Over 50 000 expected to Walk the Talk

THE MTN Walk the Talk with 702 wants is here. Tomorrow more 50 000 walkers will converge on Marks Park Sports Club at Judith Road, Emmarentia – the start and end point for this year’s event. Three different walks with staggered starting times will take place: a 5km race starts at 7am, the 8km race at 9am and the 5km race at 11am. To ensure the safety of all walkers, residents and motorists, a number of roads in and around Emmarentia will be closed to traffic. Temporary road closures will be manned at points along the route. The road closures will be managed to ensure minimal obstruction to traffic and roads will be re-opened as soon as the intersection is clear of walkers. Free, secure parking will be available at the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens, to be accessed off Thomas Bowler Avenue, from Beyers Naude Drive, on the day. Participants are urged not to follow the directions of unauthorised car guards directing them to park on the road, as they may be expected to pay and the event cannot ensure security in these areas. A park-and-ride service will be available to walkers from various points from R75 to R95 and can be booked on the Walk the Talk website. Only pre-ordered tickets will be valid. Visit www.walkthetalk.co.za for a comprehensive list of road closures, as well as a detailed route map, to avoid the road closures. Residents in the affected areas have been asked to familiarise themselves with the road closures. Closure times are an estimation only. The event organisers understand that without residents’ support, the walk could not be hosted, so each year a portion of the funds raised go towards community legacy projects in the areas directly affected. With the money raised last year, the event organisers built an outdoor gym at the Pieter Roos Park as part of its legacy project.