Four University of Pretoria (UP) employees went the extra mile this year to help deserving students gain access to higher education, raising R28 020in donations by completing the Comrades Marathon.

The money raised will go towards the Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Scholarship Fund, launched in November 2024, to assist 'missing middle' students who cannot afford higher education, but whose household income falls outside the financial bracket to qualify for government financial aid.

Professor André Ganswindt, Dr Bianca Frost, Josiah Mavundla, and Mfundo Nyitana each set a target of R9 000 in donations, amounting to a total target of R36 000. Combined, the four runners raised R28 020, with Frost exceeding her target at a staggering R11 100 out of R9 000.

For the greater good

Dr Frost, a lecturer in the Department of Marketing Management in the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, exceeded her donation target, singlehandedly raising R11 100.

She finished the race in 10 hours and 15 minutes.

While she was not training to finish the marathon within a specific time frame, she was nonetheless pleased with the outcome.

"For me, it was a good day. I also knew that I was doing this for a cause greater than myself and that really motivated me to keep going,” Frost said.

Frost’s best time for finishing the Comrades Marathon is 9 hours and 38 minutes, but for her, “it’s more about the journey than the time in which I finish.”

She aspires to complete the 2026 and 2027 Comrades Marathon as well, which will earn her a green number - also known as a permanent number, received after completing ten marathons.

Prof Ganswindt is a professor in the university’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and also an avid runner. “Falling sick shortly before the race made this year’s Comrades Marathon a particular challenge, but I felt that I had to push through for the students who will benefit from the funds that have been raised”, Prof Ganswindt elaborates. “I want to help deserving students to access higher education, regardless of their financial status. Great minds should not be limited by financial constraints” he says.

For Prof Ganswindt, the most challenging part of the marathon was the last few kilometres. “It takes an enormous amount of mental and physical discipline to keep running when the fatigue, both physically and mentally, starts to set in during those last few kilometres – it tests your perseverance and pushes you to the limit of what you think you can achieve”, he explains.

Setting the pace for others

For Josiah Mavundla, Senior Manager: Advancement and Database in the Department of Institutional Advancement, the marathon was “challenging, but nonetheless very enjoyable.”

Mavundla is a proud father of five children and hopes to serve as an example of selflessness. “By helping someone else’s child, I hope that other people will see the great impact that it has on that person and their family and that they will want to do the same in the future,” Mavundla explained.

He found the toughest challenge near the end. “When running the Comrades Marathon, the most difficult part is the last few kilometres, when your legs are exhausted just before the finish line. You have to push yourself both mentally and physically, especially when you become sore and tired,” Mavundla recalled. “It is a great mental and physical challenge, but overcoming it is very rewarding and fulfilling. This year, it is even more so, since I know that I was running the marathon for a cause that is greater than myself.”

For Mfundo Nyitana, Senior Development Specialist in the Department of Institutional Advancement, this year's race was one of the toughest, but also one of the most worthwhile. “It was one of the more difficult Comrades Marathons that I have participated in, but I am honoured and happy to run for the Vice-Chancellor and Principal’s Scholarship Fund,” he said.

“The last few kilometres were a great challenge to persevere through physical and mental challenges, but I am proud to have done this for a greater cause and a larger community.”

Nyitana believes there is no worthier cause he could have trained for. “The importance of higher education cannot be underestimated in this ever-changing world and if I make a difference in one or ten students’ lives, I am satisfied by the fact that I am giving back to the community.”