Leadership, renewal and the road to 2027

By Carel Nolte

The Comrades Marathon AGM held on 29 November 2025 at Carter High in Pietermaritzburg was one of those moments where you feel both the weight of history and the pull of the future. It was not a ceremonial tick-box session. It was substantive. It was grounded. It was the Comrades Marathon Association doing what it must do if we are to carry this race confidently into its second century. And it was really special to be there.

The headline changes are already out in the official press release. Mark Leathers steps up as Chairperson and Nontuthuko Mashimane as Vice Chairperson. Two people who have earned the right to lead. Both have run the race. Both have served committees. Both have given time, energy and expertise without expecting applause. I know them well. They are calm, values-driven, tough, visionary and deeply decent. Exactly who you want piloting an organisation with the complexity, scrutiny and emotional weight of Comrades.

 The AGM booklet reminded us again of the sheer volume of work done by the CMA team and volunteers over the past year. Governance reforms. HR restructuring. Reviewing race operations. Overhauling job descriptions, recruitment frameworks, and role clarity. Doing the slow, unglamorous work that strong organisations rely on. One line in the HR report captured the tone perfectly: stability, transparency and compliance are not check-boxes but foundations. If we want an exceptional race, we need an exceptional organisation behind it.

The Down Run review in the GM’s report was particularly striking. The operational complexity of managing 20 000 runners through a metro precinct, with traffic flow challenges, safety constraints and broadcast demands, is enormous.

It was also heartening to see how the association is embedding long-term thinking. The Race Director recruitment process, the tightening of internal structures, the fresh role definitions, the use of external independent assessors, the move to align structures with Athletics South Africa rather than the KZNA special member model. These are strategic shifts, not administrative tidying.

The sponsorship ecosystem remains strong and diverse, and the booklet highlights some practical truths. Partnerships work when they unlock genuine value on both sides. Many of our sponsors do exactly that. They bring safety, innovation, logistics, infrastructure, story-telling, broadcast reach, and crucially, belief. Without them we would not be preparing for our centenary with this level of confidence.

Membership is also a growing area of focus. The AGM materials highlight the need for deeper engagement, better onboarding, and clearer value. There was good progress this past year but also honest reflection on where more can be done. A stronger membership base means a stronger CMA. It anchors the institution in the running community it serves.

Our ambassador programme is another exciting chapter. Formalising it, training ambassadors properly, and aligning them with our broader marketing and membership plans will take our footprint beyond South Africa, especially in markets where we have passionate runners but no formal representation.

Across all of this sits the central truth that everyone in the room felt: the road to 2027 has begun. Hard. The centenary is not simply an anniversary. It is a national cultural moment. A chance to honour founders, veterans, volunteers, communities and runners. A chance to ask what the next hundred years should look like. The AGM booklet ends with a sunset photo of runners moving as one across the tarmac — a reminder of why all the back-office governance work matters.

On a personal note, I remain grateful for the opportunity to serve. This board is diverse in background, experience and temperament — and that is a strength. We do not always agree and we do not need to. What we share is simple: a deep desire to make the race better for runners and for the communities that host us.

A word of thanks. Estelle de Jager from CTSE and her team were outstanding, working alongside Jared Williams and the CMA staff to run a smooth, transparent election process. Estelle and I first met through Purple but her skillset and integrity are well known across corporate South Africa. She delivered again yesterday.

Mqondisi Ngcobo, our outgoing chair, was rightly honoured. I have learnt so much from him. A gentleman. A diplomat. A steadying hand. He stays on the board and continues to serve with the humility and wisdom we have come to rely on.

There was a moment of real emotion when we honoured the late Cheryl Winn. Her fingerprints are everywhere in this organisation. A year ago she sat next to me at the AGM as we spoke about a new dawn for Comrades. Yesterday her son Simon, our GM Alain, and former board colleague Pat Freeman all shared tributes that brought many of us to tears. Cheryl is a big part of why I am on this board. Remembering her yesterday was both painful and beautiful.

And as always, it was the volunteers who lifted the room. People like Tonya, who manages the finish line each year with grace, humour and calm authority. People who do not seek recognition but make the race possible. The quiet heroes of Comrades.

The official release says it well: the CMA is excited about the future. With new leadership, a strengthened organisational base, clear plans for 2026 and a growing sense of purpose towards 2027, it is difficult not to share that optimism.

Comrades remains one of the best things about South Africa. A national treasure built on grit, generosity, community and the stubborn belief that we can always go further than we think. Yesterday reaffirmed that the institution behind the race holds those same values.

Onwards. The work continues. The road to our centenary is open beneath our feet. Ska Fela Moya!