News24 | Twelve women running relay across SA to set world record and raise funds

Twelve South African women are attempting a world record by running more than 2 160km from Musina to Cape Agulhas in just over a week.

• Twelve South African women are attempting a world record by running more than 2 160km from Musina to Cape Agulhas in just over a week.
• The run aims to raise funds for Dynamic Women for Children, an organisation that supports underprivileged children across South Africa.
• The team runs in two 12-hour relay shifts, with each woman covering two kilometres at a time, braving road closures, extreme heat and tough sleep schedules.

Twelve women. More than 2 160km. One charity.

This is the recipe for a world-record attempt by a group of South African women who are running across the country to raise funds for charity.

Their goal is to complete the distance between Musina and Cape Agulhas in just over a week in an attempt to set a world record and raise funds for Dynamic Women for Children (DWFC), a non-profit organisation that provides holistic support to underprivileged children across South Africa.

The mammoth task has been taken on by women around the county, who have teamed up to run in two 12-hour shifts. Each woman completes two kilometres at a time as part of the relay team, completing between 16 and 18 kilometres in her shift.

DWFC has previously held walks from Pretoria to Cape Town (more than 1 400 km in just three weeks) to raise awareness and funds, but this year they decided to run from South Africa’s northernmost to its southernmost point.

DWFC said:

One of the runners is Maryke Nel, from Pretoria. Nel, who has completed two of the walks from Pretoria to Cape Town, said she couldn’t refuse the opportunity to be part of the world record team.

Women from all over South Africa

“We have 12 amazing women on board with our crew, which is the heart and soul that’s keeping us all alive. This all just came from this dream, not a dream for ourselves, but for the children of South Africa. You need to do something beyond yourself, and bigger than yourself, to create change for children,” she said.

Nel said that one of the highlights of the experience was meeting women from all over the country.

“We just came together and made it work. Everyone had this strong calling to be part of this project. We are spread all around South Africa and I think that makes it even more powerful because it’s not just people from one community, it’s people from all over with the same purpose to create change.”

Still in the first half of the endeavour, Nel said the women have already faced the challenges of unexpected road closures, delays, extremely hot conditions, and spending time in close quarters. The teams are also adjusting to new sleep schedules, with shifts running from noon to midnight. But many of the small moments – making coffee or refilling water bottles – serve as team-building exercises.

“There are always challenges. But I think everyone’s mindset is on the right path that the challenges aren’t going to hold us back. There are many more highlights than challenges,” she said.

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A personal favourite is the “glitter party” the women have before starting their running shift every day, where they help each other “get glittered and sparkled”.

She said:

“It’s such a privilege to be able to run through South Africa on roads. There are some moments where I’m in awe of what I’m doing. This is much bigger than me. It’s so special.”

The women are expected to arrive at Cape Algulhas on 8 March.

To donate, visit DWFC’s GivenGain page.

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