Welcome to Walk1200km!
The free walking challenge everyone can do - launches for 2026 with the Jan/Feb issue.
Order your progress tracker now, or buy in store from December 22!
In partnership with
Join us in 2026 for the fifth anniversary of the Walk1200km challenge. The concept is simple: walk 1200km in 12 months. It works out at an average of just 3.3km a day, or 100km a month, and meets the Ministry of Health’s recommended guidelines for weekly activity. Along the way, you’ll gain health, happiness, friendship and more.
Walk1200km is the perfect challenge for our times. It’s uncomplicated. It’s cheap. It will de-stress you. It will introduce you to a community whose sole purpose is to support and encourage. It will help you make a habit out of doing good for yourself. It will give you a purpose, a goal that brings satisfaction, lightness and even dignity to your life.
You’ll be joining thousands of others (7100 in 2025!) who walk because it makes them happy, because it brings joy to their day and their friends closer, it can open treasured time with loved ones or time alone to think and ponder.
Walk1200km participants are found along local streets, walkways, backcountry trails, adventurous tracks and in unmarked wilderness.
For some, it’s simply attaching a meaning to what they’ve been doing for years. For others, it’s totally life-changing. For all, there’s a new sprightliness to their step, a brightness to their eyes and an after-walk smile that keeps getting broader.
So join us. Sign up now and get your free progress tracker with the January/February 2026 issue of Wilderness (or buy it in store from December 22). You can also purchase this year’s progress tracker without the magazine.
By signing up, you’ll receive plenty of help and motivation so that you never feel like you’re doing this on your own. You’ll also get loads of opportunities to win prizes from our partners. Once you’ve registered, join the Facebook Group, say hello and see what other participants are doing.
Listen to the RNZ interview with two Walk1200km participants to learn how the challenge has helped them.
Next Steps
Get your Progress Tracker
It’s the best way to keep track of your distances and stay motivated. Get your official 2025 Walk1200km Progress Tracker and badges here.
Subscribe to Wilderness
The challenge is FREE but we sure could use your support. Each issue features wonderful walking inspiration + subscribers have access to more than 800 mapped walks on the website!
Join the Facebook Group
You’ll never walk alone when you join the Facebook group. Share your walks, be inspired by the journeys of others.
Stay on track
Walk1200km is an individual challenge, but with Wilderness with you every step of the way you’ll never really be alone.
We’ve done it!
Read the advice and endorsements of those who have done the challenge before.
Walking gives you superpowers
Read about how you will benefit from walking 1200km over the next 12 months.
Have fun with #microchallenges!
Each month you can win prizes from our partners by completing #microchallenges. These inject a bit of fun into your walk so that those everyday kilometres feel less like a chore.
Meet our 2025 Walk1200km Partners
With the support of these generous partners, you’ll have no trouble at all in completing the Walk1200km challenge. Make sure you register for Walk1200km to be in with a chance to win gear and other prizes from our partners throughout the next 12 months. The sooner you register, the more chances you’ll have of winning.
Big Agnes
Gear partner
Big Agnes packs include an entire collection from daypacks to large-capacity multi-dayers made with a combination of recycled and durable materials.
AKU
Footwear partner
No matter where your Walk1200km challenge takes you, AKU has the footwear for your needs.
Bridgedale
Sock partner
From mountain tops to weekend walks, Bridgedale socks will keep your toes warm, comfortable and blister-free.
Back Country Cuisine
Food partner
Wherever your Walk1200km journey takes you, Back Country Cuisine can provide the fuel needed to keep going, to keep discovering, to keep adventuring.
Further Faster
Retail Partner
The team at Christchurch’s Further Faster outdoor store is ready to help you find the right gear for your adventure.
Yum
Breakfast partner
Nelson-based Yum is an award-winning food company specialising in nutrient-dense breakfasts that taste amazing, provide sustained energy and are good for the planet.
