"Whoever wins the race will have to run under 5:24" - Men ready to do battle as Steyn targets fifth consecutive Comrades win
- Thathe Msimango
- Jun 12
- 3 min read
Hollywood Athletics Club's golden girl Gerda Steyn is still hungry for more success at the Comrades Marathon. Entering the race as the overwhelming favourite the four-time Comrades champion and Up Run record holder (5:51:19) told a packed room of media during yesterday’s (Thursday 11 June) press conference at the Southern Sun Elangeni Hotel that she prepared for Sunday’s race as though she could be running the race for the last time. The 36-year-old Steyn, who won also Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in April, is the dominant force in women’s ultra marathon running in South Africa and says she finds motivation to win by treating each race as an opportunity - that is the source her motivation.
"It's such honour that people see me as the favourite to win. I don’t get tired of being the favourite because it’s an incredible privilege to me to be treated as such, so I’ve never lolled that to phase me,” answered Steyn when questioned about how she copes with the pressure of being the perennial favourite.
“When I started training for this race, I told myself that I’m training for Comrades as though I would be the last time I’m running the Up Run. That has been stuck in my mind the whole time. If in training I give my 110% then I’ll know stand on the start line knowing that I’ve done everything to be ready and I’ll continue ding that on race day as well. So that was my mantra leading up to the this day and that will be my mantra n Sunday.”
In the absence of Russia’s Alexandra Morozova, Steyn’sstringest competition could come from her Hollywood teammate Irvette Van Zyl. The four-time SA Olympian who has produce some epic battles against Steyn at the Two Oceans 56km race, ran an impressive 6:11:35 on her debut last year. 38-year-old Van Zyl believes her strength on the hills will be crucial as she tackles her first Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
“Last year was a big eye-opener for me and I learnt some hard lessons. It was a brutal race. Hopefully, I won’t make the same mistakes this year. I prefer the ups but I’ve never ran up hills like this before. I’m up for the challenge. I’m excited to be here and I’m healthy so I’m looking forward to it,” said van Zyl.
In the men’s race, all eyes are on the three time Champion Tete Dijana who is aiming to earn his first Up Run gold medal. The diminutive Dijana surprised the whole room when he stated told all present that he doesn't feel any pressure to perform because he is not the Up Run defending Champion.
"I don't feel any pressure. Remember, I'm not the defending champion so my priority is simply to perform at my level best on Sunday. I think whoever wins the race will have to run under 5:24”
Despite his comments, many expect the Hollywood AC man to go head to head with his former Nedbank Running Club teammate Piet Wiersma who finished finished as the runner-up behind Dijana last year and won the 2024 Up Run in 5:25:00 just a few seconds outside Leonid Shvetsov's Up Run record of 5:24:49.
There are other contenders including 2019 Champion Edward Mothibi, 100 mile world record holder Aleksandr Sorokin, Japan’s Jo Fakuda and the much-loved Onalenna Khonkhobe who revealed that he would not be running as a pacemaker and intends to finish the race.
Three times champion and legend of the Comrades Marathon Bongmusa Mthembu is eyeing another Gold medal to equal Allan Robb's remarkable record of 12 Comrades gold medals. If he manages to sneak into the top 10, he will join Robb as the most successful athlete in the history of the world’s oldest and most loved ultra marathon.
" For me, running is everything. I think Comrades has changed the lives of so many athletes. I have competed at my highest capability and I don't chase the records. The sacrifice we make to prepare the race, it's shows how important this race to many people across the world. So on Sunday my aim is to run to my highest capability.”
Comments