself I hope to see it grow and continue for years to come. It is a fantastic event full of wonderful people from all walks of life.

“After a day’s walk everything has twice its usual value.”
 — George Macauley Trevelyan


Catering at the 2018 Canberra Walking Festival

This year we will have a variety of catering options for you:

SandwichAs usual, the Badimara Scouts will provide a variety of sandwiches, hot food, soft drinks and snacks. Their Price List is attached.
KeepCupDid you know you can put in a sandwich order for the following day’s walk? For those walkers doing the marathon, or the late start half-marathon, on Saturday, you may wish to consider putting in an lunch food order with the Scouts on Friday afternoon. They will then prepare lunch for you to take with you in the morning. Alternatively, marathoners can order in the morning, to collect when returning through the Control Centre (Albert Hall) at the mid-way point of the marathon. Please note that there are no readily accessible food outlets on the western basin route.

Nellie’s Cafe and Bar (coffee van) will also be providing coffee ($3.50/$4.50), tea ($3.50) and milkshakes ($4) over the weekend. Feel free to bring your own reusable keep cup if you want to make a small contribution to the environment.

In the afternoons we will also have beer and wine available for purchase at $5 each, for consumption at the Control Centre. Any profits from the bar will be donated to the Heart Foundation.

We look forward to seeing you at the event.


Super EarlyBird Entries Closing Soon!

You are invited to participate in the 27th Canberra Walking Festival!

Enter online at bit.ly/cwf2018.

The Canberra Walking Festival is a non-competitive event open to everyone.
We hope you will join us. Note that we have a new start location for 2018 at the Albert Hall.

Registering online and early will ensure that you receive the best possible entry price (payment by Visa, Mastercard or PayPal), and also go into the draw for early bird prizes.

Online Entry Fees:

Child Under 10: $10 (for one or two days)

Child 10-17 years: $20 (for one or two days)

Adult: $25 (one day)

Adult Super EarlyBird: $35 (for two day entries received by end of November)

Adult EarlyBird: $40 (for two day entries received by end January)

Adult: $45 (standard online two day entry rate)

Entry fees are non-refundable.

On the Day Entries (cash only):

$25 per day for all participants, regardless of age.

Available at the Control Centre, located at: Albert Hall, 100 Commonwealth Ave – next to Hyatt Hotel.
Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the starting time of your desired participation distance.

Please note that bus transport to the start of the walks on Sunday is not guaranteed for “on the day” registrations, and will be subject to space availability.

The event aims to:

  • promote walking as a worthwhile, fun activity;
  • encourage people to participate in an enjoyable, healthy, outdoor activity regardless of fitness, age, gender or background;
  • challenge those who wish to test their fitness, and/or obtain an award.

The Canberra Walking Festival is a not-for-profit event, run entirely by volunteers. A portion of all entry fees is donated to community organisations, including the Heart Foundation.

Walk Options – A variety of walk options to showcase the best of Canberra.

Pre-Festival Guided Walks

Thursday 5th April 9.30am, Mt Ainslie and Mt Majura, 15km on the Centenary Trail with Walking For Pleasure – starts and finishes at the Australian War Memorial (outside Poppy’s cafe). $5 for IVV stamp for non-WFP members – payable on the day.

Friday 6th April 11am, Capital Walk, 11km – starts and finishes at the Control Centre for the Festival, returning in time for the Welcome Walk and official opening. $5 for IVV stamp – payable on the day.

Friday 6th April 3pm, Welcome Walk, 5km – explore the Parliamentary Triangle in small groups followed by the official opening ceremony and reception. $5 per person, includes reception and IVV stamp.

Canberra Walking Festival Self-Guided Walks

Saturday 7th April – Distance options are 5km, 11km, 21km and 42.2km. Entry includes event support, IVV stamp, and marathon medal for those finishing the marathon.

Sunday 8th April – Distance options are 5km, 10km, 21km and 26km. Entry includes event support, IVV stamp, IML stamp for those completing the required distance on Sat and Sun, and Canberra Two Day Walk medal for those walking any distance on both Sat and Sun.

On Saturday and Sunday the start times vary depending on your chosen distance – full details on the Canberra Walking Festival page. Free bus is provided to the start of your chosen walk distance on Sunday, so it is important that you arrive in time to catch the bus!


C2DW makes donation to Heart Foundation ACT

Two women from Canberra Two Day Walk presenting a cheque to two Heart Foundations administrators.

Kathleen Berg, OAM, and Diana Marshall, C2DW president, present a cheque to Tony Stubbs, CEO, Heart Foundation ACT, and Diane Percy, Walking and HeartMoves coordinator.

C2DW president Diana Marshall and event co-founder Kathleen Berg, OAM, presented a $3,000 cheque to the Heart Foundation ACT at the Women with Heart awards ceremony on 31 August.

“On behalf of the Canberra Two Day walk committee and the Canberra Walking Festival, I would like to thank the Heart Foundation for all of your invaluable support over the last year,” Diana remarked. “In particular I wish to acknowledge the support provided by Diane Percy and the national Heart Foundation Walking team. Your support of our event has enabled us to keep our event costs down, which we can then pass on to our participants.”

The cheque represents donations from walkers with AussieWalk Heart Foundation Walking, participants at the Canberra Walking Festival, and from Canberra Two Day Walk Inc.


Thanks to all for our fantastic 25th walk!

Over 600 walkers from 17 countries and across Australia enjoyed perfect Canberra autumn weather during our weekend of walking. All participants who walked both days were awarded a commemorative silver medal. Ten walkers had participated in all 25 events and were awarded a special 25-year medal.

His Excellency Dr Obaid Alhairi Salem Alketbi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates, and a large contingent of UAE Embassy staff took part in Sunday’s walk around Lake Burley Griffin. Walking groups from Taiwan, Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium attended the Festival as well as individuals from England, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, and the USA.

Earlier this year the Canberra Walking Festival was named by two international walking organisations as the first official walking event of the IML & IVV Cooperation Cup, with only a small number of events to be chosen worldwide each successive year. Bronze medals were presented to 10 walkers from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United States. The Cooperation Cup was jointly established by the IML Walking Association (IML) and the International Federation of Popular Sports (Internationaler Volkssportverband or IVV) to promote non-competitive walking. The Canberra Walking Festival has been an accredited IML event since 1977 and has been sanctioned by the IVV since 1999.

IML Vice-President, Dolores Grenier from the USA, enjoyed her first visit to Australia, together with the presidents of our event’s sister walks in Finland and Taiwan: Helene Kyroelaeinen and Cheng Chi (Bronze medalist in the 80M hurdles in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City and the Associated Press Athlete of the Year in 1970).

Originally known as the Canberra Two Day Walk, the Canberra Walking Festival’s 25th international event featured our very first point-to-point walk along the Canberra Centenary Trail. There were also pre- and post-Festival walks to ensure visiting walkers saw the best of the nation’s capital city.

Next year’s Canberra Walking Festival will be held 31 March, 1-2 April 2017. Online registration will open later this year in October.


Meet our committee: Diana Marshall, president

Meet-Our-Committee---DianaI first walked the Canberra Two Day Walk (CTDW) in 2003. I had recently returned from three years in the USA, where I had cheered on my husband in his first marathon. I discovered that there were plenty of people who walked marathons in the United States and I felt inspired to give one a go myself, so was looking for a suitable event in Australia. I came across a CTDW brochure for the event at the bowling alley in Tuggeranong, less than two months before the event and was immediately enthused to enter. The 30km distance requirement for my age was a little daunting but I was not deterred. How hard could it be? After all, it was much less than a marathon. Famous last words!

Working full-time with a young child, I had limited opportunity to train, and I went in to my first CTDW very under-prepared, and with relatively new shoes to boot. I don’t think I had walked much further than 20km in the lead-up to the event. At the end of the day I could hardly move, and I had monstrous blisters on both feet. I didn’t know how I would be able to complete another 30km on day two. But I knew that if I didn’t finish the walk I would have endured all the pain and have nothing to show. That finisher’s medal was a powerful incentive for me! So, with bandaged feet and a pair of comfortable old shoes, I struggled through the second day of walking, with plenty of encouragement (and concern) from the other participants. Needless to say, I was not fit for work on the Monday, and needed to take a day’s leave to recover. My second CTDW was not much better, but since then I have managed more easily, and have even completed eight of the nine marathon routes, plus 10 or so other marathons along the way.

Given my trials at the very first CTDW, I decided to immediately join the IML to get the IML Bronze Medal (in addition to the CTDW medal) — I felt that I deserved it! I have since walked three times at our sister IML event in Rotorua, New Zealand, but need to travel further afield if I want to earn subsequent IML awards. I’m hoping to do a bit more travel in the years to come. 

I’m also a very enthusiastic IVV walker, having now walked over 7,000km and completed over 400 events. This is not much when compared to some of our international walkers who have completed over 10 times my distance! I have done a number of IVV walks in the USA and have taken on their 50 states and A-Z challenges. So far I have walked in nine states and finished half of the alphabet. I just wish I had known about the IVV when I lived in the USA. Walking is a wonderful way to see a new place when travelling — and the IVV walks will often take you to some of the more interesting places that a tourist wouldn’t normally see (plus many of the main tourist spots too). I have also been fortunate to meet some wonderful IVV walkers when travelling, who have been very generous with their time. It’s much easier when you have a local guide too, rather than having to worry about following written directions! I like to reciprocate when visitors come to Canberra, and have met many interesting people during their travels here.

After a couple years of participating in the CTDW I was recruited onto the committee after making a few “helpful” suggestions about the event and the old website. Over the years I have taken on increasing responsibilities, first with the website, brochure design and newsletter editor, IVV coordinator and then starting up various social media channels and coordinating a regular walk program throughout the year.

This is now my 10th year on the committee and my fourth year as president. I started as a general committee member, became vice-president in 2011 and then president in 2012 when Lachlan Wilkinson inconveniently decided to move to Adelaide! One of my main goals as president has been to streamline some of the manually-intensive aspects of the Festival, and while this has resulted in some short-term pain, I am sure that the long-term gain will be worth the effort.

My favourite distance to walk is 20km and I prefer nice flat or gently undulating routes. Downhills are a real killer for my knees, and I am not a fan of loose, scrambly surfaces. I enjoy walking with others but am equally happy to walk by myself, and can while away the time planning all the things I intend to do after the walk (although usually I just end up having a nice rest!). Since getting a smart phone I have discovered that podcasts are also a good way to pass the time while walking, and I particularly like listening to Conversations with Richard Fidler.

I live very close to the Centenary Trail, so I am spoiled with great walking opportunities. In my ideal world I’d be doing a 10km walk every morning, but I end up spending far too much time sitting in front of a computer. The hot weather was also a big de-motivator for me, so I really need to be more committed to going out first thing before it gets too hot.

Last year I joined Walking for Pleasure, which has been a lot of fun, and have recently merged our Saturday AussieWalks into their program of walks, which now cover every day of the week except Mondays.

In recent years I have also taken up running (shock, horror!) and after completing the “couch to 5k” program I can now run 5km. I don’t get to much running training, but do try to get along to my local parkrun on Saturday mornings when I don’t have an AussieWalk scheduled. I find that parkruns are also good when travelling, because  there are lots of events held around Australia (and the world) and once you have registered you use the same barcode at every event — and it is free.

Aside from walking, I have a few obscure hobbies, including geocaching and munzees. These activities have taken a back seat over the last year or so, but they are fun when I do make time for them.

Well, that’s probably more than anyone wanted to know about me, so I’ll end here and just say that I am looking forward to catching up with all our repeat walkers as well as meeting our new walkers at the Canberra Walking Festival in April. See you then!


Meet our walkers: Dolores Grenier from the USA

Photo of a woman sheriff officer in uniform.Dolores will be walking with us for the very first time this year. “I met Kathleen and Harry Berg several times at other IML events,” she explains. “I am happy to be able to take part in the 25th anniversary of the Canberra Two Day Walk.”

As IML Vice-President, Pan Pacific region, Dolores will also be presenting the very first Cooperation Cup medals at our awards ceremony on Sunday. Walkers from Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United States will receive the first Cooperation Cup awards here in Canberra.

The Cooperation Cup was jointly established by the IML Walking Association (IML) and the International Federation of Popular Sports (Internationaler Volkssportverband or IVV) earlier this year to promote non-competitive walking. Both international organisations have the aim of encouraging active and worldwide walking.

“It is unfortunate it has taken me this long to make it to your event but I am sure this will not be my last time,” Dolores says. “Australia is a big country with lots to do so my trip of two weeks will not be enough!”

She joined the IVV in 1988 while working at the U.S. Air Force Base in Zwiebrucken, Germany, and raising her son Foster and daughter Petrina. “Walking was an inexpensive activity I could do with my children,” she remembers. “We could get outdoors, see the sights, and meet the people.”

In 1997 she participated in an IML event held in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina. “This was the one and only IML event that took place in North Carolina,” Dolores recalls. “I ran into a group of British police officers there for the IML walks. I was hooked on the IML walking scene! I’ve never been the same.”

Since then she has walked in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, Spain, and Taiwan. “I enjoy the IML walking events as I like to be able to travel and meet the local people and cultures.”

She has walked 50km seven times in the Netherlands “then I smartened up” and walked 40km in her eighth event in that country. “I’m going to retire in March 2017 and plan on doing more than the two or three walks a year I’ve been doing while working full-time.” 

A member of the American Volkssport Association (AVA), Dolores also helps organise the IML Freedom Walk in Arlington, Virginia, and has walked in all 14 Freedom Walks held to date. Just like our walk, the Freedom Walk features the sights of a national capital — in this case Washington, D.C.

As a volunteer on the IML Board, she helps out with the IML newsletter and social media. “Hopefully, when I’m retired, I can step it up to assist IML President Marc Muller who is doing so much for the organisation.”

She has completed the AVA’s Centurion Achievement Challenge twice already and is working towards her third award patch. The Centurion program requires a walker to participate in 100 IVV events in a single calendar year.

“Walking is my passion,” states Dolores, “but I run an occasional half- or full-marathon. I’m not breaking any running records but my job requires a certain amount of physical fitness.” She has been employed with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office for the past 24 years. “It has been a challenging time for law enforcement in the United States over the past few years,” Dolores notes. “I am thankful for my time of service but feel it is time to let the younger law enforcement officers take on the new challenges.”

In her leisure time she likes to garden and read as well as do a little skiing. Dolores is also a grandmother of six and has encouraged her grandchildren to walk with her. “I enjoy time walking stateside AVA events with them. All but the youngest have their IVV walking books,” she says proudly.

Her oldest grandson, Devin aged 14, really likes the Volksbiking IVV-sanctioned events. “In 2014 we completed the C&O Canal route of 185 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Georgetown, Washington, DC, in five days,” she smiles. “Great memories.”


Meet our walkers: Lachlan Wilkinson from Adelaide

A man sitting on a wall in Cinque Terre, Italy.

Lachlan enjoying the Cinque Terre, Italy.

Past C2DW President Lachlan Wilkinson relates his involvement with our event.

It was a sign behind the driver on a bus back in 1996 that started me on this journey. The sign was advertising something called the ‘Canberra Medal Walk’. As a keen walker newly-arrived in Canberra, I needed to find out more. I did, and entered the 30-kilometre walk in 1997.

By this time, I had also joined the ACT Race Walking Club (now ACT Walkers) and learnt how to race walk. I thought I was in pretty good shape and this distance wouldn’t be problem, particularly as I was going to stroll over the event, rather than use the race walking technique. I struck up a conversation with a couple of walkers at the front of the group and we finished together, but those last 10 kilometres were hard! That night, in an experience familiar to many of our walkers, I lay in bed with aching muscles wondering how I could possibly do it again the next day. I made it, but did more distance training before the 1998 walk!

I encouraged a few other race walkers to give it a go and a number became regular participants. To stay in the spirit of the event, none actually used the race walking technique but walkers such as Robin Whyte were still always among the first to finish. Around this time, Robin became a Centurion by walking 100 miles in 24 hours, inspiring several others in the ACT Walkers to also have a go at ultra-distance events.

Shortly after, I walked part of the Two Day Walk with someone called Carol. I commented that she seemed to have an efficient style and good endurance and she should come along to some of the ACT Walkers events. I got a taste of what an understatement that was in August 1999, just after my 40th birthday, when Carol passed me in the last kilometre of our first 50-kilometre race walking event. (For the record, I finished in 5 hours 57 minutes — only two hours off an Olympic qualifying time.) Of course, Carol Baird then went on to complete the Centurion distance 10 or more times and set a number of Australian records! She marked the Two Day Walk course for many years.

I was also giving ultra-distance walking a go, not quite with the success of Carol, but I did manage to walk 100 kilometres in just over 14 hours and complete several 12-hour events. In the last couple of years that the Gosford Coastal 12-hour Classic was held, we had a team of around 10 ACT walkers making the trek, several of whom — Robin, Carol, Val Chesterton, Doug Fitzgerald, Geoff Barker, Val Moran (apologies to anyone I missed) — were also Two Day walkers. We received the strangest looks when we all shuffled in slow motion into a club the night after the event for a meal. Lucky that wasn’t a two-day event!

Harry Berg indicated that he intended to stand down after the 15th Two Day Walk. I was initially reluctant to put my hand up as I was already the secretary of ACT Walkers. However, by this time, I was convinced this fabulous event needed to keep going. I caved in only about an hour before the AGM when it was clear no one else was going to nominate!

While there were plenty of challenges over the six years I served as President, I didn’t regret my decision to stand. I had a great committee, with the Bergs still actively involved. We introduced the marathon and streamlined the event by moving to a three-year cycle.

In a master stroke, I encouraged Diana Marshall to join the committee, conveniently providing me with a successor! There were frustrations — foremost of those was the inability to grow our walker numbers. I have always thought that our event should be far more popular than it is. I look with some envy at events like the Seven Bridges in Sydney that attract many thousands of walkers. It is difficult with small volunteer-run events and walkers who take part in the now Canberra Walking Festival should appreciate the effort put in by committee members.

In 2012, my wife and I decided we would move on from Canberra after 16 years and I stood down as President. In the end, we left just after the 2013 walk, moving to Adelaide where I commenced a job with an environmental consultancy firm, JBS&G Australia (we work on environmental assessments and approvals and Diana can provide my contact details if you need our services!)

My Canberra Two Day Walk Association obligations weren’t quite over as I spent several months mapping out an IVV walk to show some highlights of the city of Adelaide. I’m pretty happy with the route so come and give it a go if you haven’t already. Give me a call and I might be able to walk it with you.

Anyway, I’ll be back this year for the 25th anniversary (and the 19th time I’ve taken part). An advantage of no longer being on the committee is that I can walk with everyone else. It’s been a few years since I last walked an ultra event, so I need to get in a bit of training over the next few weeks to be able to manage the marathon (Saturday) and 30km (Sunday) without excruciating pain. I still think it’s a fabulous event given the ability to see parts of Canberra others never experience and enjoy the company of walkers from around the world. I hope many more Canberrans soon realise what a great event they have on their doorstep.


Meet our walkers: Maria and Paul from the Netherlands

A man and a woman in front of a sign for Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins.

Maria and Paul will be walking in Rotorua (19-20 March) and in Canberra for the fifth time this year. Their previous visits were in 1999, 2006, 2010, and 2013.

Paul has one sister and two brothers living in Australia so they enjoy being with family as part of their visit. “But we also like to see a different environment and meet other walkers,” says Maria. “You meet other walkers who you see again at other events and even if you do not speak their language, you can still be friends.”

Maria has some school friends who emigrated to New Zealand “so it is nice to be able to visit there as well, as the walking events are close together we can do it on the same trip.”

The couple live in the Province of North Braband, in the township of Deurne, a municipal area comprising several small towns and approximately 30,000 residents.

They had already been walking in international events throughout Europe before the IML was established in 1986. “Our scope of international walking was extended once we joined the IML,” Paul notes. “Apart from Israel, China, Indonesia, and Lithuania, we have walked everywhere there is an IML walk.” Some of those countries include Canada, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States.

The pair walk regularly in certain locales such as nearby Nijmegen where Maria has walked 42 times and Paul 27 times. When Paul is not walking, he sets up his caravan beside the day four route and offers drinks to the walkers. They have also walked more than 30 times in Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. In 2014 they received their IML 150 medal award [for completing 450 walks] in Fulda, Germany.

At home, they have been members of the Limburg area of the KNBLO, the national walking association of the Netherlands, since 1961. The Royal Netherlands Walking Association organises the Nijmegen Four Day Walk which will celebrate its 100th event this year on 19-22 July. Walkers may choose from 30, 40 or 50 kilometre routes each day.

They have been members of the Wiehengebirgsverband Osnabruck in Wesser, Germany, for 48 years, and the Fulda Walk Club in Germany for 19 years. The duo even led their own walking group from 1961 to 1993.

Paul and Maria are extremely keen walkers, racking up 1,000 kilometres annually. “In our walking books, we have records for more than 50,000 kilometres so far.”

Apart from normal walking events, we also do long distance walking. Our longest trek was from Deurne to Lourdes in southern France where we walked about 1,300 kilometres over 40 days with a full backpack,” Paul adds. Long distance walking usually features routes of 160 kilometres or more over a number of days. There are also events like the Kennedy Marches where walkers must complete 80 kilometers within 20 hours.

When they aren’t walking, they enjoy bicycling. “In our younger days we also did a lot of swimming,” Maria recalls. She volunteers with the Red Cross while Paul assists numerous people with completing their tax forms and answering correspondence.

Four adult walkers seated and one man standing in front of a caravan.

Four Australian walkers enjoying Paul’s hospitality during the Nijmegen walk.