Denver’s journey of recovery, resilience and remarkable courage

At CN&CO we’re constantly inspired by the stories of the people who run the Comrades Marathon. Our founder, Carel Nolte, has run the Ultimate Human Race three times and sits on the board of the Comrades Marathon Association, so these stories are extra-special for us. Every runner has a reason, every reason has a story and many of those stories are profound – like this article we posted recently about Indian runner Suresh Welankar.

Another of these remarkable stories belongs to Denver van der Bergh, a recovering addict turned cum laude graduate from the Cape Flats, who is currently on a mission to run from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg – a journey of more than 1 600 km over 35 consecutive days. His journey is set to end at the ultimate test of endurance: the Comrades Marathon on 8 June.

Now more than 1 200 km into his run, Denver recently passed through Umtata, carrying with him a message of hope, healing and human potential. Having overcome 25 years of addiction, he is celebrating five years of sobriety by raising funds for the rehabilitation centre that helped save his life.

His story is one of extraordinary transformation. From the depths of addiction, homelessness and incarceration, to earning a cum laude business administration degree, Denver now works at one of South Africa’s top investment companies and devotes his time to breaking the stigma around substance abuse.

“I want people to know there’s always hope,” he says. “No matter how far gone you think you are, it’s never too late.”

His journey has been supported by friends, fellow runners, and organisations like the Celtic Harriers Running Club, which is donating R10 per kilometre he completes. He’s also launched a BackaBuddy campaign to raise R500 000 for the Ramot Treatment Centre, enabling others in need to access support.

“At CN&CO, we’re proud to share stories like Denver’s – stories that remind us why we run, why we cheer and why the Comrades is more than a race,” says Carel. “It’s a movement.”