Events
Place
120 Lansdowne Road
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ US 08641
Description
On 18/19 September, 2026, Chapter 19 of the Army Special Forces Assn will conduct an overnight, timed 30 kilometer (KM) march to Norwegian Army standards* aboard Naval Support Activity (NSA) Lakehurst, with not more than 300 active duty, reserve component, military academy/ROTC, and retired military personnel.
Marchers who meet the time standard for their age will be issued a certificate by the Norwegian Defense Attaché authorizing the issuance of the Norwegian Foot March (NFM) Badge, a foreign military award.
Depending on your Service, the Badge can be worn on your Class A uniform.
Today, the NFM is conducted world-wide by multiple units of the U.S. Armed Forces, military academies, and university ROTC elements. Supported by NSA Lakehurst and elements of Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst (JBMDL), and in conjunction with the NJ Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Div Assn, the 30 KM (18.64-mile) course is an all-weather event conducted in uniform with a rucksack weighing not less than 11 kg (24.25 lbs). The rucksack must weigh at least 11 kg at both start and finish line; rucksacks of an approved military model must be used. Test guidelines and requirements per the Norwegian Military are here:
https://www.norway.no/contentassets/97a0b1fe76d244ffa647955676546d3f/nfm-guidelines-2025-v1.7.pdf
The NFM was first held in 1915 as a test of marching endurance for soldiers in the Norwegian Army. A tactical goal was to be able to move large units of troops over a great distance swiftly and in a manner that enabled them to be efficiently prepared for combat, even after the march by carrying their weapon* and rucksack of 11 kg. The goal today is to stimulate the general interest of marching over extended distances among military personnel. (*no weapons will be carried)
We operate the March overnight to be true to the original tactical intention of the Norwegian Army. Doing so adds a degree of difficulty which we mitigate by various means that will be described or demonstrated in the pre-march safety briefing - but it demands a degree of situational awareness on the part of marchers unlike in daylight marches.
*Per the Norwegian Military Attaché, the sanctioning office for the Norwegian Foot March (NFM),
entrants are limited to one march per calendar year.
Entrants must have DOD ID to access the march location, Joint Base McGuire/Dix/Lakehurst.
March Contact Info
The Course
The course is an out-and-back 30 KM path, a mixture of paved and sandy roads. The registration and start/finish line is at historic Hangar 1 at Lakehurst, and the 15 KM turn point is vicinity of Bass Lake as shown below.
Event Info
The event is all-weather, except in a threat of severe weather.
On-site check-in begins NLT 2100 hrs (9 p.m.) on Friday, 19 September; early arrival encouraged.
After the opening ceremony and the playing of the American and Norwegian national anthems, the March begins at 0001 hrs (Midnight +1 minute) on Saturday, 19 September.
Subsequent instructions will be sent out to entrants.
‘Go’ standards:
