Mbombela mother and son make history at brutal Great Wall Marathon
What began as a long-held ambition for a Lowveld duo turned into a punishing yet deeply rewarding journey marked by grit, resilience and shared determination.
Mbombela-based Donna James and her son Tylor made history as the first South Africans to cross the finish line at the 2026 Great Wall Marathon in Beijing, reports the Lowvelder.
The race took place on May 16 and featured a 42km course with a total elevation gain of 1 282m and 5 164 steps along the route.
Donna had set her sights on the event two years ago after she and a friend researched some of the world’s toughest marathons.
She quickly added it to her bucket list, using its demanding conditions as motivation to take on and complete the challenge.
Mother and son ultimately decided to tackle the marathon together.
It marked only Tylor’s second marathon, with both he and Donna expressing immense pride in his performance.
“It was absolutely epic to run the Great Wall of China; what an amazing experience,” Tylor said. “The race was demanding and awe-inspiring, all wrapped into many, many steps. The Great Wall is officially conquered.”
Each year, the mother-son duo chooses a couple of incredibly challenging races to tackle side by side.
It’s a tradition that is really special to them, providing an opportunity to bond, reconnect and experience amazing places around the world while pushing themselves through both physical and mental challenges together.
Donna dedicates each of her races to a charity. For the past two and a half years, all of the proceeds from her marathons have gone to the Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC).
“They do incredible work supporting children with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders and their families. Funds raised go directly to those affected,” she said.
The Cows, a fundraising group for CHOC, run in cow-print kits to stand out from the crowd. This sparks conversation, gives runners an opportunity to talk about the charity and helps raise much-needed funds.
Donna’s fundraiser, called “Donna is a Cow,” is on BackaBuddy.
It is directly linked to CHOC, meaning all funds go straight to the organisation. She has always believed in ‘doing what you can with what you have.’
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