Runners of Hope celebrate a remarkable year
“Our plans for 2025 are to consolidate the gains made in 2024 and the years before,” said Phepheng.
Runners of Hope (RoH) marked a year of growth, achievements and community outreach in 2024.
According to Kehilwe Phepheng, the club’s marketing representative, RoH was founded by Hope Restoration Ministries members as a way to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Over the years, it has grown into a thriving community, offering support, encouragement and resources to those wanting to improve their physical and mental well-being through running and exercise.
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In 2024, RoH had a significant increase in membership, welcoming runners of all ages and fitness levels and he club’s mid-week training groups continued to flourish.
“These groups remain strong, meeting at various locations, with between two and 15 runners per session.
“They meet for four structured runs weekly before joining the larger group for the Saturday club run,” said Phepheng.
One of the club’s highlights was hosting a refreshment station at a popular Centurion road race, named after Comrades stalwart Wally Hayward.
“The club provided drinks, snacks and camaraderie, creating a lively atmosphere that has become its trademark at the event.”
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Another milestone was hosting a refreshment station at the Comrades Marathon, an impressive feat for a club just five years old.
RoH also led a successful fundraising campaign to support a school for children with special needs along the Comrades route. The funds met various needs at the school.
Beyond these community initiatives, the club saw success in the Comrades Marathon, with an overall completion rate of 96%. Notably, 98% of RoH’s first-time Comrades runners (novices) finished the race.
At its annual awards ceremony, RoH honoured two key achievers in the sport – Shaida Thungo, an accomplished Comrades pacing bus driver, and Johannes Mosehla, the oldest person to complete the Comrades Marathon.
Looking ahead, Phepheng said the club is focused on expanding its impact.
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“RoH has set its sights on further growth within the running community.
“We plan to host more training sessions and group runs to accommodate our growing membership while organising more community outreach events to raise awareness and support for various charitable causes,” he said.
The club aims to build on its 2024 successes and has outlined several initiatives for the year:
• Hosting two trial races as part of meeting Central Gauteng Athletics’ requirements for an official race:
• Men of Hope Run in May;
• Embrace Run in August;
• Hosting the annual Comrades preparation long run at the Cradle of Humankind (the sixth edition of the event);
• Continuing collaborations with other running clubs;
• Introducing new initiatives for the running community, including:
• a new radio show, Running for All (R4A), focusing on running as a movement for health and wellness;
• a new format for race-pacing buses at various events;
• training runs in collaboration with other clubs and HRM church departments under the banner, Run Towards the Battle Lines (1 Samuel 17:48), to encourage runners to face and overcome challenges.
Additionally, RoH plans to strengthen its governance structures to attract sponsorships and funding.
“We are structuring our governance and executive management along the lines of the New York Marathon Club.
“We also aim to expand our footprint by establishing new Roh chapters across SA.
“Our journey is far from over. We acknowledge our progress but believe the best is yet to come for RoH and the incredible runners part of this community.”
