Duo aims for Guinness World Record while raising funds for SPCA

With the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon set to take place this weekend, two runners are preparing to chase a Guinness World Record while raising funds for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.

Asgar Dalvie and Muhammad Sanglay are ready to take on the 42.2km marathon, but they will be doing it in Bokkie. 

These friends have a habit of running the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in costumes for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. Since 2018, they have raced as a five-person sausage dog (Worsie), a rooster (Captain Crow-a-lot), seals, squirrels, and in 2026, a two-person foam SPCA rescue vehicle named Bokkie.

Bokkie is a two-metre foam replica of an SPCA vehicle.

While their attempt at competing in the marathon last year was foiled by strong winds, the running duo are back to raise funds for the SPCA inspectorate fuel fund. 

This weekend, Dalvie and Sanglay will line up inside Bokkie and attempt the Guinness World Records title for the fastest marathon completed in a two-man costume. 

The runners will also be raising the remaining R19,000 needed to fully fund one SPCA vehicle’s annual fuel costs. 

And it should be noted that during the marathon, beneath the foam, laughter, and inevitable chafing will be a serious operational reality.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s spokesperson, Belinda Abraham, said the organisation investigates more than 10,000 animal cruelty complaints annually across a service area spanning approximately 3,200 square kilometres.

She said every cruelty investigation, rescue, confiscation, and emergency response depends on inspectorate vehicles reaching animals in need.

According to Dalvie, giving up is not an option. 

“We spent months training for the marathon. There was sweat. There was chafing. There was a lot of gas being passed, and unfortunately none of it was the kind that gets SPCA inspectors to a rescue. So we figured we’d better actually finish the marathon and raise the real fuel,” he said. 

Sanglay shares a different perspective. 

“Asgar’s up front, so he’s technically the driver. He drives Bokkie the way Capetonians handle a four-way stop; confidently, incorrectly, and with full eye contact. Meanwhile I’m in the back getting all the sweat, none of the fresh air, and I can only hope that a man that once got lost in Pick n Pay is going in the right direction. But every rand we raise becomes fuel for an SPCA Inspector, and thankfully, those inspectors actually know where they’re going,” he said. 

While the duo may be full of jokes and humour, they are serious about reaching their goal. 

“What Asgar and Mo are doing may look humorous from the outside, but the impact is very real,” Abraham said.

“Every rand they raise helps keep our inspectors on the road. That road leads directly to animals experiencing cruelty, suffering, neglect and distress. Operational funding is one of the greatest pressures facing animal welfare organisations, and initiatives like this genuinely help us continue responding where we are needed most,” she added. 

The campaign has already raised more than R23,000 from supporters across Cape Town and beyond.

The SPCA has urged members of the public to support the fundraiser, cheer the runners on along the route, and help push Bokkie across the finish line.

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL