Who: Running Late Club
Where: Cape Town, Atlantic Seaboard – check the socials
When: Wednesday: winter 5.45pm, summer 6pm / Friday: 6am / Saturday: bi/monthly long run – check the socials
Distances: Wed 3, 5, 7km; Fri 5, 8km; Sat 10 to 25km plus
Contact: Wayne le Roux, Grace le Roux, info@runninglateclub.com
Website: Get all the details here!
Socials: @runninglateclub (Cape Town and Global)

Every running club has a Brad, a Chad and a Britney. Running Late Club (Pty) Ltd is a social running club based in Cape Town, with chapters in Amsterdam and Dublin; my own Brad is a captain there, which either makes me deeply unqualified to write this or the most qualified person in Cape Town. You decide. Either way, Running Late has built itself a reputation as one of the biggest clubs in the city; and depending on who you ask, one of the biggest dating pools too.

The Vibe: RLC members will be the first to tell you they’re not really a running club. They are a movement, apparently, and a brand, and a place to belong, which explains why half of Cape Town seems to have run with them, dated someone from them, or both. I fall into the second category, and possibly the first, soon, if I want to earn brownie points. 

There is no hierarchy at the start line, no quiet sizing up; just a mass of people in good kit, pretending they’re only there for the fitness. Some are. Most are also very aware of who else has pitched up at Saunders Rock that evening. The banter is constant, the group photo is mandatory, and somewhere in the crowd a Brad is definitely locking eyes with a Britney over a pre-run stretch. I would know.

Philosophy:  The club was started in 2018 by Wayne le Roux, who had just turned 30 and was quietly struggling with his mental health, at a time when men were not exactly encouraged to talk about that sort of thing. He figured getting physically healthy might help him get mentally healthy, so he gathered a few friends, and… well, actually it started as a boxing club. But a gym contract is a bigger barrier to entry than a pair of running shoes, so they swapped gloves for laces.

Now Running Late Club exists on the belief that it is never too late to start something, whether that’s a running habit or a forgotten dream. Or, evidently, a relationship. 

As they say at RLC: ‘Rather Late Than Never’ – not just a motto, it’s basically the club’s entire personality.

Runs: In summer, meet at Saunders Rock, Sea Point and The Glen, Clifton; in winter, The Deck, Mouille Point. Location changes are communicated via Instagram, Facebook, Strava, WhatsApp and the RLC website.

Wednesdays are for short runs, various options so beginners don’t have to keep up with Two Oceans entrants. Fridays, early morning, two options. Saturdays are (sometimes) for Late Breakfast Club, an occasional long run depending on the season and the race calendar. 

There’s also a midweek football match, a Thursday-morning swim session, and a summer strength class; apparently, running alone was never going to be enough for this crowd.

In the clubhouse: RLC doesn’t have one clubhouse so much as a rotating cast of Atlantic Seaboard hotspots. The summer venues have sea views good enough to distract you from your heart rate. Winter shifts things to The Deck in Mouille Point, with track sessions at Green Point Track keeping everyone honest. 

Members: 2018’s small group of friends has grown into one of the city’s biggest social running communities. RLC has since expanded internationally, along the way picking up partnerships with some of the world’s leading sports and lifestyle brands. Rather Late Than Never also applies to global domination, it seems.

Big Dog’s Takeaway:  RLC will absolutely get you fit, but let’s not pretend that’s the only reason half of Cape Town shows up every Wednesday. This is a club that runs on community, banter and a fairly high probability of leaving with more than just a new PB. I can personally confirm the club works exactly as advertised. Rather late than never; clearly, I was right on time.

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