July 24, 2006
By Ndaba Dlamini
THEY came in their thousands - the young, the middle-aged and senior citizens from all walks of life, all dressed up and ready for the 2006 annual Discovery 702 Walk the Talk competition.
Sunday, 23 July dawned on a sunny day, with not a cloud in sight - perfect weather for a fun walk. Empire Road onto Kingsway and turning into Main Road was clogged with traffic, and participants desperate to get to the bustling Marks Park Sports Club before the start of the five-kilometre walk, which was featured a host of celebrities, sportspeople, media personalities and government officials.
This year, the Discovery 702 Walk the Talk partnered with financial services company, Discovery and the City of Johannesburg - and the Laureus Sports For Good Foundation was picked as the benefiting charity of the event.
Walk the Talk consists of a 5km fun walk, a 10km walk and two officially timed walks - a 21km race and a 42km race.
The big walk through the streets of Joburg
At exactly 10.30am, the crack of the starter gun set the crowd in motion with the minister of transport, Jeff Radebe; minister of health, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang; minister of housing, Lindiwe Sisulu; Gauteng MECs Firoz Cachalia, Qedani Mahlangu and Brian Hlongwa; Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and a host of familiar names leading the pack through the streets of Melville, Parkview and Greenside.
The colourful sea of people stretched over a kilometre along Judith into Niger Road. Individuals, representatives of companies, youngsters and small children in prams all waved, chatted and walked in camaraderie. Not to be outdone, hundreds of dogs, from poodles to big Alsatians frolicked and scampered excitedly amidst the crowd.
To add to the fun and to keep walkers motivated, huge speakers placed alongside the walking route provided entertainment from host DJs and Talk Radio 702.
At the finish line, each walker received a medal for their efforts. Walking jauntily across the finish line, the injured Proteas' vice-captain Jacques Kallis was followed by Cachalia who thanked the organisers for organising a safe five-kilometre walk. Coming in after the MEC, Radebe said his participation in the walk was mainly to highlight pedestrian safety, in light of the high number of accidents.
"Many of the accidents are due to drinking and walking, the unsafe crossing of roads, the misjudgement of speed of approaching vehicles and poor visibility, especially at night or in the early hours of the morning."
At the main arena, tired walkers reclined on the lawns, some sipping energy drinks and others doing stretching exercises. A number of walkers, mostly those who had participated in the longer races, were being given much-needed body massages at a wellness tent.
At the entertainment stage, singer James Stuart was belting out songs to ease tired souls, while a centre for toddlers kept the little ones entertained with clowns giving the kids lots to laugh at.
Back on stage, Talk Radio 702 station manager, Phaledi Gwangwa, with soccer legend Lucas Radebe and other officials presented a cheque for R200 000 to the benefiting charity, Laureus Sports For Good Foundation. The foundation will donate the money to a project of its choice in Gauteng, said Gwangwa.
Presenting a cheque to the Laureus Sports for Good Foundation
"The whole day was amazing, from the thousands who walked and helped us raise money for the Laurens Sport for Good Foundation, to the entertainment and public support for the event. The Discovery 702 Walk the Talk is a family event that creates a sense of community. Over the years it has grown in leaps and bounds in popularity with Joburgers. The increasing number of participants and general interest in the event each year bears testimony to that."
Some 30 000 walkers participated in the 2006 Walk the Talk: more than 14 000 people participated in the 10-kilometre route and 12 000 walkers successfully completed the five-kilometre route, with the rest sweating it out in the timed 42-kilometre marathon and 21-kilometre half marathon.
Event organiser, Tanya Harford, said these participating figures were the highest ever. "This was definitely the biggest and best Walk the Talk we've ever held! Not only did the five-kilometre and 10-kilometre receive such overwhelming support, but the 21-kilometre and 42-kilometre timed marathons also attracted record numbers. We had 800 and 400 walkers respectively in those categories. Interestingly enough, the 21-kilometre marathon didn't only draw professional walkers, but a lot of walking club members who enjoy walking as part of the exercise regime."
Sadly, the legendary Indian cricketer, Kapil Dev, did not make it to the walk. He was unable to attend the event due to "unforeseen circumstances", according to the organisers. His absence did not seem to dampen the proceedings as the music outfit Denim kept the crowds on their feet with cool reggae and soul renditions.
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