Change. It’s something we often talk about on a personal level, becoming better, braver, healthier and more intentional.

I see it every week in the Ordinarily Active community, people wanting more from their lives and doing things they once thought impossible.

I recently ran two road races in Durban and what struck me most was the number of first-timers. I get so excited watching someone nervously line up and choose change.
And it’s not just a feeling, the numbers back it up.

Road running is booming. The 2026 Comrades Marathon sold out in under 10 hours, with 22 399 entries, more than 5 700 of them novices. Participation in marathons and ultras in 2024 rose to 121 480 finishers, a 15% increase. With the 100th Comrades approaching, interest is only growing.

As individuals, we change. We strive for better. But it raises an important question: should a sport change too?

With so many new runners joining, I have noticed some shifts and not all are positive. One tradition I hope we never lose is gratitude. Fewer runners seem to thank marshals and officers these days. These are the people who wake up at 3am, stand in the rain, manage traffic, cheer you on and keep you safe. Clubs should promote this. Long-time runners should model it. Growing a sport shouldn’t mean losing its heart.

There’s one area, however, where change is long overdue: plastic water sachets.

Both races I ran were coastal and there’s no way every sachet was collected. Wind, gutters and tired runners make the maths simple, pollution happens.

South Africa already battles plastic waste. Half of all plastics produced are single-use. We generate 30-50kg of plastic waste per person per year. Around 488 000 tonnes leak into the environment annually. We rank 11th globally for plastic pollution.

Sachets also promote the wrong behaviour, littering mid-stride and expecting someone else to clean up. Some races offer bins, but not nearly enough. People say it’s “impossible to change”… and yet when I ran the New York Marathon, with over 50 000 runners, there wasn’t a single sachet in sight.

If they can evolve, why can’t we?

We encourage individuals to grow, adapt and do better. Shouldn’t the same apply to the collective?

Running is, for most, a recreational sport, done for enjoyment (and yes, that includes waking at 4am, questioning your life choices and feeling your toenail float in your shoe).

So why should a recreational sport carry such a heavy environmental footprint?

Change doesn’t require perfection – only intention.

• Sponsors and race organisers can insist on new approaches.

• Runners can carry soft flasks or bottles.

• And we can hold ourselves, and each other, accountable.

Road running in South Africa is on the rise. But for it to reflect the best of who we are, it must grow with us.

And maybe, just maybe, the biggest shift we can make isn’t just in why we run… but in how we choose to impact the world while doing it.

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