In the Footsteps of Our Forces

Get your marching boots on and join our walking challenge to show your support for those who serve and help keep their stories alive.

The National Museum of the Royal Navy, the National Army Museum, the Royal Air Force Museum and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are joining forces for a walking challenge that kicks off on Monday 21 June, the first day of Armed Forces Week.

Choose your distance - 5km, 10km or 25km - and join hundreds of others walking in honour of those who serve. You can take part from anywhere in the world as long as you complete the challenge between Monday 21 June and Sunday 4 July.

Every person who enters will be sent a one-of-a-kind commemorative medal after the challenge has ended.

Entry details

Standard entry is £18.00* per person. If you are a member of the Armed Forces community (including veterans, cadets and serving personnel) you can enter for a discounted price of £15.00*.

If you enter as a group of 5 or more, you will be eligible for a 10% discount. If you are a group of 10 or more, then a 15% discount will apply. Group tickets must be purchased at the same time and will be emailed to one address.

The money from your entry will go towards the three museums and the CWGC Foundation, which are all registered charities. All four organisations preserve the history of the Armed Forces and inspire with stories of sacrifice and courage. Your support will help us continue to tell the stories of those who served, and are still serving, in the Armed Forces.

There is no age limit for those taking part, but we advise that all children are accompanied by an adult.

* includes booking fee

Souvenir t-shirts

You can purchase a souvenir t-shirt to be delivered with your medal after the walking challenge has ended. T-shirts are £14.00 per person. Sizes range from X Small to XX Large.

T-shirt size guide:

• XS = 35/37"
• S = 37/39"
• M = 39/41"
• L = 41/43"
• XL = 43/45"
• XXL = 45/48"

How does it work?

Just follow these 5 steps:

1. Purchase your entry (and a t-shirt if you like)
2. Download our distance log, or be ready with a route tracking app
3. Plan your route
4. Get marching!
5. Submit your distance

Once you have purchased your ticket and completed your chosen distance, all you need to do is submit proof of your walk through our submission portal.

We accept screenshots or images of your distance tracker device or app as proof. Alternatively, please download the distance log to record your walk(s).

• In the Footsteps of our Forces Distance Log (Excel)
• In the Footsteps of our Forces Distance Log (Word)

You will receive further details and a link to the portal a few days before the event.

Plan your walk

Why not try one of our suggested routes? We have a few to choose from which will take you around our museums, war graves, historical sites and places of remembrance. We will share those routes with you closer to the event - watch this space! Alternatively, you are welcome to pick your favourite military sites and plan your own route.

Please always take your own health and the health of others into consideration. Before starting your walk, we would ask you to follow current advice from Public Health England and the government about preventing the spread of Covid-19.

Here are our top tips for marching in the right direction:

• Pack supplies suitable for the weather
• Bring a bottle of water
• Fully charge your phone
• Make sure footwear is suitable for the terrain you will be marching over

Share your stories

We would love to see your walks and hear your stories. Join our Facebook Community for a place to share your Footsteps with other people across the country.

You can also tag us in posts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook:

@nam_london
#FootstepsofOurForces

Fundraising

Your entry is an amazing message of support for us, and enables us to continue sharing the stories of our Armed Forces. But if you would like to support the museums and Commonwealth War Graves Commission with an additional donation, you will be able to do so when you purchase your ticket. There is an option to add a donation amount of £5.00, £10.00 or £15.00 as part of the entry process.

All income from tickets and donations will be split equally between the four organisations.

More information

Download our FAQs document for more information.