Run Crew Friday’s next club feature is ‘Run Boss Run Crew’. We spoke to Craig Woods, a co-founder of Run Boss and he gave us the details of how it all started.
What Inspired You to Start Run Boss?
My best mate Michael Baker and I were standing around a braai and our wives were moaning about not having safe places to run in groups. It was November 2022 and we decided to just stop talking and start doing. So we started with a small group of friends running on the durban prom on a Saturday with boys and girls where everyone felt safe in numbers and it slowly grew from there. We both have a passion for people, teamwork and community and we loved the idea of people working hard towards a goal and actually achieving it. In the beginning we used to challenge people a lot more to push themselves but obviously over the years, whilst a small part of that culture still exists, it’s also got a huge focus on just giving our Durban community a place to feel like they belong and be healthy and happy at the same time.
Why Do You Keep Running It?
Michael took a job in Cape Town in December and I think it made me really think about this questionI decided that we had built an incredible thing and I didn’t want to let it go so 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.
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 and especially youngsters, the chance to connect with people and build real relationships and friendships over coffee after is the main thing. I honestly love the idea that we are helping people and giving them something that perhaps didn’t exist before.
How Do We Do It?
We run every Tuesday Thursday and Saturday morning at 5.15am.
What started out in November 2022 with 10 friends on the beach has now morphed into in excess of 150 people on Tuesday mornings and sometimes more on a weekend. We have almost 1000 people on the what’s app group where we announce runs the day before and use polls for people to register interest. We also have a large Instagram presence with in excess of 2000 people following us on there.
The bigger it got the more I needed help so I assembled a little committee of 6 others plus me and we try run it as professionally as we can even though not a cent of money exchanges hands almost ever.
The whole culture is 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. This perhaps makes us a bit unique as well and also allows us to collaborate with brands and corporates from all walks of life and at all levels without any expectation or bias. May sound strange but having myself and my committee “work on it for free” so to speak sets the tone and a part of me loves how it shows everyone out there that we can still just be good people and do things for others with no expectations in return.
Tuesday: 5km, 7.5km & 10km options
Thursday: hills or intervals
Weekends: a long run on a weekend or 5km, 1km, 15km & 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 every morning for us. We also have a time trial night once a month where everyone stays behind for burgers. On the weekend we rotate the venues a bit to keep it fresh and have great relationships with loads of coffee shops in Durban, especially daily dose in Umhlanga
We also often split into pace groups to make it a bit easier for people to find their place but lately people seem to do that naturally
The committee tries to meet once a month to plan social media, special events, calendar planning and key races and training. We keep it fun and funky and on trend and are always linking up with brands for cool ideas. We also have specific charity events a few times a year. This year on Mandela day we raised over 1000 second hand running shoes and clothing items that we donated to the Inanda trail running community on a very special day. We also have an annual charity day event, this year in August, where we raised 25k from our community for the Sithanda school which needed to be repainted and fixed. This has become a key focus for us – helping others – and we are lucky to have a wonderful community of people who always react amazingly.
How Does Run Boss Collaborate with Brands?
We’ve been fortunate to partner with incredible brands like Puma, Adidas, and Salomon, who bring their latest gear for us to test out and learn about. This keeps things fresh and gives runners a chance to try different products and get guidance from experienced runners. It’s all about enriching the experience and adding value without any financial transactions, keeping Run Boss accessible to everyone. These collaborations provide exciting opportunities for our runners to try top-notch equipment, often receiving expert advice from some of our seasoned members.
What Advice Would You Give to Other Runners?
It’s always very intimidating to start. You feel like everyone is faster and fitter but everyone started somewhere. I’m not a great runner myself but just love everything else that comes with it and really love the way it’s given me some calm and competitive edge all rolled into one whilst connecting with so many great new people. I think most people have the outside perception of being clicky but it’s really not and perhaps my favourite part of the whole thing is watching the transformations. My advice would be to challenge yourself to change your approach. The more hard things you do the more you get used to doing hard things and it makes the other chaos in life seem manageable. Running is hard!
Why Do People Choose Run Boss?
Probably answers in various places above but mainly because even though they won’t admit it, it’s providing a platform to actually put your phone away and really connect with people for real. I think the younger generation really needs and craves that connection and we sometimes joke that at Run Boss, we are “athletic tinder” because we give everyone a chance to meet in real life.
Human beings need community and I think the older clubs were maybe just a bit set in their ways, whereas the modern communities are finding ways to make training and connecting fun and cool. They also love the after run stuff that comes with it. The strava posting, the pbs, the photos on Instagram, the reels and it’s almost like the run is 30% of it but the other 70.% is chatting about it after in Whatsapp groups and planning the next one
Looking to Join?
Run Boss has runners from all levels, from those aiming for sub-3-hour marathons to beginners working through their first 5k. Whether you’re on a coaching program or just coming out for fun, our sessions are easy to follow thanks to the experience we have within the group. If you’re looking to combine fitness with friendship in a supportive environment, Run Boss could be the place for you. Come join us for a run, and see how running together can make a world of difference!
