Xolani Luvuno – the Comrades non-finisher who left a legacy

Since it was launched in 1921, the Comrades Marathon has provided a platform for countless people to showcase the power of the human spirit.

Already a gruelling battle, the 89km journey in KwaZulu-Natal is enough of a battle in itself, but some individuals have gone a whole lot further, tackling their own unique challenges on top of the ultra-distance race.

After winning the event in 1931, at the age of 19, Phil Masterton-Smith was eager to compete again in 1933.

He couldn’t afford the train fare to get to Pietermaritzburg, however, so he cycled from Cape Town. Despite arriving exhausted at the start, he went on to finish 10th.

His remarkable feat has been recognised in recent years by the Unogwaja fundraising challenge, with a group of cyclists riding from the Mother City to KZN ahead of the race.

In 2014, in an equally remarkable battle of endurance, Hilton Murray became the first person to complete the Ten10 Challenge.

A 47-year-old amateur runner from Cape Town, Murray covered 90km a day for nine days in a row before finishing the Comrades on day 10.

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While Murray was motivated by raising money for charity, and Masterton-Smith was driven by his desire not to waste his hard work in training, other individuals have had different reasons for lifting the bar.

British athlete Richard Whitehead did it just to prove he could, and to give hope to others who have had to overcome similar disabilities.

A four-time Paralympic medallist in sprint events, double amputee Whitehead completed the ‘down’ run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in 2007.

However, of all the people who have stood out among the Comrades participants over the last century – and there are many – one emerges just a little above the rest.

Few who watched the race in 2018 will forget witnessing Xolani Luvuno as he moved steadily through the notoriously challenging course which is packed with steep, unforgiving hills.

A single-leg amputee who used crutches, Luvuno completed the race outside the 12-hour time limit, after starting early, and was therefore not awarded a medal, so he was not recognised as an official Comrades finisher.

But he was more than just an unofficial participant. That day, he proved he was a winner in every sense of the word.

Luvuno died under disappointing circumstances this week, after an apparent struggle to overcome a drug addiction, but his achievement at Comrades has ensured he leaves behind a legacy. May he rest in peace.