For most runners, completing one Comrades Marathon is a monumental achievement. For KuGompo City running legend David “Butch” Duffey, crossing the finish line this year was about far more than another medal.
Speaking to the Go! over the weekend after completing the 5km Orient parkrun on the beachfront, the 65-year-old road runner shared that finishing the race was a powerful reminder that he had overcome something far greater than the gruelling ultra-marathon.
After being shot during a hijacking in 2022, spending six weeks in hospital, and enduring 90 days in a wheelchair, Duffey returned to running and has now completed his 29th Comrades Marathon, following his return last year after a three-year recovery break.
He finished this year’s race in 11 hours and 46 minutes just 14 minutes before the strict 12-hour cut-off gun.
“I’m very happy. I actually cried at the end when I finished,” Duffey said.
The course was slightly shorter this year due to ongoing road construction, but Duffey emphasized that the minor change in distance did little to reduce the immense physical challenge.
“It was very tough. I think it was 2km shorter because of construction they’re working on, but next year it’ll be back to 90km,” he said.
For Duffey, the achievement carries profound personal significance due to the severe injuries he sustained during the attack. On August 4 2022, while taking a friend into Duncan Village, he was ambushed by hijackers who beat him, shot him in both legs and his arm, and left him for dead.
“They tackled me, they beat me up and shot me. I was in hospital for six weeks,” Duffey said.
The gunshot wounds left him unable to walk for three months.
“I was in a wheelchair for 90 days,” he said.
Rather than allowing the violent ordeal to bring an end to his lifelong athletic journey, Duffey made a firm decision to rebuild his body from scratch.
“I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to do something.’ I started walking, and then I did the Masters Marathon in 2023. From there, I built up,” Duffey said.
That remarkable comeback has continued to gather momentum ever since.
Duffey is a long-standing member of the Buffalo Road Runners Club, which he joined in 1988, marking 38 years of dedicated service and competition with the club.
His veteran running record remains one of the most distinguished in the region. Beyond his 29 successful Comrades finishes, he has completed 31 Buffalo Marathons, seven Two Oceans 56km ultra-marathons, and an extraordinary 26 Washie 100-mile races.
At the grueling Washie 100, Duffey finished second for three consecutive years, with the winner edging him out by just six minutes on one occasion.
His personal best for the 160km distance stands at a formidable 15 hours and 47 minutes.
“I’m very proud of it. Nobody can take it away from me. I’ve done that all for myself, and the Lord has blessed me with all those things,” Duffey said.
Completing the Comrades this year presented a unique physical obstacle.
The 2022 shooting caused severe, permanent nerve damage to his right arm, leaving him with no functional use of the limb while running.
“I had to be very careful because I can’t afford to lose my balance. If I lose my balance, I’m falling, and then I’m cutting myself open,” he said.
Despite the physical strain, sheer determination carried him across the province.
“I got a bit tired after 60km, but I said to myself, ‘I have to finish this race.’”
And he did. Now, Duffey has his sights set firmly on next year, when the landmark 100th edition of the Comrades Marathon takes place.
He will be aiming to secure his 30th finish — a monumental milestone that will earn him the highly coveted triple green number.
From a wheelchair to the Comrades finish line, David “Butch” Duffey’s journey remains a testament to resilience, faith, and an unbreakable human spirit.
