Next weekend is the time for all South Africans to officially “Choose 2 B Active” with the government-endorsed National Recreation Day and a series of Big Walks around the country.
Since 2015 the South African Cabinet has declared the first Friday of October to be officially observed as National Recreation Day. This year the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and recreation is celebrating the day at the Ethembeni Sports Fields in Kwadukuza on Friday, October 4, and will be hosting the KZN leg of The Big Walk at the Msunduzi Athletics Stadium in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, October 6.
The National Recreation Day is the highlight of the I Choose to be Active Campaign (#IChoose2BActive) which aims to have South African citizens embracing and participating in physical activities.
Included in the goals of the campaign is an increase in levels of physical activity for all South Africans which it is hoped will in turn lead to a general improvement in health and wellbeing.

On October 4 in Kwadukuza there will be a 5km walk as well as other sporting activities, such as tug-o-war and netball.
The Big Walk, which takes place over 5km and 10km, is a union of the South African National Recreation Day and World Walking Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday on October every year. More than 15 million people participate in organised walks worldwide each year, while in 2017 more than 30 000 participants took part in the South African Big Walks which are held in each of the nine provincial capitals.
Sport and Recreation South Africa organises the national event in Tshwane each year, while the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport and Recreation is in charge of the Pietermaritzburg walk.
Entry for the Recreation Day activities and The Big Walk is free and the first 2 000 entries for the KZN leg of the walk received T-Shirts.
Online entries for the KZN leg for both events are through www.webtickets.co.za while participants can also enter at all Pick n Pay stores. Entries for The Big Walk will also be taken at the registration and race-pack collection on October 1 and 2 at the Department of Sport and Recreation offices in Pietermaritz Street, Pietermaritzburg, or at the Msunduzi Stadium on Saturday, October 5.
