The Bearded Brothers, Cape Town

Rae Trew-Browne, Founder

When I used to run on my own in the past, I was so concerned with following a structured training programme – running X distance at such-and-such a pace – that the little frozen streams on top of Table Mountain, and the snow in the Cederberg, might have passed me by.

But founding a casual running group, The Bearded Brothers, has helped me to realise that what’s actually important is enjoying the experience of running: getting out in the mountains, meeting new friends, and enjoying the scenery.

The Bearded Brothers started out as a blog that reviewed trail-running gear. Co-founder Theo Naude and I were close friends beforehand, and had always enjoyed the mountains and hanging out together. Both of us have beards and like drinking coffee.

We started taking action photos of products when we ran in the mountains; but it became more than that. Our backdrop was always a rad landscape, like Jonkershoek, Victoria Peak or the Cederberg, and by sharing our scenic images on social media, we were showing people what’s out there; clouds, forests and mountains. Our images inspired others to get out there and see these places with their own eyes. That – and the rise in popularity of trail running, beards and coffee! – inspired them to join us.

Nowadays, we’re a bunch of five or six friends who run together – some with beards, some without. The most important thing is that it’s completely organic: there’s no membership list, and in fact I don’t think the guys even know they are Bearded Brothers. It’s too relaxed to call it a group.

Aged between 21 and 40, most of us work in the creative industries. Our running experience ranges from guys who’ve been running for around a year, to those who’ve been doing hard-core mountain races
for years.

Most of us don’t particularly look like your ‘average’ runner: sometimes we’ll wear collared check shirts, which goes against the norm of poly shorts and skin-tight tops. We have tattoos, and we aren’t clean-cut and shaven. You do get a lot of hipsters working in the creative industries, so it’s not like we’re trying to look like that on purpose for our group; our image is merely a reflection of the subcultures we’re already involved in – and I suppose wearing what feels comfortable gets right back to the roots of running.

When we’re training and running together, we’re not stressed about hitting a pace. It’s all about enjoying the experience, meeting new friends, and then sharing photos after the run over coffee, and brainstorming our next adventure.

As a result, I’ve learned to relax. It’s great getting to the end of a run without feeling disappointed about my pace.

One of my friends, Chris Walley, ran with me for the last 20 kilometres of the PUFfeR Trail Run. I was tired and dizzy, and occasionally, even falling asleep. I felt safer knowing Chris was there – especially once when I stumbled, and he caught me before I fell backwards. Without Chris’s support, I probably would’ve bowed out of the race at Constantia Nek.

Most of the guys came to my bachelor’s. We hiked to Tafelberg, and once there we slept in a cave.
Like I said, we were friends before we started running together. But in many ways, my experiences in the mountains with my friends have completely changed how I approach running.

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