ROAD RUNNING
Gerda ’ s adidas shoe form Comrades 2024 is already in the Comrades Museum !
I ’ ve done similar timelines between big races before – I ’ m used to racing Two Oceans and Comrades quite close to each other , which just a couple of years ago , everyone was saying was not possible , but now it ’ s become the norm . I do it every single year . In the past , I ’ ve also run some races after Comrades , for instance in 2019 , I ran my second-fastest half marathon time even closer to Comrades than this gap between the Comrades and the Olympics . So , I think I ’ m approaching it in a very intelligent and logical way , and that it is 100 % possible . Of course , my main focus has been on recovering well and then focusing on areas such as track workouts , tempo workouts , to make sure that my stamina and my speed is on par when it comes to the Olympic Games .
The other thing that I think definitely counts in my favour is the fact that this year ’ s Comrades was an Up Run , which is nowhere near as damaging and as painful as the pounding of the Down Run . I was not sore after the race , and I could feel that it wasn ’ t that hard on my body . And then also , this Olympic Marathon is so different to previous years – it ’ s going to be a hilly race , not the really flat , fast , marathons that we ’ ve had at previous Olympics . This will be very interesting , and I think that I can use my strengths in Paris .
MA : So that begs the question , if it had been a Down Run this year , would it have altered your decision whether to run Comrades ahead of Paris ?
GS : I think it would have definitely made me doubt it much more . The Down Run is very , very tiring for the legs , so I am just fortunate that I did not have to make that difficult decision . But for the Up Run , I can ’ t see why it wouldn ’ t work . I ’ m very confident , and I must add , I also think times have moved on a little bit . Of course , our shoes protect us more today , and help with recovery – it ’ s not a case of bone on tarmac anymore . So , I think that many elements added to the fact that I decided to do this , it ’ s not just a one-off decision , or a wild idea , it was taking many , many things into consideration . We ’ ll have to see on 12 August if I am right . Then we ’ ll have all the answers .
MA : As always , you had husband Duncan waiting
Gerda and husband Duncan training together in the mountains in Europe
16 ISSUE 170 | www . modernathlete . co . za for you at the finish line . I know that he plays a very big part in your running , from training with you or supporting you in training runs , helping you with your training programme , and of course , travelling with you for races . I would imagine it must be amazing to be able to do this ‘ running thing ’ together .
GS : It really is an amazing experience . It ’ s something that we have shared from the beginning , because Duncan was one of the first people I met when I started running in Dubai , and he ’ s literally seen the entire process , from me being pretty much a nonrunner , to getting to a point where I decided to take it on as a professional job . From there on , everything got a lot more serious , and it ’ s often difficult for us to balance things , because he ’ s also got a demanding job , and he ’ s often away from home , travelling for work , in between the travels with me for racing and training .
Sure , this lifestyle of ours comes with its challenges , but I am really grateful that we get to live this life and walk this journey together . Fortunately , Duncan enjoys running , too , and he also enjoys this side of running , me competing as a professional athlete , and it ’ s really special to have that special someone with you for the journey , because it would be hard to do it alone , and it would feel less meaningful if it was just me going through all of these experiences on my own , and not having someone to share it with .
MA : Do you ever look at your different wins , and your different records , and think of any particular one as the standout , or the highlight , of your career thus far ? If you can compare and rank them , where does this latest Comrades win sit on your personal list ?
GS : They are all different in many ways , different experiences . You come into each race from a different angle , and every year you face different challenges , so it ’ s very difficult to compare them . But I must say , I am yet to find anything else like the feeling of breaking the tape on the Comrades Marathon finish line . The moment is so massive , and it takes so long to really sink in , for the reality to hit you , and then it ’ s massive . That stands out , for sure , and it ’ s something that goes through my mind every single day of my life is . So , it must be bigger than anything else .
MA : Changing the topic slightly , this year another South African female athlete having a spectacular year is Cian Oldknow , including coming quite close to your SA Record for the marathon . Does that excite you , and does it incentivise you to want to race the marathon again , and push the boundaries ( and your record ) still further ?
GS : Yes , Cian has had an incredible year . She ’ s a very , very talented athlete , so I ’ m very pleased to see her coming through so strongly . I also think she ’ s realised how massively special the marathon is , and I feel very excited both for her , and for athletics in South Africa in general . Eventually , my marathon time will be broken , and that ’ s okay with me , because it needs to happen , we need to see progress . It could be Cian who does it , or one of the other athletes showing massive talent in the half marathon and who will come through in the marathon , but for as long as I ’ m competitive on the marathon , I will keep trying to improve my own personal times as well .
MA : On a related note , I think it ’ s rather exciting that we ’ re going to have a team of three women in the Olympic Marathon for a change , which is a sign of good progress in the country ’ s marathon standards . I would think you athletes also excited about this ?
GS : Oh , absolutely , yes ! I think maybe you ’ ll know better than me when last we had a full women ’ s team sent to the Olympics , so I think it ’ s very exciting for us as a country , and as a sport . And it will also inspire other athletes to look at the marathon , to think that they ’ ve got a shot at representing South Africa in the next Olympic Marathon . So , to be part of a full team is really exciting , and I ’ m sure we ’ ll have a great time in Paris .
MA : Have you looked beyond the Olympics and given any thought to future racing plans for the rest of the year ? Perhaps another end-of-year fast marathon ?
GS : I am thinking about it , but I haven ’ t got anything confirmed yet . The main reason is just that my fork has been fully loaded up until now , so I didn ’ t want to take some of my attention or focus away from these three races that I ’ ve had planned