Saguaro
SUN Striders

Volksmarching (from German "Volksmarsch", people's march) is a form of non-competitive fitness walking that developed in Europe in the mid-late 1960s. A volksmarch is a non-competitive 3.1 mile (5 km) or 6.2 mile (10 km) walk. It's not a pledge walk, it's not a race, but it is a fun activity you do with a club, with your family, with your pet, or all by yourself.

Clubs welcome new members, but you don't have to join a club to enjoy the volksmarch events. All events are open to the public. To locate a club in your area go to the AVA website (https://AVA.org), click on 'Events/Programs', click on 'AVA Event Search', choose the Club tab, and click on Search by state or club name, select the state and choose from the clubs listed.

There is a $3.50 to $4.00 fee charged per participant. To keep track of how you are achieving your fitness goals, join our Individual Achievement Award Program. Distance and Event record books are available for $6 each at most events. If you register for the event award or pay the credit fee ($4.00 or less), at the finish the event and distance you walked are entered in the record books. After milestones such as 10 events, 30 events, 50 events, 500 km, 1000 km, etc. you redeem the record book for a Certificate of Achievement, a patch and a pin, and your accomplishment is printed in The American Wanderer (TAW), our national bi-monthly publication.

A Year-Round Event (YRE) is a self-guided walking event available most days of the year.
A Seasonal Event is a self-guided walking event available for less than 11 months of the year.
A Traditional Event is typically a weekend event, only available then. Registration is at the event itself on the day of the event.
The local club selects a trail, draws maps and writes detailed walking instructions, and sets up a starting point. You arrive during the stated open hours, register, take a map, and enjoy the trail.
YRE and Seasonal Events include a series of state parks in several states, great tourist attractions and national parks and good daily exercise routes in hundreds of communities. Some are scenic, some are historical, some are just for exercise. Traditional Events are typical of local interest.

There are three types of registration access: Physical Start Box; Online Event Registration System; and Registration at the event itself.
Physical Starting Box: For many years this was the default, but the pandemic put a kibosh on that. For the Saguaro Sun Striders, most of our YREs still have a physical start box, but not all. Online registration is available for all our events. Check the AVA listing for the latest registration information for each event.
For a PSB, the starting points are often grocery stores, hotels, or convenience stores. We have to get permission (now this is the really hard part), then create the start box.
At the start point is a walk box. The walk box takes many forms - it may be a bureau or kiosk, or it may be a file box or tool box. You may have to ask the proprietor to point it out or get it out. The proprietors and staff are not club members, so please be patient with these people who are volunteering to help the club. Inside the box is a log sheet to record your name and walk category; a start card and envelope to send your money in; written directions and maps for each available distance; and the event stamp for your record books and any special programs.
Online Event Registration System Allows you to register with a valid email address (will be validated) and pay with a credit card or check, then download the maps, directions, and IVV stamp. Print what you need, go walk when you can. OERS is available 7x24.

This is our national organization. Fees are paid to keep our national organization going in support of the member clubs. The AVA sanctions all nation-wide programs, provides event insurance, and processes our awards for us. Our officers are all volunteers. IVV Awards Program - just like in Europe, you can record the number of events you participate in and the number of kilometers you walk, ski or bike in record books. These books, available at most organized events for $6.00 each are the way you become involved in our international awards program and give yourself an incentive to participate in events. When you begin, you will want both the green book (event record) and blue book (distance record). The directions for the program are on the books. Normally when first starting out, we recommend you purchase a New Walker Packet. As you complete certain milestones, the first distance one is 500 km and the first event one is 10 events, you send them in to the national office in Texas. Normally it will take about two to three weeks for processing. By return mail, you will receive a patch, pin and certificate indicating the award that you have earned. You will also receive an "IVV Record of Achievement" passbook when you send in your first book for processing. It is used to record the event and distance milestones you have accomplished. Once you purchase a book there is no additional charge to you for the patch, pin and certificate upon completion. Each next level book you purchase from a club will be $6.00, or if ordering from AVA Headquarters direct cost will be $7.50 (includes $1.50 shipping and handling). See the AVA Record Book Guide for more details.

This is the international parent organization which is headquartered in Germany. Many nations have chapters. Our AVA is one of the chapters of these "International Popular Sports Clubs." The AVA pays dues to the IVV, we have adopted their awards program, we have a vote as a member nation, etc. Volkssporters who travel to other countries will notice that our Distance and Event books are the same size and color, the award patch, pin and certificates are the same, etc.