Doris Mokgokolo’s Inspiring Return to Road Running Helps Deliver Degrees

Photo Credit: Doris Mokgokolo

After an accident paused her running journey, Doris Mokgokolo found the courage to return to the road and use every step of her Comrades comeback to help deserving UP graduates access the degrees they worked so hard to earn.

Pretoria, South Africa (18 August 2026) – Sometimes, the things we start by chance end up setting our souls on fire and giving us newfound purpose.

This could be said of Doris Mokgokolo’s running journey, which began with her simply testing herself in social runs, never imagining it would one day lead her to marathons, let alone the daunting Comrades Marathon. However, when a friend gave her his entry for a 42 km marathon because he was unable to run, her mindset changed.

“As I stood at the starting line feeling overwhelmed, I decided to try. I finished before the cut-off time – and that experience taught me that limits are often self-imposed,” Doris reflected.

She went on to take on and complete her first Comrades Marathon in 2019, a milestone that reflected not only physical endurance but also personal growth and discipline.

Doris, however, later suffered an accident that paused her running journey and prevented her from taking part in the 2024 Comrades.

“I believed my running journey had ended there,” Doris said.

But life often had other plans. This year, Doris, who is also the Postgraduate Coordinator in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria (UP), returned to the starting line, inspired by the strength of her late mother and driven by a new goal: to raise money for UP’s Degrees Delivered campaign.

The Degrees Delivered campaign is a three-year fundraising initiative that aims to unlock opportunities for graduates whose qualifications remain inaccessible because of outstanding historical student debt.

The campaign seeks to raise R50 million between 2026 and 2028 to help clear historical debt for qualifying graduates, allowing them to access their degree certificates and pursue employment, professional registration or further study. Although these graduates have successfully completed their academic requirements, financial constraints continue to prevent them from receiving the qualifications they have earned.

Doris ran the ‘ultimate human race’ to contribute to this worthy cause and help deliver degrees into deserving hands.

This Women’s Month, UP celebrates her resilience in returning to the road and her heart for the future of the next generation.

While the race is long over, the mission is still well alive. To help give a UP graduate a second chance, you can leave a donation here.