IT has only been in existence for five years, but already the Riverside Trail Running Club has made a difference to the lives of many people north of the Umgeni River with the number of runners growing along with the popularity of trail running in the area so that it now boasts a membership in excess of 200, of which 40 to 50 turn out regularly for the four early morning runs held on Mondays at 5am from the uMhlanga Sands, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 5.15am from Virginia Circle and Saturdays at 5.15am from Riverside Hotel.

The club celebrated its fifth birthday recently with 75 members turned up for the usual run followed afterwards by hot coffee and muffins at Virginia Circle.

Local running legend and one of the club’s founder members, Buzz Bolton, said the club now has five independent trails ranging from 6km to 8.5km, with three distinct running groups – one for the run/walk beginners, an intermediate group and a senior group for the more serious runners.

“It’s fantastic to see how quickly the club has grown in such a short space of time. Trail running in this part of greater Durban has given runners a unique opportunity to experience the natural beauty of the ecological sites right on our doorstep, places like Virginia and Danville bush and the Beachwood Mangroves.”

“Since the inception of the club, we have staged several successful events and we have become synonymous with trail running in Durban North,” said Bolton, who organises the three big runs each year in association with the uMhlanga Festivals.