It takes a special type of athlete to line up year after year for the Comrades Marathon and finish this ultra-marathon challenge 40 times or more, and that’s why just 18 runners have done so in the 102 years since the Comrades was first run. Leading that list is Barry Holland, who will be aiming to become the first athlete to achieve 50 Comrades medals in June this year, and a chat with this South African ultra-running legend is guaranteed to inspire. – By Sulette Ferreira with Sean Falconer