Runners: Tau Puling and Mpho Rafedile

Photographs: Tobias Ginsberg

Best Time To Run
Year-round. Brisk winter mornings can be just as invigorating as balmy summer sunrises.

Terrain
Running through the streets of South Africa’s most famous township makes for some tough days out. There are plenty of hills to challenge the legs; and for out-of-towners, the altitude can leave you short of breath.

The Experience
Soweto is world reknowned, for its role in South Africa’s political history and for its famous residents – none more famous than those who lived in Vilakazi Street, Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.

But it’s also been a breeding ground for some of SA’s greatest runners. Running is big here, and groups like the Soweto Marathon Club, Orlando Athletics Club, Diepkloof Athletics Club, the Soweto Cabal and the Mofolo parkrun have helped drive the growth of running among the 1.2 million residents.

A run in Soweto offers myriad sights and sounds: runners make their way past famous landmarks, vast murals, donkey carts and a bustling formal and informal economy, all joining to make Soweto the unique place it is.

For the locals, running takes many forms, from dawn patrols for early-morning devotees to afternoon track sessions on soccer fields, where youngsters are taught by the more experienced.

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