Founded in 1983, Run/Walk for Life is South Africa’s leading Health and Fitness Company, with over 100 franchises located throughout the country. Run/Walk For Life is a typical Franchise business, with Franchises being individually owned and run by franchisees, who operate under licence from the Franchisor, Run/Walk For Life International. Run/Walk for life was born out of an attempt to meet the needs of sedentary people as well as to promote well being through exercise. Despite there being numerous athletics clubs and gyms catering for the needs of seasoned and already fit athletes, the exercise needs of unfit, overweight and/or unhealthy people were not well catered for. Before one could join your local running club or enter the gym, one had to get fit and into shape!!!! Run/Walk For Life was set up to cater for this huge group of people – those who are currently a little out of shape , want to get fit and shed a few kilograms, but feel uncomfortable and/or intimidated by joining the local gym or running club. The programme is successful in not only alleviating most of the apprehensions of sedentary people, also in also providing constructive guidance for members who have remained on the programme long after completing the beginner’s level – many of them progressing to participate in events such as the Comrades marathon. In 1983, a Medical Doctor was invited to head a research programme into running and the project was initiated with a series of published articles to recruit interested parties. Applicants had to be male executives, aged between 30 and 40 and had to have been sedentary for at least five years. The research subjects would run three times a week at specified times at one locality. The applicants had often led adverse lifestyles and were sedentary, obese, smokers and often had excessive alcohol intake and stress. They had a number of apprehensions about and lack of knowledge of exercise in general and running in particular; how to start, the required progression of distance, physical discomfort and boredom, self consciousness about physique or style, concernes about spending recreational time away from their families and fear of precipitating a variety of disorders.

Address: 39, Astor Road, Klevehill Park, Petervale, Gauteng
Telephone: +27 11 367-9400
Fax: +27 11 367-9411
Website: http://www.rwfl.co.za/