Graham Wells, a 48-year-old runner originally from Pietermaritzburg and now based in the UK, will take on the 2025 Comrades Marathon barefoot to raise R60,000 for the Pietermaritzburg Homeless Network (PMBHN). His goal is to fund 2,000 warm meals for people living on the streets this winter.
The 89.98km ultramarathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban will be Wells’ eighth Comrades — and his latest effort to use the race as a platform for social impact. Running without shoes, he says, is a symbolic reminder of the daily struggles faced by the homeless.
“Running barefoot puts me, even briefly, in the shoes of those who don’t have any,” says Wells. “It’s painful, but it keeps me focused on the purpose — raising awareness and funds to make a real difference.”
Through his Run for a Roof 2025 campaign on BackaBuddy, Wells is calling on the public to support the initiative. Each meal costs just R30, and the team is hoping to reach their goal in time to launch a winter feeding programme at the shelter.
Wells has been running marathons for charity since 2009 and has used previous Comrades races to support causes ranging from homelessness to rare diseases. In 2021, after recovering from injury, he completed a virtual barefoot Comrades from Mooi River to Pietermaritzburg.
PMBHN, the organisation benefiting from this year’s run, is finalising construction on Pietermaritzburg’s first permanent homeless shelter. With infrastructure in place and a vegetable garden already growing, the next focus is food.
“This isn’t just about feeding people,” says Wells. “It’s about restoring dignity. A warm meal can change someone’s entire day.”
Donations of any size are welcomed. Supporters can give via www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/run-for-a-roof-2025~2, or request a Section 18A certificate for tax-deductible contributions by emailing info@pmbhomeless.co.za.
“If you can’t donate, just share,” says Wells. “Even that helps more than you know.”
