Lipschitz is leading SA running into the future

Adam Lipschitz knows what it takes to go the distance. With a personal best of 2:07:22, he’s established himself as one of South Africa’s fastest marathon runners, but his ambitions extend well beyond his own race times and results. 

As the founder of the Social Runners Club and a race organiser determined to grow the sport, Lipschitz has turned his passion for running into something bigger than himself, earning him the Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award at the 2026 Investec Jewish Achiever Awards. 

Running a marathon in just over two hours is impressive, but Lipschitz’s success tells a broader story. His rise through South African distance running has required years of training, sacrifice, and persistence, while his growing influence off the road reflects his determination to leave the sport stronger than he found it. 

Lipschitz has run in hundreds of countries, almost always improving on his time. Most recently, he achieved a new record of two hours, seven minutes and 22 seconds at the Košice Peace Marathon in Slovakia, earning seventh place on the list of fastest South African marathon times ever recorded. 

In addition to running as an individual, Lipschitz founded the Social Runners Club, one of the biggest in the country, as a more flexible alternative to traditional running clubs. It’s essentially a “no-frills” club where people can get their Athletics South Africa licence and be part of a running community without having to attend time trials, meetings and group runs, or marshal races. 

“As a professional runner, it’s normally easier to join a corporate club, get paid well, and promote them. I decided against it. I started my own club with my own vision, and everything through the club is a reflection of me,” he says. 

The Social Runners Club caters to all levels, from people doing their first 5km to Comrades runners. It also organises social runs, training sessions, and road races in Durban and Umhlanga. 

Since the club’s founding in 2021, it has grown to more than 600 members around South Africa and organises four large races a year, reaching close to 5 000 people. It’s now the third biggest non-corporate running club in the country. Lipschitz has also brought in an element of tzedakah, connecting charities to events. 

“The Social Runners Club is a movement that looks to give back to those in need in the running community, whether through race entries or training kit and shoes,” he says. “I have expanded on my tzedakah and started adding charities to all events that we put on. 

“In my personal capacity, I have also improved my running times and am now placed at the top of nearly every distance in the country from 10km to 42km.” 

Though Lipschitz has travelled the globe for his sport, he wants to continue to grow running at home. “I believe South Africa has all the potential. I have travelled to hundreds of countries, yet there is nothing that compares to this country. The opportunities here are endless, and it is up to us, the new generation, to unlock its full potential,” he says. 

Coming third in one of the biggest 15km races in the world, in the United States, is something Lipschitz will never forget. 

“I had been going through a lot personally, and to overcome the mental effects to perform at the moment was a self-growth moment that I will never forget and never let happen again,” he says. 

Equally important in measuring his success is how much he’s able to give back. 

“Being able to be in a position to give tzedakah in all forms in the running world makes it enjoyable, and that to me is my measurement of success,” he says. 

One of his biggest challenges was being injured after university and not being able to run for a few years because of it. 

“It definitely hurt me and restricted me in business, mentally, and in life. However, the hardships and not being able to run definitely made me stronger mentally, and this showed in the growth of my businesses and in life,” he says. 

The competitiveness of running can also be a challenge, but he says this only fuels him. 

“A lot of people in the running world don’t want to see you succeed, and they will go out of their way to bring you down. The only way to deal with this is to become so big, so powerful in the industry that they end up throwing stones at a wall. Over the years, I have built a strong business and a strong brand that has made it hard for others to take me down,” he says. 

Lipschitz, with his rigorous schedule, explains that balance is of the utmost importance to him. “Being able to balance running, work, and entertainment has been a blessing, and I live a balanced life. My mindset has allowed me to know what is good and bad and at what time, and this has certainly assisted with my growth,” he says. 

The words Lipschitz lives by are: set a goal and never worry about the now. Tomorrow is another day to get better and move forward. 

“I never worry about how much money I can make from someone today; it’s the relationship that counts for the future down the line and how a partnership or transaction can be beneficial,” he says.