Adnaan Mohamed
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), in partnership with the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), hosted its annual Spirit of Comrades Awards Gala in Durban on Friday, 24 October 2025.
This prestigious celebration pays tribute to the heart and soul of The Ultimate Human Race, recognising the selflessness, courage, perseverance, and Ubuntu that define the Comrades Marathon.
A cherished tradition since 1996, the GEMS Spirit of Comrades Awards honour three extraordinary individuals each year, not only for their running achievements but for exemplifying the true spirit of humanity that makes the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon legendary.
Each recipient receives a one-ounce pure gold medallion, symbolising their golden contribution to the Comrades legacy.
Louis Massyn’s 50th Comrades: A Golden Finish to a Lifetime of Grit
Louis Massyn has run his way into history books and hearts alike. On his 75th birthday, the Comrades Marathon veteran received the first-ever Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Lifetime Achievement Award, marking an unprecedented milestone: 50 Comrades Marathons completed.
It’s a record as rare as a blue moon over Polly Shorts, forged through decades of sweat, resolve, and an unbreakable bond with The Ultimate Human Race.
“I was hooked,” Massyn recalls of his first Comrades back in 1973, and hooked he remained for the next half-century.
Year after year, while others came and went, Massyn laced up and showed up. He clocked 47 consecutive finishes from 1973 to 2019, then, after the pandemic hiatus, added three more from 2023 to 2025 to reach that golden tally — at the age of 74. His lifetime commitment to the Comrades is a masterclass in resilience, grit, and grace.
CMA Chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo described his achievement as “beyond extraordinary,” adding: “This award honours an athlete who has delivered exceptional performances over an extended period of time, or broken a significant milestone or barrier associated with the Comrades Marathon. Louis has done both.”
The 2025 GEMS Spirit of Comrades Awards Gala, hosted in Durban in partnership with the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), once again celebrated runners and volunteers who embody the race’s soul, selflessness, perseverance and Ubuntu.
“GEMS is proud to partner with the Comrades Marathon Association in celebrating the Spirit of Comrades,” said Dr Vuyo Gqola, GEMS Chief Operations Officer.
“This partnership aligns with our mission to promote health and wellness and embodies our commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, can pursue their dreams.”
This year, the CMA received 368 nominations, recognising stories that remind the world why Comrades is called The Ultimate Human Race. Alongside Massyn, several other heroes of heart and humanity took centre stage.
Celebrating the Spirit of Humanity
Sphamandla “Spha” Maduna, who has cerebral palsy, turned heads and touched hearts when he completed his first Comrades in 10:52:46, proving that “disability does not mean inability.”
Prince Nemutanzhela, a novice from Irene Athletic Club, ran the race just weeks after surviving a violent home invasion that claimed his friend’s life and left his wife injured. Finishing in 11:48:41, he became a living symbol of courage over tragedy.
Pogiso Maroku, a soldier from the Pretoria Military Marathon Club, embodied the Comrades creed of camaraderie when he sacrificed his own race time to help an older fellow soldier across the line, despite running injured himself.
The night also honoured those who continue to uplift the Comrades community beyond the road. Bob Norris, long-time Daily Dispatch journalist and veteran of the press tent, was named CMA Journalist of the Year for decades of storytelling that kept the Comrades flame alive.
Philanthropist runner Mahesh Ratanjee earned Top Charity Fundraiser of the Year after raising over R320,000 for the Community Chest, continuing his mission to support children’s development in memory of his late daughter.
The newly introduced Top Club to Raise Funds for Charity Award went to Run Zone Athletics Club, whose members collectively raised R176,267 through the Race4Charity initiative.
Portuguese ultrarunner Tiago Dionisio was crowned Top International Ambassador, recognised for his global promotion of the Comrades brand and his epic fundraising rides from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg.
From Texas, Steven Maliszewski received the inaugural Hermes Award for his tireless advocacy for the Ethembeni School, having raised over R1.5 million since 2012.
The CMA Chairperson’s Award went to Pie-Pacifique Kabalira-Uwase, a Rwandan genocide survivor who rose from car guard to banker and, this year, a Comrades finisher in 11:58:45, symbolising the indomitable human spirit.
Finally, Long Service Awards honoured Lauretta Dunn (45 years of volunteer service), and long-time partners Biddulphs International and Form-scaff, for their decades of logistical and structural support that keep the race running like clockwork.
As Ngcobo summed up, “The incredible stories shared tonight reflect the very soul of the Comrades, ordinary people doing extraordinary things.”
And at the centre of it all stood Louis Massyn, the man who has run fifty Comrades and outpaced time itself. On his 75th birthday, with the road behind him and a nation cheering him on, he showed the world that endurance isn’t about distance, it’s about heart.
