Sports star turns to leading systemic change

Long distance runners worldwide know Bruce Fordyce. He’s famous for winning the 89 kilometre (55 mile) Comrades Ultramarathon 8 times in a row, and nine times in total. He is quite simply a legendary athlete on the global stage.

Yet he is creating a bigger legacy as a systems-inspired leader in South Africa, via the parkrun movement. Free parkruns are getting South Africans out into parks, waterfronts and other natural areas to run and walk weekly for joy and good health – over sixty thousand participants across the country at over 120 locations just last weekend, for example.

A leader inspiring others to take action

What impresses me is that his leadership is deeply empowering. This is not all about him. What Fordyce gives is his energy and backing. This enables and supports 2000 volunteers across the country to put on wonderful welcoming healthful events in their local communities like the one in Bridgetown, Athlone in the accompanying photo.

Fordyce shows up, he encourages and he inspires – but as a leader he doesn’t do the work. He doesn’t control everybody, he creates space for others to lead. As Prof Andrew Thatcher, a parkrunner with over 200 under his belt, says: “Bruce’s leadership is about offering his support, encouragement, and occasionally his advice. The real work gets done by inspired teams of volunteers and passionate parkrunners.”

Fordyce values community growth above his own athletic legend

It was a big honour to meet Fordyce this morning after he opened a new parkrun in my neighbourhood in Johannesburg. What he says is that the change parkrun is bringing to South Africa is his biggest legacy. Where winning the Comrades Marathon more times than anybody in history brought personal fame, backing parkrun is bringing systemic change.

This is the kind of leadership we need. Community health is a good place to start. And the leaders I see succeeding most in business are those who share the Fordyce approach: give direction, inspire others and create space for them to lead.

• Interested in a participating in or sponsoring a free 5 km community parkrun in your area? It is in 17 countries on five continents, including South Africa, UK, USA, Canada, Australia. Or go to parkrun global.

[Editor’s notes: parkrun has opened in many more countries since this post was written. Also, Mish and his wife Colleen hope to bring parkrun to the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto later in 2025.]