Adele Broodryk ( Nedbank )
1 Comrades medal ( 1 Gold ) 3rd in 2022
The Women to Watch …
Gerda Steyn ( Phantane )
5 Comrades medals ( 3 Golds ) 1st in 2019 2nd in 2018 4th in 2017
Steyn has to be the favourite for not only a win , but also a shot at Frith van der Merwe ’ s long-standing Down Run record of 5:54:43 , set in 1988 . She already smashed the Up Run best time in the 2019 race , clocking 5:58:53 , some 11 minutes faster than the previous best time set by Elena Nurgalieva ( 6:09:24 ). If she does break the record , then she will have taken the second of Van der Merwe ’ s long-standing best times after winning Two Oceans in 2022 in a new record time of 3:29:45 , which she then improved on again in 2023 ( 3:29:06 ). Steyn also boasts a faster marathon time than Van der Merwe in her heyday ( 2:27:36 ), having set the SA Record of 2:25:28 in 2021 .
Alexandra Morozova ( Russia )
4 Comrades medals ( 4 Golds ) 1st in 2022 2nd in 2017 , 2019 3rd in 2018
Last year ’ s winner was the fastest marathoner in the women ’ s field in 2022 , and she ran a well-judged race to win the Comrades title , crossing the line in 6:17:48 . She let the inexperienced Adele Broodryk go in the early stages of the race , but in the second half , she passed both Broodryk and Dominika Stelmach to win the race at the fourth attempt , after three previous podium finishes . It remains to be seen whether her insatiable appetite for racing could cost her in this year ’ s Comrades . In 2022 , between January and Comrades in August , she raced the marathon four times . So far in 2023 , she has already run two marathons , just eight days apart , after running two marathons in a week in December .
Dominika Stelmach ( Poland )
2 Comrades medals ( 2 Golds ) 2nd in 2022 5th in 2019
Stelmach is another tough runner who fights to the last . What makes her second place in 2022 so remarkable is that the Comrades was her seventh major ultra-marathon for the year , covering everything from 80km , through 100 miles , to a 24-hour race . In fact , she ran the Ultramarathon ChudyWawryzniec 80km a mere 15 days before Comrades . One wonders what she could have done had she been on fresher legs . Already in 2023 , Stelmach has run another 24-hour race . Stelmach boasts a marathon best of 2:36:45 , run in 2021 , and on paper appears closely matched with Morozova and Ashworth in terms of her marathoning speed .
Third on debut in the Comrades takes some doing , but one wonders whether Broodryk could have placed higher had she not shot off at record-pace in the early stages of the race . She will no doubt be much wiser in 2023 , and has been open about her desire to win the race . In 2022 , she won the Om Die Dam 50km , nearly breaking the course record , and this year she won it again , although not quite as fast – but it still points to her good form . However , it has already been a busy season for Broodryk – she finished seventh in the Nedbank Runified 50km , and eight at Two Oceans . How well she has recovered from those races will determine her challenge for honours at Comrades .
Galaletsang Mekgoe ( Nedbank )
1 Comrades medal ( 1 Gold ) 5th in 2022
Mekgoe could be a serious challenger to improve on her debut performance , and while still just 26 , her fifth place in 2022 is the best position by a black female athlete since the race was opened to all in 1975 . Mekgoe was 11th at this year ’ s Runified 50km , clocking 3:33:23 , and while that may be a bit slower than her time of 2022
( 3:30:24 ), keep in mind that Comrades is back in June this year , so her preparations will be slightly different . All indications are that she will once again line up looking to rewrite the history books again .
Ann Ashworth ( Hollywood )
8 Comrades medals ( 2 Golds ) 1st in 2018 4th in 2019
Ashworth ran 2:39:47 in the Seville Marathon in February , posting her second-fastest marathon behind her 2:35:47 , also run in Spain , in 2018 , the same year in which she won the Comrades . She , too , has made it clear that her focus for 2023 is the Comrades , and will come into the race with great confidence after her fast marathon . Her winning 6:10:04 in the 2018 Comrades will also be a source of confidence . Ashworth knows the route well , having lived in Durban for a couple of years before recently moving back to Johannesburg . She will have done numerous training runs on the route during her time in Durban , and will use that knowledge to her advantage .
Caitriona Jennings ( Ireland )
1 Comrades Medal ( 1 Gold ) 3rd in 2019
The Irishwoman is another who will be in the running for a gold medal , perhaps even challenge for the top placings . Besides her third in the 2019 Comrades , Jennings set an Irish National Record for 100km as recently as August 2022 , clocking 7:07:16 . In total in 2022 , she competed in five ultra races , ranging from 50km to 100km , and finished on the podium in all five , with two wins , two seconds and one third – and the two wins were in the European 50km Championships and the 100km World Championships !
Images : Courtesy Comrades Marathon , Two Oceans Marathon , Hollywood Athletics Club
18 ISSUE 159 | www . modernathlete . co . za