RUN BOSS
Run CrewThe Run
DURBAN , KWAZULU-NATAL
What inspired you to start Run Boss ?
In November 2022 , my best mate Michael Baker and I were standing around a braai and talking about our wives moaning about not having safe places to run , so we just decided to stop talking and start doing . We started with a small group of friends running on the Durban Prom on a Saturday , where everyone felt safe in numbers , and it slowly grew from there . Michael and I both have a passion for people , teamwork and community , and we loved the idea of people working towards a goal and actually achieving it . In the beginning , we used to challenge people a lot more to push themselves , and whilst a small part of that culture still exists , we ’ ve got a huge focus now on giving our Durban running community a place to feel like they belong , and be healthy and happy at the same time .
Michael took a new job in Cape Town in December 2023 , but I decided that we had built an incredible thing , and I didn ’ t want to let it go , so I got proper stuck in and worked hard at keeping it fun , relevant and something that the community could all be proud of , and feel like it belonged to them . Now I do it mainly because I love the people , and I love the idea of people changing the way they live . Our lives are so full of phones and tech chaos , so the concept of waking up early and being healthy is a huge plus , but more importantly , giving people – especially youngsters – the chance to connect with people and build real relationships and friendships over a post-run coffee is the main thing . I love the idea that we are helping people .
Where and when does the crew run ?
We run every Tuesday , Thursday and Saturday morning at 5:15am :
• Tuesday : 5km , 7.5km & 10km options
• Thursday : Hills or intervals
• Weekends : Long run up to 20km
We have established a base at Fábrica Coffee Shop in Glenore Centre , where we have security , parking , bathrooms and a coffee shop partner that does great coffee deals for us . We also have a time trial night once a month , where everyone stays behind for burgers . On the weekend , we rotate the venue a bit to keep it fresh , as we have great relationships with loads of coffee shops in Durban , especially Daily Dose in Umhlanga . We often split into pace groups to make it easier for people to find their place , but lately people seem to do that naturally .
Boss Run Crew has been going since 2022 in the Durban area , and we spoke to co-founder Craig Woods about how it all started , and grew into something much , much bigger .
How big are your group runs ?
What started out in November 2022 with 10 friends on the beach has now morphed into in excess of 150 people on weekday mornings , and sometimes even more on a weekend . We have almost 1000 people on the WhatsApp group where we announce runs the day before , and we use polls for people to register interest . We also have a large Instagram presence , with in excess of 2000 people following us .
The bigger the runs got , the more I needed help , so I assembled a little committee of six others , and we try to meet once a month to plan social media , special events and key races and training . We try run it as professionally as we can , even though not a cent of money exchanges hands . The whole culture is that we do this for the community , so we never charge for runs , or membership , and it will always be a completely free way to meet new people and run . I think that having myself and my committee “ work on it for free ” sets the tone , and I love how this shows everyone out there that we can still be good people , and do things for others , with no expectations in return .
In terms of doing things for others , we have
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