Birthday Run
Photo Credit: Nelson Mandela University

Brandon Gill recently celebrated his 27th birthday in a huge way, running for 27 hours (STRAIGHT) to raise funds for underprivileged children’s running shoes. 145kms, Brandon survived and surpassed his target!

 

Port Elizabeth, South Africa (18 May 2025) — It’s not everyday that a man decides to casually run for 27 hours straight, but Brandon Gill put himself up to the task for good reason: a lot of children in need would benefit from a birthday run like this.

Brandon dedicated his 27th birthday to community organisation Hope 4 Kids with a plan of action: he was going to tackle as many kilometres as possible to raise funds to purchase the kids running shoes.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to dream big, play freely, and explore the world around them, but for many children in underprivileged communities, something as simple as a pair of running shoes is out of reach,” said Brandon. “Without the right footwear, they miss out on the joys of running, sports, and even just having the confidence to be active.”

After a 10km road race he undertook in Colchester (in which multiple children ran barefoot, albeit with glee), Brandon became inspired to put his own running shoes to the best use.

“That day in Colchester inspired me to try and make a difference in some of these children’s lives.”

Last week Friday, Brandon kicked off his 27th birthday celebrations with his own personal marathon. Incredibly, he pushed on, one foot in front of the other, well into Saturday afternoon. We don’t even want to imagine how his body must’ve felt!

As his university, Nelson Mandela University, highlight, their biokineticist alumni surpassed the combined distance of the Comrades and Two Oceans marathons combined; clearing some 145kms!

The birthday run fundraiser was a massive success despite the challenges that are be expected from such an intense feat. From battling the cold to fighting through exhaustion, Brandon saw his initiative through not just by means of his own strength, but the encouragement of others including his girlfriend Jana Relihan who ran with him during the tough times, family members and friends and, heartwarmingly, the Hope 4 Kids children who joined him for the last stretch of the mission!

In fact, the kids crossed the finish line with Brandon; clapping and singing in a powerful moment Brandon expressed as one that meant the world to him.

Thanks to the big birthday run, Brandon raised R29,700 for the children’s running shoes.


Sources: NMU; BackaBuddy 
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About the Author

Ashleigh Nefdt is a writer for Good Things Guy.

Ashleigh's favourite stories have always seen the hidden hero (without the cape) come to the rescue. As a journalist, her labour of love is finding those everyday heroes and spotlighting their spark - especially those empowering women, social upliftment movers, sustainability shakers and creatives with hearts of gold. When she's not working on a story, she's dedicated to her canvas or appreciating Mother Nature.

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