SA’s Rainbow Runner, Keith Boyd set off from the Cape to Cairo on foot almost a year ago. Now, he is a few hundred kilometres away from making a world record! But, with his safety in question, it’s his community of supporters who will ultimately help him cross the finish line:
Global (26 April 2024) — After almost a year on the road, SA’s Rainbow Runner, Keith Boyd, stands at an intersection.
Keith began his ‘Rainbow Run’ across Africa in July last year with the intention to inspire voting culture in young, apathetic South Africans. With no political party bias, Keith hoped that the thousands of kilometres he would tackle on foot from the Cape to Cairo would remind South Africans that their voices do matter, and that our country’s future is worth every step he takes. Additionally, completing the Cape to Cairo route in the time he’s planned for would mean breaking a world record.
Since July, Keith has completed around 10,300 kilometres, experienced humanity in so many new ways and gotten the chance to live a score of different lives in every African country he’s passed through. From the kindness of strangers to seeing the impacts of civil war, Keith’s run has been nothing short of an eye-opener toward the best and hardest parts of life—especially life where citizens’ voices are not considered.
But, completing his Cairo crossing is about more than finding the strength to push through the last 500-odd kilometres, as SA’s Rainbow Runner faces security challenges.
In a BBC report, Keith shared his experience of being held at gunpoint and escaping a kidnapping attempt by revel groups in Northern Ethiopia. Fearing for his own safety and that of his videographer, Keith’s hope to cross the finish line now rests on whether the Ethiopian government will guarantee his safety.
Hundreds of people have come together to sign the Rainbow Runner’s petition which will hopefully make its way to the powers that be and secure a safe crossing for Keith. With only a few days left for him to complete the run in time to break the record, Kieth says, “If ever I needed YOUR help, it is now. Without it, I have doubts that we shall be able to get this Guinness World Record completed.”
As one petition signer shared: “We have come too far to not complete what was started, it is an amazing cause to show the Youth of Africa that what we start we can finish regardless of challenges that have come our way. Backing you Keith!! Let’s get those last 500km done.”—Aeron Williams.
You can find the petition here.
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