DJ Run
DJ Run is our annual running event. It is part of our campaign to create awareness of the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
Video of Co-Founders Daniel van der Merwe and Gareth Kropman talking about where DJ Run started.
Join the cause
What is DJ Run
DJ Run is an annual event that is hosted by Watch Me Rise. The aim is to spread awareness of the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.
The core behind DJ Run is fitness, because with a healthy body comes a healthy mind.
All exercises are included. Anything that will help to get the endorphins up, getting the brain into a positive state. Endorphins are fantastic to get you into a positive mindset. And a positive mindset means everything in life.
In 2020, we took it online by hosting our first virtual event, because of the pandemic. Since then we decided to keep the event virtual as it allowed anyone around the world to participate.
Join us, join the cause, and join the fight to raise mental health awareness. Let’s prevent suicide together.
Run for a cause
How did DJ Run start?
DJ Run started officially in 2018 as a mental health awareness campaign to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
It was initially started by Braden Murphy and Ryan Theron in 2017. They chose to run the distance he would have been on his birthday had he not passed. He would’ve been 28 and so they thought: “Let’s go and do a 28-kilometer run”… and they did it!
“I thought it was beautiful and an absolutely amazing idea. I really enjoyed the concept and asked in 2018: “Are you guys happy for me to try and run with this?”. Bearing in mind, my brother was not an energizer bunny, at all! I could just imagine him sitting up there having a beer and looking at us and going, “What are you guys doing?!” But you know what? 2018 came around, we put the message out there and we had quite a few followers coming and joining us.” – Gareth Kropman, co-founder of Watch Me Rise.
And year on year it’s grown. It’s been amazing to see how people get together, not just to run, but also to help out. It’s really, really amazing to see it come together.
