A Message from Shaun Keeling

I didn’t choose Comrades. Comrades chose me — long before I ever laced up a pair of running shoes.

My grandfather ran 17 Comrades. Seventeen. My father ran 26. To me, these were more than numbers on a medal, they were dinner table conversations, a  Sunday morning ritual, and the backdrop to my entire childhood. The race was something our family lived.

So far, I have run two, with hopefully a lot more to go. The first with my dad, side by side on a road he knew better than most. The second with my wife, a shared experience I’ll carry for the rest of my life. Three generations and countless kilometres.

And here’s what I’ve come to understand: every single person who has ever run Comrades carries a story like mine. Or different from mine, but no less powerful. The first-timer who didn’t think they could. The veteran who came back for one more. The family member cheering at Drummond in the dark. Every story matters. Every story has the power to move someone off the couch, out the door, and onto the road.

That’s what this Race is about is about. Not just finishing, but inspiring.

EasyEquities Born2Run, more than a Club

EasyEquities has been linked to Born2Run for a long time . Our relationship with the club isn’t a recent marketing decision, it’s a long-standing commitment to running, fitness, community, and the belief that South Africans deserve access to the things that make life better. Whether that’s investing in your financial future or investing in your health, the values are the same.

We’ve supported this club because we believe in what it stands for, as a business and as people who run alongside you. Literally.
 

Carel Nolte: From Founding Member to Race Day Chairman 

If you know Born2Run, you know Carel Nolte. He has been part of the Comrades team from the very beginning.

Carel is our Chief Engagement Officer at Purple Group, the parent company of EasyEquities. The title says something about what he does: he connects people. He builds community. He shows up. And nowhere is that more evident than his relationship with Born2 Run, a club he has been part of since its founding.

This year, Carel takes on a role that couldn’t be more fitting: Race Day Chairman of the Comrades Marathon. In a remarkable twist, the Comrades chairman, vice chairman, and previous chairman are all running the race themselves, which means Carel steps into the chair role on the day, overseeing one of sport’s great human dramas from a unique vantage point.

And what does the Race Day Chairman do, among other things? He hands out medals.

Carel cannot wait to do so. For every finisher who crosses that line, but especially for the members of EasyEquities Born2Run, and for everyone in the broader EasyEquities community who will be running on that day. When you cross the finish line and a familiar face is there to place that medal around your neck, know that it means as much to him as it does to you.

Our 50 Starters

Between them, these 50 athletes carry a remarkable collective history of Comrades finishes: Silver medals, Bill Rowans, Robert Mtshalis, Bronzes, and Vic Claphams earned across decades of running.

Milestones to Watch in 2026

Some of our members are chasing history this year. Keep an eye on:

• Nuno Thomaz — Going for his 25th Comrades finish — a Green Number. A life’s work on the road.
• Paolo de Freitas — Going for a Double Green (20 finishes). Already 19 in the bank.
• Adél Thomaz — Going for her Green 10 — a decade of Comrades medals.
• Winston Warries — Also chasing his Green 10. Nine and counting.

Seven Novices Going for Their First Medal

Seven of our 50 starters will be running their very first Comrades. No medal in the collection. No experience of the road from Pietermaritzburg. Just the training, the trust, and the courage to start.

To our novices: you are exactly why this race matters. Go find out what you’re made of.

 How We’re Supporting Our Runners

The club will be out on the road supporting our runners at a few points along the route — Drummond at 43km and Camperdown at 63km — so keep an eye out for a familiar face when you need it most. At the finish, we’ll have a club tent where members, supporters, and families can meet up, celebrate, and soak it all in together.

Every Story Inspires

Fifty runners. Fifty stories. And after Sunday, fifty more reasons for someone watching to believe they could do it too.

That’s the magic of Comrades. It transforms the people who witness it. Whether you’re cheering from the roadside, watching at home, or reading this blog — someone on that road this Sunday will move you. Will make you think. Will make you lace up.

To our 50 starters: we are proud of every single one of you. Run your race. Trust your training. And know that your whole community is behind you — from the start gun in Durban to the finish line in PMB.

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