Bruce Fordyce | Motivational Speaker | Comrades Marathon Legend

Bruce Fordyce will inspire your conference through his talk on how to push past barriers to achieve greatness. He is one the greatest athletes in the history of endurance sports.

Winning the Comrades Marathon a record 9 times (8 times in consecutive years) and is the current world record holder over 50 miles and the former world record holder over 100 km.

He is now a Comrades coach and Professional Speaker and Sports Writer.

In 1977, when Fordyce ran his first Comrades Marathon, he placed 43rd out of 1,678 entries. He placed 14th in 1978, 3rd in 1979, 2nd in 1980, and he was the winner for an unprecedented eight consecutive years from 1981 to 1988;  he won again in 1990.

No other runner in the history of the Comrades has achieved this feat.

Bruce also held the record time for the “up” run (Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and his record of 5:24:07 for the “down” run (Pietermaritzburg to Durban) stood for 21 years from 1986 until it was broken in 2007 by Russia’s Leonid Shvetsov.

Presentations:

Bruce delivers an insightful presentation called “In the Long Run”.

It is an inspiring 40 minute talk incorporating exciting visuals of South Africa and the World Cup.

In it, Bruce invites his fellow South Africans to remember how great we were in 201 0 and encourages us to maintain that positive energy.

Bruce Fordyce will inspire your conference through his talk on how to push past barriers to achieve greatness.

I speak almost as well as I run.

These days that doesn't mean much, thanks to my gammy knee.

But I do love to entertain.

Over the years I've talked at Motivational Conferences, given inspirational speeches, commentated on TV, emceed at multiple events.

I've even judged a Miss World contest! What event are you planning?

For me, running is more than just a passion. I believe it has the power to make a difference.
Park Run

When Paul Sinton-Hewitt first asked me whether I'd like to be the South African Country Manager for his free 5 km timed run, called parkrun,

I didn't take him too seriously. In fact, it took me about 7 months for Gill and I to organise the first event at Delta.

Little did I know that it would reignite my passion for running in a way I never expected.

I thought parkrun was just about running 5 kilometres in the fastest time possible.

But it's not about that at all. It's actually all about enhancing communities. Bringing them together.

Bringing them a way to share a healthy pursuit in safe, friendly and usually very pretty natural surroundings.

It did begin as a timed run. but South Africa has helped changed its shape... by welcoming walkers as well, of all shapes and sizes.

These days you'll see walkers - not just runners - of all abilities at parkrun.

Youngsters who have dreams of breaking world records, old couples who walk holding hands, parents pushing prams, dad's patiently coaching their young daughters.

Young, old, fat, thin, fit, only just beginning. parkrun embraces them all and gives them the space to enjoy a moment in time where they can join others who're also enjoying the outdoors.