The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Sports Boulevard Foundation, announced the launch of the fifth edition of the "Walk 30" event, on April 26, at the Sands Sports Park. The event highlights both entities' efforts to promote healthy lifestyles and encourage community members to adopt walking as a daily habit.
This event is part of the Health Sector Transformation Program, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to raise life expectancy to 80 years by 2030 and build a more vibrant, healthy, and sustainable society.
The Ministry indicated that "Walk 30," emanating from the "Live well" initiative, is the largest walking event held all over the Kingdom, since its first launch in 2019. It aims to promote a commitment to walking 150 minutes per week as part of a daily lifestyle, which contributes to promoting preventive health and increasing life expectancy.
The event is also the largest digital health challenge in the Kingdom. It has attracted more than one million participants through the "Sehhaty" app, reflecting the community awareness of the importance of physical activity.
Jane McGivern, CEO of the Sports Boulevard Foundation, expressed the Foundation's pride in hosting the "Walk 30" event at the Sands Sports Park, one of the vital destinations of the Sports Boulevard. She emphasized that this partnership with the Ministry of Health reflects the Foundation's commitment to supporting healthy lifestyles and motivating community members to engage in physical activity.
She also explained that the Sports Boulevard, with its integrated sports destinations and tracks, is one of the unique projects that contribute to achieving the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to enhance quality of life. She noted that this initiative reflects the Foundation's vision of providing a sustainable sports environment that promotes public health and instills a culture of walking as a daily habit, achieving a more vibrant and healthy society.
Earlier, the Sports Boulevard Foundation announced the opening of the first phase of the Sports Boulevard project, which includes five destinations: Wadi Hanifa, the Promenade, the section between the intersection of Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Road and Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz Al-Awal Road, the internal track of Princess Noura bint Abdulrahman University, and the first phase of the Al-Rimal Sports Park. The total length of the project completed so far is 83 kilometers, representing 40% of the overall project completion.
It is worth noting that the event won the Kotler Award for "Best Health and Wellness Campaign" in recognition of its impact on promoting public health. The Ministry of Health continues to develop innovative solutions to support the adoption of healthy and sustainable lifestyles, contributing to reducing rates of chronic diseases and improving quality of life.
The Ministry emphasized that the event is family-friendly and will be held across various regions of the Kingdom, reflecting the vision of "Healthy Nation" and promoting the culture of walking as an effective means of preventing chronic diseases and improving mental and physical health. The Ministry also seeks to export the Kingdom's experience globally by approving the event as a successful model for promoting public health.
Over four editions, the "Walk 30" initiative has contributed to motivating all age groups to actively participate in the community, in addition to raising awareness of the importance of physical activity, not only as a means of improving health, but also for preventing heart disease and diabetes, promoting mental health, and reducing stress.