Recovering addict runs from Cape Town to Comrades to raise funds for others battling addiction
Denver van der Bergh is running from Cape Town to Pietermartizburg, then the official Comrades Marathon, to raise funds 'for people who can't afford professional and compassionate treatment'.
Photo: Denver Van Der Bergh (YouTube)
CapeTalk's John Maytham speaks to Denver van der Bergh about his inspiring life story.
Listen below:
Denver van der Bergh (47) is a recovering drug addict who is running the Comrades Marathon on Sunday (8 June) — with an extraordinary twist.
Van der Bergh's addiction to alcohol and other drugs began when he was a teen and lasted for 25 years before he decided it was time to turn his life around.
After hitting rock bottom and attempting to take his life, Van der Bergh chose a new path toward recovery. He went to rehab, earned a bachelor’s degree, and built a stable life and career.
Along the way, he found running — something that helped him heal mentally and physically.
In 2024, Van der Bergh completed his first Comrades Ultra Marathon, which started as a joke.
"Running was a vital part of my recovery... I went to rehab, and we had various activities... one of them was exercising. When I came out of rehab, I decided to keep on that program and to exercise at home, and that's when Covid started, so I was exercising at home. When the lockdown relaxed... I tried running and discovered that I actually liked it... people in the neighbourhood would ask me, 'What am I training for?'... I would say, 'I'm training for the Comrades'... So, what started as a joke soon became very serious."
- Denver van der Bergh
This year, he’s going even further.
Van der Bergh is running from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg, nearly the full length of South Africa, before running the official Comrades race, which ends in Durban.
His run will take 35 days, averaging about 47 km per day — roughly a marathon a day with no rest days.
The longest day will be 77.5 km; the shortest one covers 16.8 km. He’ll follow the N2 highway along the East Coast, stopping overnight in different towns.
Van der Bergh hopes his journey will raise awareness and spark important conversations about addiction and recovery.
By using the spotlight of the Comrades Marathon, Van der Bergh wants to inspire support from communities, organisations, and the government for those still battling addiction while raising funds 'for people who can't afford professional and compassionate treatment'.
Van der Bergh is running to raise funds for the rehab centre that saved his life, Ramot Treatment Centre.
If you'd like to make a donation and support this cause, click here for Van der Bergh's BackaBuddy campaign.
"I am doing it to pay it forward... to raise funds for those people who can't afford professional and compassionate treatment and just to prove that anything is possible and that there is always hope and recovery is always possible."
- Denver van der Bergh
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.