Marathon duo aims for Guinness record while supporting SPCA
Pictured at the back is Asgar Dalvie, and Muhammad “Mo” Sanglay by their two-man car costume called Bokkie, which they will be donning at the Cape Town Marathon.
Image: Supplied
Marathon duo Asgar Dalvie and Muhammad Sanglay will line up in their two-man car costume to take on the Cape Town Marathon on Sunday May 24 in support of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.
The two men will attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the fastest marathon completed in a two-man car costume called Bokkie, while raising the remaining R19 000 needed to fully fund one SPCA inspectorate vehicle’s annual fuel costs.
The SPCA currently spends R42 000 a year on fuel costs for its inspectorate vehicle, and the duo has already raised more than R23 000 towards the target.
In October, the duo were expected to do the Cape Town Marathon after it was cancelled, leaving the pair with unfinished kilometres and funds still left to raise for the SPCA Inspectorate fuel fund.
According to a statement by the SPCA, the non-profit investigates more than 10 000 animal cruelty complaints annually across a service area spanning approximately 3200 square kilometres. Every cruelty investigation, rescue, confiscation, and emergency response depends on Inspectorate vehicles reaching animals in need.
Dalvie from Rondebosch East said they have spent months training for the marathon. “There was sweat. There was chafing. There was a lot of gas being passed, and unfortunately none of it was the kind that gets SPCA Inspectors to a rescue. So we figured we'd better actually finish the marathon and raise the real fuel,” he said.
Sanglay from Lansdowne, who runs at the back of Bokkie, has a slightly different perspective. “Asgar's up front, so he's technically the driver. He drives Bokkie the way Capetonians handle a four-way stop; confidently, incorrectly, and with full eye contact,” he said. Asgar said every rand they raise becomes fuel for an SPCA Inspector, and thankfully, those Inspectors actually know where they're going.
SPCA spokesperson, Belinda Abraham said, “What Asgar and Mo are doing may look humorous from the outside, but the impact is very real.” Abraham said every rand they raise helps keep their Inspectors on the road. “ That road leads directly to animals experiencing cruelty, suffering, neglect and distress. Operational funding is one of the greatest pressures facing animal welfare organisations, and initiatives like this genuinely help us continue responding where we are needed most,” she said.
Members of the public are encouraged to support the fundraiser, cheer the runners on along the route, and help push Bokkie across the finish line.
Cheer them on if you see them on the road.
To support their efforts please visit Cape of Good Hope SPCA.