2026 NWANA OPEN 5K NORDIC WALKING SERIES

The 2026 NWANA Open 5K Nordic Walking Series is a virtual competition series organized by the Nordic Walking Association of North America.

The Series is open worldwide and consists of multiple official 5K stages held throughout the 2026 season.

Participants complete one official 5K Nordic Walking effort during each stage, submit their result online, and receive an approved result that becomes part of the official NWANA competition record.

PERFORMANCE LEVELS

Every approved 5K result is classified according to the following standards:

HOW IT WORKS

A Performance Level is assigned separately to every approved result. An athlete may therefore compete in different Performance Levels during the same season as performance changes.

Men and women are ranked separately within each Performance Level. Level Place shows the athlete’s position within their Performance Level and gender for that stage.

SEASON STANDINGS

Approved results earn points within the athlete’s Performance Level and gender. Because each result is classified independently, an athlete may accumulate points in more than one Performance Level during the season.

If athletes are tied on season points within the same Performance Level and gender, the faster approved result is used as the tie-breaker.

STRICT TIME BOUNDARIES

All under standards are strict. The result must be faster than the listed time to qualify for that level.

For 5K, 32:59 qualifies for Elite, while exactly 33:00 is classified in High Performance.

OFFICIAL RESULT REQUIREMENTS

This is an official results-based competition series, not a flexible activity challenge. Official results must be completed as one continuous effort without rest breaks or stopped-time breaks.

Nordic Walking poles are required for official Nordic Walking results.