A runner from Williersdorf, Justin Hendrix, has become an internet sensation thanks to his energetic running videos and signature greeting, 'Rise up and smell the coffee!'
Now that he is taking morning runs through Williersdorf, his presence is noticed everywhere. The phrase 'Good morning, good morning, good morning, rise up and smell the coffee!' has become the calling card of the 23-year-old man, which is now repeated by public transport passengers, farmers, and schoolchildren who notice him in the city.
Hendrix reported that he started filming running videos about four months ago, using this phrase while filming himself on the streets of Williersdorf. He noted that the phrase was originally inspired by another runner.
However, local residents quickly picked up on the idea. Soon, passengers, farmers working on tractors, domestic workers heading to work, and students going to school became familiar with his videos on TikTok and Facebook. Now, when they see Justin running, they respond to him with this phrase.
He usually runs in the morning and finds it wonderful to watch people start their day happily. Recently, Justin raised the level of his passion by running a 33 km route from Williersdorf to Worcester.
Although his videos look energetic, there is a deeper story behind them. Justin shared that last October he went through one of the darkest periods of his life after his plans to work on a yacht in Italy failed due to a visa refusal. At that time, he felt very depressed and lacked passion for anything.
Afterward, he participated in the 75 Hard challenge, which includes two workouts a day. After a month and a half, he registered for a half marathon. Since then, he has not stopped running, stating that he has learned a lot of discipline, and that starting to run was one of the best decisions of his life.
This journey inspired Justin to create the running club 'Wake Up And Smell The Coffee Running Club,' which is now based in Williersdorf. He plans to launch the club on October 15, 2026, marking the anniversary of the start of his running journey. His goal is to attract young people to running, and the club will also host events specifically aimed at young people to give them a sense of community and belonging.
For Justin, this sense of community already transcends language barriers. He recalled an instance where a young boy from the Khosa people could not pronounce the phrase 'Wake Up And Smell The Coffee,' but someone translated it, and the boy repeated it in the Khosa language, which he called a beautiful moment of overcoming a language barrier.