Who: Dolphin Coast Striders, aka “The Pod”
Where: Clubhouse: 9 Dolphin Crescent, Ballito, KZN
When: Thurs 17:30 – 4km & 8km TT | Tue, Thurs, Sat, Sun from 05:00 – Group runs
Chairman: Mike Morgan
Captain: Nic Acampora
Website: Dolphin Coast Striders

The next club we profile is the Dolphin Coast Striders, based in Ballito on the KZN North Coast. The club celebrates its 40th this year, and sometimes their reputation as a drinking club with a running problem precedes them. There’s some truth in it; I’ve seen them at races.

The Vibe

Dolphins travel in pods, and so do Dolphin Coast Striders. The pod has a way of making complete strangers feel like they’ve been members forever. Whether you’re chasing a Comrades silver or run-walking your first 5km, someone will introduce themselves, and someone will wait for you. Someone will also definitely convince you to stay for ‘just one drink’ afterwards. Spoiler alert: it’s seldom just one.

The banter is plentiful, the competition is healthy, and there’s just enough chirping to keep every Chad’s (or Brad’s) ego in check. This club celebrates the runner who finally made it up the hill without walking just as loudly as podium finishes and PBs; around here every achievement gets a cheer. Even Brad’s (or Chad’s), and he’ll be insufferable about it.

The Philosophy 

“Community first. Pod Pride. Every runner belongs.” It’s simple, and that’s the point. Dolphin Coast Striders has never been about who’s fastest; it’s about showing up for each other, week after week, decade after decade. Says chairman Mike Morgan: “The strength of our club has never been measured by how fast we run, but by how we support one another. Forty years on, that’s still what makes the Pod special.”

The Runs

Thursday evening time trials are the heartbeat of the Pod, bringing together runners of every age and ability so you can test your legs and your nerves in one go. And four days a week, groups head out from the clubhouse from 5am; there are routes and pace groups for everyone from beginners to seasoned marathoners, so nobody gets dropped by a Brad on a tempo mission.

Twice a year the club runs its Kickstart Programme, taking people from the couch to their first 10km with guided runs, strength training and plenty of encouragement. If you’ve been ‘meaning to start’ since 2019, this is for you.

Training builds towards Comrades, Two Oceans, and North Coast favourites. The big one on the calendar is the Balwin Sport Dolphin Coast Marathon, when the entire Pod rallies behind runners, volunteers and supporters alike.

The Members

The Pod is home to more than 500 members, and 2026 has been a big year. On top of the 40th anniversary, the club welcomed its first official Elite Athlete, Annie Bothma. And an incredible 133 members finished this year’s Comrades Marathon – 31 of them first-timers.

As proud as they are of those milestones, the club will tell you they don’t define it. What makes DCS special is the people who turn up week after week to encourage, support and celebrate one another.

The Clubhouse

At DCS, the run is really just the warm-up. After every Thursday TT, the clubhouse fills with runners swapping stories, planning the next race, celebrating milestones and debating who actually had the toughest run. In a corner, Chad explains negative splits to Britney. She didn’t ask. But it’s the kind of place where you pop in for 15 minutes and somehow leave after sunset.

Some clubs have been around for 20 years and feel old. DCS has been around for 40 years and still feels like the best party on the North Coast. Come for the TT, stay for the ‘one drink’, and leave as a fully fledged member of the Pod. 

Just don’t try to leave before sunset. Nobody ever does.

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