One of the few times Gerda didn ’ t smile during Comrades 2024
ROAD RUNNING
Images : Courtesy Comrades Marathon Association , Gerda Steyn
Some call her the queen of South African longdistance running , others refer to her as the G . O . A . T ( greatest of all time ), but whatever you call her , one thing is for sure : Gerda Steyn has rewritten the proverbial book when it comes to what is considered possible in women ’ s marathon and ultramarathon running in this country !
In June , she won her third Comrades title , with a third course record , and that came just a couple of months after winning the Om Die Dam 50km Marathon in March , with a new course record , and claiming her fifth consecutive win in the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 56km in April , with a third consecutive course record as well . ( And that all came just a few months after she set her second SA Record in the marathon , clocking 2:24:03 in the Valencia Marathon in Spain last December .)
Gerda dominated this 97th edition of the Comrades , coming home in 5:49:46 and taking just over nine minutes off the Up Run record she set in her last Up Run in 2019 . It was another superlative performance , and yet again , she seemed to be running in cruise mode , smiling and waving to the crowds as she made it look easy . However , as she explains in this in-depth interview , her run was meticulously planned , and it was by no means easy , but it did go very , very smoothly . So sit back and enjoy the breath of fresh air that is Gerda Steyn .
MA : Hi Gerda ! Congrats on another stunning win at Comrades , but I have to ask , are you a superhero in disguise ? I mean , you run ultramarathons , you break course records , you look like you ’ re barely even tired , and when you finish , you still go back to high-five the spectators – and you ’ re always smiling . I think people are starting to talk now … they think you ’ re superhuman !
GS : Oh , thank you so much , Sean , I really appreciate it . And thank you for the compliment . I will take that for sure , although , no , I ’ m not a superhuman , I ’ m not a superhero . But I can definitely say that I was delighted with my results from the race , and I think crossing the finish line in the time and the position and everything that I planned to do just gave me so
much joy , and also adrenaline . There was definitely a little bit to still go back to the crowds to say thank you , so that ’ s where that came from , but the legs were definitely a bit tired !
MA : Speaking of a plan , after the race you shared some pics on social media showing your planned splits and your actual splits , as well as your race notes on seconding stations , where to eat , etc . It ’ s clear you went into this race having done meticulous planning , and you appear to have stuck to the plan exceedingly well .
GS : I think for a race like the Comrades , it ’ s very important to have a fixed plan . I looked at what I ’ ve done in the past , what worked for me , and areas where I felt I could improve on , and then I made my plan , which I studied and memorised , to know exactly where I must be at certain points . The Comrades is a long day out , and you can ’ t just start
Gerda ! Gerda ! Gerda !
running and see how you go , because you may be feeling a certain way right now , but two hours later , you ’ re not going to feel the same anymore . It ’ s such a long race , so you need to know what your plan is , and then execute it .
That is how I approached the race . I made sure that I reached the distances in the time that I planned , and with that came a little bit of comfort , knowing that I was on track . When I got to halfway , I knew that I was well within the record , and on time for the finishing time that I was planning to do , so from there on , it wasn ’ t a case of seeing how fast I can run now , it was a case of keep executing the plan , because this is what ’ s going to bring me the results . And it just worked for me ... but it was only when I reassessed it later on that I realised how close I ran to the plan . I think that ’ s a reflection of the fact that I ’ d studied the plan correctly , and then executed it correctly .
Relive the moment as Gerda Steyn comes home to win the 2024 Comrades Marathon , as filmed by Locked Down Spectator at the finish line in Pietermaritzburg .
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