A Pitch for Running in Accra, by The Bald Runner Guy
Edudzi, known as The Bald Runner Guy, shares his personal journey with running in Accra from false starts and weight loss to run clubs and half marathons. This honest reflection explores discipline, community, and why Accra’s growing running culture might be more transformative than it looks.
Guest contribution by Edudzi.
My Many False Starts
You’d think I’d get tired of sharing my story, but I think it serves a purpose. So, allow me to subject you to it for the millionth time, if you have had the (dubious) honour of knowing me on the internet, or even worse, meeting me in person. If you haven’t, well: I am Edudzi, an average recreational runner based in Accra, Ghana. I’ve been running on and off for six to nine years, depending on who’s asking and how we’re counting. I say six to nine because I had multiple false starts. The earliest was actually over 13 years ago, back in high school, when my so-called friends deceived me into thinking I could do middle-distance running because I “had the Kenyan physique.” Long story short, I nearly died on my first (and only) attempt at the 1,500m. And that was just practice. Fast forward to August 2017, when I picked up running to lose weight. I started with alternating walk-runs (500m run, 500m walk, then repeat until I hit 2km) and it felt like hell. I hated it, but I kept pushing. Until one day, I ran about 4km straight without stopping. I felt like I was on top of the world. I could achieve anything I set my mind to. You know, the runner’s high. That day also happened to be my last day of running for about two years. I relapsed into sedentary living. It was just the more comfortable option.
A Breaking Point: Running for My Health
In November 2019, I was diagnosed with kidney stones. It wasn’t my first or second or third time dealing with it, but this was my breaking point. I had grown tired of being a passenger in my own life. I saw how alarmed and concerned my loved ones were. It was time to eat and live healthy. So, in December, I picked up running again. Almost every evening after work, I ran to the same music: Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial by Roddy Ricch. At my peak, I think I ran 12km without stopping.
COVID and My First Milestone
Then in March 2020, COVID happened. A blessing in disguise, as it turned out. My brother and I moved from Accra to our parents’ house in Cape Coast. There, we ran together almost every day, covering distances from 5km to 13km. My primary goal shifted from losing weight (I lost 26kg in total) to being faster and better. On July 25, 2020, I woke up and decided to run solo. I ran a half-marathon on my own. It felt like the greatest achievement of my life. The runner’s high hit again, harder this time, but with body pains in tow. First, I told my mom—who was clearly unimpressed—about this feat. Then I told the entire world. I was officially a runner; I had arrived.
The Slump and the Second Wind
Then the inevitable happened. The slump was real. Running a 10K became difficult, then a 5K. Eventually, even a 3K felt like punishment. Sometime between the late first and early second quarter of 2021, I stopped altogether. Not running was the easier option. In 2022, I had multiple false starts. I struggled to string more than one run a week together, in a good month. This went on until the end of the first quarter of 2023. Then, sometime in May or June that year, my friend Joewy asked if I wanted to train for a half-marathon. I stupidly said yes, and found, somewhere in those training runs, the version of myself I’d been chasing.
Accra’s Running Boom: From Fad to Community
I share this story from the inside, as someone deeply immersed in Accra’s growing running scene, because I’ve been on all sides of it: the dormant dud, the experimenter, the inconsistent runner, and the person I am today—the bald runner guy in Accra, as I’m often described. Depending on how much time you have, I could go on and on about run clubs, running “culture”, and people (especially women!) transitioning from sedentary living to walking, and, eventually, to running. When people on the sidelines call Accra’s running boom a fad, I actually agree with them. Not for the reasons they think, but because I relate to it beyond the surface of the statement. I had many false starts with running. That’s just life. Zooming in on me in those moments, you could have made a good case for it being a fad. People get into activities and hobbies, and more often than not, relapse into life before them. But for as long as they stay alive, they have multiple opportunities to rebound or to find another fitness activity that suits them.
The Reality Check: "Running is Hard"
Running is hard. That’s often how I start my pitch when I’m convincing anyone to get into running. “Running is hard,” then I go on to scare them some more. Which leads me to my next point about people allegedly getting into running because it’s the new cool thing. Does running look cool? Maybe. A big reason I have more running shoes than I need is because they look cool. Sometimes I colour-coordinate. Sometimes I like being known as the “runner guy.” But the coolness ends at the start line. The actual activity gets borderline ugly. It makes you question yourself more than a reasonable number of times, especially as a beginner. You know how you get into a new hobby with excitement, then get hit with the quiet depression of realizing that you’re terrible at it? Running is like that, except you also feel like you’re actually dying. That’s also part of my pitch to people curious about getting into running, by the way. I know, I should get into this motivational speaker thing. Still on the subject of running to look cool, I’m pretty sure it’s fine to “look cool” if it means improving your cardiovascular fitness. And on people joining run clubs for the vibes and the social aspect: when was Accra ever apologetic for being social? Did something change? Being social is good and healthy. It’s like a free add-on to the health benefits of running.
Gravity Assists: The Magic of Run Clubs
Also, anyone who has attended a run club in Accra knows how empowering it feels. I know too many people (especially beginners) who have broken their personal best times during group runs. Run clubs have a way of dragging you along, past your perceived limits. I’m no exception. I joined one in January 2025, and it showed me, just by watching and chasing after faster runners, exactly how much better I could be. It played a big role in me shattering my half-marathon time by over 35 minutes, after running similar times for two years in a row. That’s not just my story; it’s shared by anyone in Accra who’s had the benefit of attending a run club. They’re like a gravity assist. I acknowledge my biases as an overly excited running enthusiast, but It’s hard to not acknowledge the net benefits of attempting to get into running or joining a run club.
Getting Started: The 500m Walk-Run Plan
So, this is how my pitch comes together. If you’ve thought about getting into running, you absolutely should. Four times a week, but three is fine too. Get some running shoes and start with a defined walk-run structure. If you’re simple like me, begin with a 500m run/500m walk plan and gradually decrease the walking and increase the running over several weeks, until you can cover 5K without stopping. If you get tired too quickly, it means you’re running too fast. If you want something more structured and dynamic, consider apps like Runkeeper, Runna, or Nike Run Club, which give you access to coaches and training plans.
Join the Tribe: Run Clubs and Races
Then join a run club. They’re a great way to calibrate, find motivation, and improve. They taught me the importance of stretching and warming up before a run (embarrassing to admit, I know). They gave me new targets to aspire to. In Accra, there’s the Runner Alliance, 7Even Run Club, Tse Addo Run Club, Accra Active, Vine/RandR Wellness Run Club, Mundo, and more. There’s something to look forward to almost every weekend. Also, sign up for a race! I can’t overstate how pivotal this is for overcoming lethargic mornings, building consistency, and hitting your goals. The best and worst part of any race is the training leading up to it. I think people are robbing themselves of the real experience by running a race without training. Your crossing the finish line should hold a story.
Just Lace Up and Start
There is a lot to say to someone who wants to get into running. The stretching and warm-up routine, ideal shoes, pacing, heart rate zones, training blocks, breathing, diet, hydration, safety, and more. So much to say. Those are a learning process, things I’m still figuring out. For now, just lace up, stretch, start, stop, and start again as many times as life offers.
Ready to Start Running?
If this story nudged you even slightly, don’t overthink it.Join a run club. Show up. Start slow. Stay longer than you think you can. You can discover upcoming sessions and join communities like:
Find your pace. Find your people.
Explore running clubs on Gaderin.