Tank Magazine




Urban Sportsmen
For The City Dwellers Who Can't Sit Still


Take Run Dem Crew the running club that claims not to be a running club but, rather, a growing family of dedicated enthusiasts. It is led by poet, teacher and DJ, Charlie Dark, formerly of Attica Blues and black culture organisation Blacktronica. Dark founded Run Dem Crew in 2007 with an aim to unite the mass of young creative people he had met through teaching. RDC strongly emphasises community values with respect embedded throughout.
Affectionately known as Papa Run, Dark also mentors the RDC Youngers for Nikes Run To The Beat half marathon. A group of 20 selected 16 to 24-year-olds are trained from sofa to finish line over the course of 16 weeks. The project intends to provide them with the tools to change their lives through sport and creativity. Dark believes that if you can run a distance that you've only ever driven, imagined or ridden on a bus, you can achieve anything you want in life.

Clarke now hosts free classes in public parks and uploads regular demo videos, allowing anyone to follow his workout sessions. His YouTube channel has already received more than 20,000 hits. Recognising the pulling power of a famous face, Clarke likes to persuade his celebrity clients, including grime MCs and TV personalities, to feature in the videos.
Clarke sees fitness as a freedom, an escape from everyday drama and an opportunity to regain focus.

The Spartan Fam Team is run by Chaka Clarke, a 24-year-old, ex-soldier who served in Iraq. He campaigns for young Londoners to take up bodyweight training and join, an army of ambassadors to inspire others. Initiated by a colleagues tragic death last summer the two were training in a park when his friend was shot Clarke is determined to help improve the lives of young people. Shortly after his friends death, he moved from Leeds to London believing that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Clarke now hosts free classes in public parks and uploads regular demo videos, allowing anyone to follow his workout sessions. His YouTube channel has already received more than 20,000 hits. Recognising the pulling power of a famous face, Clarke likes to persuade his celebrity clients, including grime MCs and TV personalities, to feature in the videos.

Clarke sees fitness as a freedom, an escape from everyday drama and an opportunity to regain focus.
Dark and Clarke possess all the right elements to increase their following. They are clued in with the underground music scene, have the latest trainers, and boast the necessary skills to motivate those looking to change their ways. If, as sports officials believe, this years Olympics will popularise sport throughout the UK, then Run Dem Crew and Spartan Fam are successfully democratising it in the heart of the host city.

Text Elle Hankinson
www.rundemcrew.com
www.spartanfam.tumblr.com
All Images Copyright David Shama 2019