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PICTURED: Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

THE INTERNATIONAL Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) chief Jon Ridgeon joined the four-time New York City Marathon champion Mary Keitany and European half-marathon champion Tadesse Abraham at the World
Health Organisation’s (WHO) Walk the Talk: The Health for All Challenge event at the Place des Nations in Geneva.

Celebrating its second edition, the Challenge hailed the importance of health and physical activity, a core value of the IAAF and one which it promotes and encourages around the world through initiatives and activities such as Run 24-1 delivered by its athletes and 214 Member Federations.

On a day that featured music, dance, drums and yoga, Ridgeon joined Keitany and Abraham in one of the mass-participation runs, promoting the IAAF’s Clean Air campaign and the Run 24-1global campaign to get people moving.

“It’s been a brilliant day to be reminded of the global power of running,” said Ridgeon. “Let’s work in partnership with organisations like the WHO to get the
world moving.”

HEALTH

“Today is not just about sport; it’s about promoting health for all,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of WHO.

“We have all come together with one goal: to demonstrate that we cannot take health for granted.”

Ghebreyesus presented Margaret Kenyatta, the First lady of Kenya and a keen runner, with the 2019 Health Leaders award in recognition of her outstanding advocacy on global health matters.

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