See this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
Last week we had you mark your calendars for upcoming volksmarches, but we missed an important date. So dig out the stubby pencil again and mark down Sept. 13 for the Aviano, Italy, walk. This will be the 33rd edition of the Madonna del Monte walk hosted by the Aviano Road Runners. The five- and 10-kilometer routes will be flat and stroller friendly, while the 15- and 21-kilometer routes will be on mountain paths. If you don’t want to do the walk, you can still volunteer to help to sponsor the walk. All hands are gratefully welcomed. To help, contact Sandra at sandra.buna@aviano.af.mil.
Also, there is still time to sign up to help at the Heidelberg Volksmarch on Sept. 19 and 20. There is no such thing as too much help when you hold a walk of this size. Why not plan to walk one day and volunteer to work on the other? Sometimes clubs will have a "worker’s walk" on another day so that people can work both days to support the walk and still get their IVV credit and mug. For more information about helping the Heidelberg club, contact hiwc@yahoo.com or see its Web page, www.hiwc.de.
While you’re in the volunteer mode, contact the Ramstein Roadrunners and tell them you’ll help with its Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. Contact the club at Ramsteinroadrunners@yahoo.com.
It takes a lot of work to sponsor a volksmarch. It’s easy to participate in a walk, grab a bite to eat and then take off. Your few hours of participation pales in comparison with the hundreds of hours required to make the walk happen. The easy part is the walking; you need to pitch in and do some of the nitty-gritty work that is so important for a walk to be a success.
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As a volksmarcher, you might wonder what you can do to promote the sport we love. Here is a short list of ideas to consider. We will add to this list in future columns. If you have any ideas about how people can promote volksmarching, let us know so we can add your thoughts.
• Join a volksmarch club.
• Talk up volksmarching with friends, family and acquaintances.
• Give potential participants a ride to their first volksmarch.
• Volunteer to help at a volksmarch.
• Thank those who do volunteer for donating their time.
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The Höheinöd, Germany, event is close for those living in or near the Kaiserslautern military community. As a reminder, if you’re driving on Autobahn 62 from the Kaiserslautern/Landstuhl direction, heading toward Pirmasens, take the Höheinöd exit, which is within a rest area. Proceed about 100 meters, slow down and take a sharp right/left jog. At the sign, turn right toward the traffic circle and follow the signs to the start. If coming from the Pirmasens direction, heading toward Kaiserslautern/Landstuhl, exit at the rest area on the opposite side and take an immediate right turn after 20 meters. Turn right under the bridge and proceed to the traffic circle.
The 5k and 10k start window is 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, while the 20k starts between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.; finish all walks by 5 p.m. both days.
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Notes about this week’s events:
• The walk in Dettelbach am Main, Germany, is awarding B-medals again this year. They might have some of their fall pumpkin figurines left over from a couple years ago.
• Pfaffenhofen, Germany, also offers B-medals this year. Organizers have lowered the price of the prizes to 3 euros. The prize two years ago was a rock crystal that holds a tea light candle.
• The walk in Rauenberg, Germany, will be held Sunday only.
• We shortened the name of San Sebastiano di Cologna Veneta, Italy, to San Sebastiano to save space. The prize for completing this walk is a bag of "famous" Colognese potatoes.
• The walk in Soave, Italy, on Friday evening is only a 3k route that is repeatable. That means you need to do at least two laps to go the minimal distance to get IVV credit. However, this is an illuminated evening walk that goes past a castle, so two laps should be no problem.
• If you go to the walk in Tres, Italy, park close to the end at the Campo Sportivo and walk uphill to the start point at the church. That way you will not be facing an uphill hike to your car after the walk, especially if you walk one of the longer trails.
• The walk at Montecchio Precalcino, Italy, has two routes: five and 10 kilometers. If you want to walk more, these routes are repeatable, so make sure you get your cards stamped. The start is Presso il Parco di Villa Nievo Bonin Longare.
E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com. Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.
