Birchkem invites all runners to join them

Birchkem is a new running club started by Zuko Mguzulwa, Helen Tsotesti and Kgoroshi Gololo in Birchleigh, Kempton Park.

Mguzulwa said they formed the running club to have a structured organisation to manage activities appropriately.

He said it was his love for running that inspired him to start the club.

“Group training trumps individual training all the time. You always pull each other up on difficult days and push each other to improve,” said Mguzulwa.

He explained that they hoped the club would be an environment that facilitates coaching, offers a new sense of community, broadens and expands the running culture and an enjoyable experience.

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“Our goal for the running club is to have a registered club by the end of June, to be fully functional with at least one office and to have secured access to a training facility by the end of September,” he said.

Mguzulwa said that reaching the broader community for recruitment is one of their challenges because they only recently launched the club.

He said of all the sports, they decided to start a running club because they wanted to encourage those who didn’t run to take up running as a sport or hobby, motivate those who don’t run so they can also join them and teach others that running can improve a healthy lifestyle.

“In future, we see ourselves as a prominent running club that encourages coaching and mentorship with a special focus on healthy lifestyles,’’ said a proud Mguzulwa.

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He added that those willing and interested in sponsoring the club could do so via registration fees, branding, branded club T-shirts, a club gazebo, chairs, refreshments on race days, office space with furniture and two computers with telephone lines.

“In our club, we hope to have as many people as possible members. However, having 25 active members is a requirement for club registration.

“Community members and people as a whole can benefit from heightened motivation and commitment levels because they will not want to let the team down,” he said.

According to Mguzulwa, the best things about running not found in other sports were the high levels of friendship, the camaraderie between strangers, and the runners got to run at their own pace.

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“In this sport, a runner is a runner, that’s it. The official launch of our club will happen as soon as we get the required number of active runners, hopefully by the end of April or mid-May,” he added.

“Let’s do this. Let’s have fun while edging closer to your potential. It’s much easier to do in a group, and the benefits are immense,” he advised those interested in joining the club.

He said they invite people from Birchleigh, Birch Acres, Terenure, Norkem and all the extensions to join their club.
“May all interested please join us via a WhatsApp link so we can share ideas and make it happen together,” he said.

For more information and for those interested in joining and sponsoring the club, join a WhatsApp group or call them on 073 743 8113, 071 904 7050 or 081 352 7843.