South African ultramarathoner Gerda Steyn is expected to perform well in the Comrades Marathon, a grueling 85.91km journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Steyn has twice won the marathon, setting records for both the ‘up’ and ‘down’ runs. This year’s competition will be tough due to strong competition from other runners. The race will take place on 9 June and has a reduced distance, making it the shortest Comrades Marathon to date.
The 96th Comrades Marathon proved to be a showcase of extraordinary endurance, with both seasoned athletes and unexpected heroes stealing the limelight. Among the top performers were Gerda Steyn and Johannes Maros Mosehla, each delivering aweinspiring and recordbreaking performances on race day.
Gerda Steyn has once again proven herself as one of the greatest longdistance runners ever by winning the Women’s Two Oceans marathon for the fourth consecutive time. Her impressive victory saw her finish the race in 3 hours, 29 minutes, and 6 seconds, placing her 12 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor. This performance earned her first prize of R500 000, a new record incentive, and the use of a KIA car for twelve months.