Runners looking for a safe, friendly environment in Stellenbosch in which they can practise, socialise, or just stay motivated need look no further than the Versus Run Crew’s Wednesday morning 5km run.
Every Wednesday at 6:15am, runners of any and all fitness levels gather outside Hazz on Ryneveld street to jog through the streets of Stellenbosch, accompanied by the Versus Socks pro team.
The Versus Socks van parked outside the finish line at Hazz. PHOTO: Josh du Plessis
Started in March of this year, the free 5km run has steadily grown in popularity, peaking in October, with one run attracting over 200 joggers.
Matt Lennon (24), a member of the Versus Pro team, says that the idea behind the run was to build a much safer community for runners in Stellenbosch, “the run helps to just get people out there, and it’s easier than going for a run by yourself. It’s a lot more motivational”.
“There’s also guys riding on bicycles playing music from speakers, which is quite fun. Another thing is the fact that you don’t have to pay to join, like you would at a normal 5km or 10km race.”
Running clubs have gained popularity globally, Lennon says. “In London there are massive clubs with 500 plus people a night doing social runs, and just because of the safety factor as well, across the world it’s exploded.”
Versus Socks athletes Mia Uys and Matt Lennon socialising after completing the 5k run. PHOTO: Josh du Plessis
Safety plays a large factor in the popularity of the run crew, as students in Stellenbosch, especially women, feel a lot safer running in a group as opposed to on their own.
“Versus wanted to organise a social run in the morning, so that people could join for fun , feel safe, to get everybody together and then have coffee afterwards, so it was a way to advertise the brand and get people together,” says Mia Uys, another member of the Versus Pro team.
Some of the new Versus Sock range that was released on Halloween. PHOTO: Josh du Plessis
Hanno Lategan, one of the co-founders of Versus Socks, says that the idea behind starting the run was due to the fact that the company is based in Stellenbosch and they wanted a fun event that students could join in on. “ The event is for students and whoever else wants to join. There are a lot of girls that want to run, but can’t go on their own, they need a safe environment to run in. It started off slowly, but now in October it has really picked up, so there’s really good gees and its fun for everyone.”
