On Sunday 8 June, two FABIans proudly represented the Institute in the 98^th edition of the world-famous Comrades Marathon; this year’s being a challenging Down Run. This year’s course covered 89.98km from the start at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to Durban’s People’s Park near the Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Steven Shange completed his fifth Comrades Marathon in an outstanding time of 7:14:54, earning his fourth Silver Medal. Joining him on the journey was Josias Letaoana, who ran his first-ever Comrades Marathon and finished in a commendable time of 8:01:19, proudly securing a Bill Rowan Medal awarded to participants that complete the race in under nine hours.

FABI congratulates both athletes on their remarkable achievements. Their perseverance, passion, and discipline are an inspiration – reflecting the very values that drive excellence in research within the FABI community and running.

Both runners expressed deep appreciation for the support they received:

“The encouragement from colleagues, friends and families, both on the road and behind the scenes, made a big difference. Thank you to everyone who cheered us on – we carried your support every step of the way.” – Josias and Steven.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, whose support made this incredible experience possible, and to our training partners: Nhlonipho Ngubane, Sizwe Mthembu, Nomfundo Shinga and Fanele Hlabisa.