CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – Multinational soldiers gathered to participate in the Norwegian Foot March at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, Mar. 9, 2025. The Norwegian Foot March, or NFM, is a 30K endurance march that was first held for soldiers in Norway in 1915. Initially, the strategic goal of the march was to ensure large amounts of troops could travel long distances swiftly and prepared for combat.

A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, worked with the Norwegian embassy in order to organize the event. U.S. Army OF-2 Christian Duplessie, 1-183rd Assault Helicopter Battalion, Idaho Army National Guard, successfully coordinated and marketed the NFM.

“The NFM is an amazing event from its history to its sheer difficulty,” said Duplessie. “Plus with Camp Bondsteel being a multinational duty station it was important to continue building on our international relationships.”

The soldiers must be dressed in their military-issued uniform and carry 11kg throughout the race in order to fulfill the requirements of the NFM. The participants’ bags are weighed before and after the event to ensure compliance. There are several other parameters to hosting a proper NFM including, distance markers every 5 km along the route, a minimum of 3 hydration stations, and the start and finish of the race must be the same height above sea level.

A bronze, silver, or gold badge is presented to participants who complete the NFM in their required time limit based on age and gender. First timers will only receive a bronze badge upon successful completion, silver is presented to those who have completed the march at 2-4 times, and a gold badge is presented to those who have successfully completed the march five or more times.

Duplessie felt it was important to provide this opportunity to all soldiers of KFOR.

“I looked into the NFM last summer in the lead up to our mobilization,” said Duplessie. “Most especially though I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to earn a foreign award that demonstrates their resilience, determination, and overall physical prowess.”

Over 100 participants representing several nations lined up to weigh their bags on the morning of the event. There were registered competitors from Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, U.S. and Latvia.

OR-7 Tobias Reis, a German team leader with the KFOR Maneuver Battalion, said the route was very difficult but he enjoyed the mountainous scenery along the way.

“I enjoyed marching alongside the other nations,” said Reis. “I could see the beautiful mountains with every lap coming around the ranges.”

The consensus among most NFM participants was that the route on Camp Bondsteel was very challenging and strenuous. However, some view the physical challenges to be an opportunity for physical and mental growth.

U.S. Army OF-1 Ariana Marks, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oregon Army National Guard, was the second place finisher at 3 hours and 16 minutes. She is a long distance runner and loves to take part in many of the endurance fitness events held at Camp Bondsteel. She says she appreciated all of the volunteers that showed up to help with the event. Additionally, she valued the motivation they provided during the tough course.

“Getting to complete the March with such a diverse group of soldiers was a unique and fun experience,” said Marks. “In the Army, it’s good to get comfortable being uncomfortable. I think completing challenging endurance events is one of the best ways to build mental resilience. If you can ruck 18.6 miles over the rolling hills of Camp Bondsteel, you can feel confident in your ability to tolerate other forms of adversity in your day-to day-life.”