In the cool, crisp air of Hamburg, Germany, South African running sensation Elroy Gelant did far more than just finish a race. He rewrote history. With a blistering time of 2:05:36, Gelant broke the 26-year-old South African marathon record previously held by Gert Thys (2:06:33) set in 1999 at the Tokyo International Marathon — a mark many believed might never fall.
At 38 years old, and having once considered himself finished with elite racing, Gelant not only shattered expectations — he shattered time itself.
On Sunday, April 27, 2025, the veteran from Pacaltsdorp near George in the Western Cape crossed the line of the Hamburg Marathon in fourth place trailing behind Kenyan star Amos Kipruto who won in 2:03:46 but leaving an indelible mark on South African athletics.
To be honest, this was more than just a race for me. This was a reminder that we are not defined by where we are in life, but by how we choose to respond.
That response was born not in a training camp or a high-tech lab, but on the streets of his childhood. After stepping away from competitive running in late 2022 — burnt out and disillusioned — Gelant found himself heavier, slower, and mentally checked out.
I had a real boep.
He’d resigned himself to a quiet retirement.
But fate had other plans.
While visiting Pacaltsdorp on a casual holiday, Gelant experienced a moment of unexpected clarity. Exiting a local shop, he was stopped by a face from the past — a former gangster, recently released from prison.
He said, ‘Elroy, I got out of jail yesterday, and you know what inspiration you mean for our community.' That moment hit me hard. I was ready to tell my agent I was done. But right there, everything changed.
That interaction — raw and real — reignited a spark inside him that not even Olympic disappointment or personal fatigue could extinguish. From that moment, Gelant wasn’t just training for personal glory. He was training for purpose.
His comeback gained momentum through 2024, culminating in an impressive 11th-place finish at the Paris Olympics. It hinted at a resurgence, but few could have predicted the storm he would unleash in Hamburg.
On that Sunday morning, everything came together — the months of unseen sacrifice, the emotional weight of representing a forgotten generation, and the drive to silence time itself.
I carry their legacies with me. But I also want to show the next generation that it's never too late. This record is not just mine—it belongs to everyone who has ever felt forgotten or counted out.
In breaking the record, Gelant not only qualified for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, but he also redefined what endurance means — physically, yes, but also emotionally and spiritually.
His journey stands as a rebuke to a culture obsessed with youthful peaks and early success. Gelant’s is a story of resurrection — a man who had to let go of the sport he loved to understand why he loved it in the first place.
Maybe I needed to lose running to find what it really meant to me. Now, I run with joy. I run for community. And I run because I still believe there’s more in me.
In an era that often discards the aging athlete, Elroy Gelant is living proof that greatness is not confined to a clock or a calendar. Sometimes, the most remarkable stories are the ones that take the longest to unfold.
And for Gelant — lecturer, Olympian, record-breaker — the best chapters may still lie ahead.
