The State Of The Nation Address

Fact: more women read Runner’s World than men. But who are we? Why do we run? What challenges do we face, and who or what inspires us?

- Lisa Abdellah

WE ARE YOUNGER

Inspired by the millennial, a new breed of running club is attracting younger women. Lindiwe Maseko, 30, is a member of Thesis Run Cru, which began as a streetwear and lifestyle brand with a small store in the Sowetan township of Mofolo Village, selling T-shirts and bucket hats inspired by youth culture – art, graffiti, music – from the streets.

When people saw co-founder Wandile Zondo out on his training runs, they wanted to join him. By 2014, a core group of around 30 to 40 runners, including Maseko, had become close friends.

“We run together, break bread together, and party together,” she explains. “Some of the women are unemployed, have come out of a bad relationship or they’re in a dark space, so it’s good for them to have a place they can escape to, where someone will reach out to them if they’re not okay.

“I joined because I wanted to lose weight. The guys trained with me, even on rainy days, and encouraged me to run my first marathon. They also helped me to challenge a stereotype; I’d always thought of myself as ‘big-boned’.”

WE RUN IN PACKS

According to psychologist Lindy Emsley, we are more inclined to run in a group than on our own.

“It has been found that women seek emotional connection, and generally fear isolation more than failure.”