Four-time New York City Marathon champion Mary Keitany of Kenya will participate in the second edition of the “Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge” event due to take place on Sunday, May 19 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland.
World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed Keitany’s participation in a post on his official Twitter account.
Keitany will be joined by Eritrean-born Swiss marathoner Tadesse Abraham in the list of high-profile athletes to participate in the event.
“I am looking forward to joining people from all over the world in the Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge in Geneva. This event is not about racing to cross the line first. It is about promoting the importance of physical activity, whether walking, jogging, using your wheelchair or dancing, to be healthier,” Keitany said in a statement on the WHO website.
One of the main aims of the event is to raise awareness and profile of the work and goals of WHO and other global health agencies based in Geneva and highlight the city’s role as a global health capital in improving global health.
The event will be open to people of all ages and abilities and be held over different distances ranging from 3-8 kilometres.
The First Lady of Kenya, H.E. Mrs. Margaret Kenyatta, will be the special guest at the WHO Walk the Talk.
Mrs. Kenyatta is an advocate for HIV prevention and the promotion of women and adolescent health, as well as a keen runner, participating in several long-distance events, including the London Marathon.
More than 4000 people from the Geneva public, local institutions and delegates to the World Health Assembly participated in the 2018 edition of the event.
