MA : This Comrades win was actually just the latest achievement of what has been quite a year for you , with multiple wins and course records , and it begs the obvious question about how much is left in your tank now . Or do you find that winning races and breaking records revitalises and refuels you , and energises you for the next race ?

GS : At the beginning of this year , I set three main goals for myself . One was the Two Oceans Marathon , number two was Comrades , and number three is , of course , the Olympics . The rest of the races , like Om Die Dam or any of the other races that I did , all of that was 100 % part of my preparation and training . It was all incorporated in my training , so I think that it may look from the outside that I ’ ve done so many races this year , but what is not so clear is the fact that I ’ ve always done races in preparation for Two Oceans and Comrades . For example , this was the first time I ’ ve done Om Die Dam , but in the past , I ’ ve done a marathon race around that same time , and added some kilometres in the beginning or at the end to make up 50 kilometres for a long run , which people don ’ t always see , because I ’ m doing it in very , very early morning , before the race starts .

I don ’ t think that this year has been any different to other years , it ’ s just perhaps some more results in races , so I don ’ t think that it will have made me any more tired up to this point . But I ’ m still learning , I ’ m

Images : Courtesy Comrades Marathon Association , Gerda Steyn

Top three women at Comrades 2024 : Courtney Olsen ( USA , third ), Gerda Steyn ( SA , first ) and Alexandra Morozova ( Russia , second )

always trying to find ways to improve and to become smarter and a better runner , so I ’ m still taking the lessons that I ’ ve learned from this year and from last year and applying it to the future … but so far , so good , and it ’ s been the most amazing year . I ’ m just so grateful for how everything is working out in the way that I ’ ve planned it , and I ’ m hopeful that it will continue until the end of the year .

MA : I understand what you ’ re saying about doing the same distance as previous years , but I can also understand that some might look at Om Die dam , for example , and say that if it was ‘ just ’ a training run for you , you shouldn ’ t have shattered Frith van der Merwe ’ s longstanding course record , hence they fear you are over-racing ...

GS : I understand what you ’ re saying , but I also think it might sometimes look different to what it really is with these races . Again , using OM Die Dam as an example , I don ’ t know all the details , but it ’ s possible that in the year that Frith ran her course record , she also incorporated it in her training towards Two Oceans or Comrades . I don ’ t know that for a fact , but I definitely think that it might be

possible , so yes , it ’ s a course record , but it ’ s not to say that the previous record-holder went flat out either .

MA : Fair comment , I don ’ t think many people think about it from that perspective … but that brings me to my next question . There were people openly criticising you before Comrades , about the fact that they thought you shouldn ’ t run it this year because you ’ re going to the Paris Olympics so soon after Comrades , that you won ’ t have enough time to recover . I ’ d like to know how you react to this criticism ?

GS : I was expecting these questions to come out , and of course , people are wondering how I ’ m going to approach the Olympic marathon , because this has never been done before . I ’ m aware of that . So , first of all , I know that I ’ m the first person to try and run Comrades and Olympics in the same year , and on a personal level , that ’ s a really exciting challenge . I ’ m 100 % convinced that it is possible that I ’ ll be able to recover in time for the Olympics , and to be able to represent South Africa in the best possible way that I can .

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