Wellingborough Town Council and the Waendel Walk Working Group are calling on residents to sign up for the 45th International Waendel Walk during a special invitation and registration weekend running February 28–March 1, 2026, in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire. The weekend is designed to encourage more people to take part in the community walks, which organisers say support local tourism and wellbeing.
The main walking event takes place from May 8 to May 10, 2026, with the start and finish hub based at the Castle Theatre. According to Wellingborough Town Council, organisers are offering routes ranging from 5 kilometres to 42 kilometres to suit a variety of fitness levels.
Organisers are also promoting more accessible options to broaden local participation, including a new Accessible 10km Green Route suitable for buggies, wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and family-friendly Friendship Walks. The organisers’ briefing for 2026 has set a target of increasing local participation (the briefing cites a 35% local participation increase target); this figure does not appear on the town council’s public event page and should be attributed to organisers unless the council confirms it on the record.
The weekend programme includes Friendship Walks on the Friday evening and longer routes on Saturday and Sunday — among them a 25-kilometre road route for walkers who prefer firm, paved surfaces rather than muddy country trails.
Wellingborough is the only town in the UK to host an event listed on the IML Walking Association calendar. The Waendel Walkers Club is also asking for local volunteers to help add new walks and support village pubs and other activities along the routes.
For full route details, registration and volunteer information, organisers direct residents to the Wellingborough Town Council Waendel Walk pages and the Waendel Walkers Club website. (Online tickets have been available since 1 November 2025; early-bird discounts run until 28 February 2026.)
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