ELITES
THE LADIES ’ ULTRA MARATHON :
Gerda versus
Steyn
Irvette van Zyl
THE REMATCH – OR IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE LYING LOW …
While all eyes are on this epic rematch which should produce the TTOM 2024 winner , could it just be another top-rated athlete who takes the title ? – By Ace Magawana
While Gerda Steyn rewrote the history books for the second year in succession in 2023 when she won the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon for the fourth consecutive time by breaking her own 2022 course record by 41 seconds , it was that race in 2022 that will forever be remembered as the clash of the women ’ s titans .
It was in 2022 at the bottom of Constantia Nek when one of the most epic duels in the history of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon was set up . The chase for the long-standing course record of Frith van der Merwe was finally in danger after thirty- three years . Yes , it had been that long ago that ’ Flying Frith ’ had crossed the line in 3:30.36 to set up what many thought would be a long-standing record , if not one for perpetuity .
For years that record was safe despite numerous attempts to equal it , never mind break it .
But then along came Irvette van Zyl in 2022 . A year earlier Irvette had broken the woman ’ s only World Record in the 50km , setting a time of 3:04.24 . Two years prior she had made her debut at the ‘ World ’ s Most Beautiful Marathon ’, the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon when she had finished third . It was the first meeting between Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl at the iconic race and set the scene for a memorable rivalry . Steyn took line honours in 2019 for her second successive victory while Irvette had to settle for third . Few would have thought that it would be another three years before the two would meet up again in Cape Town . But then the world was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic and the classic race was one of many events that had to be cancelled for two years running .
When finally in 2022 the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon was back on the calendar , the runners were hungry and eager to tackle the 56km from Newlands to the finish at UCT . And those who were watching were in for a treat .
Van Zyl , buoyed by that World Record from 2021 was hungry . Steyn was for the first time in a long while vulnerable having had a bad bout of flu in race week . Sensing her opportunity Van Zyl attacked up the slopes of Constantia Nek – and broke Steyn who was left in the wake of the furious onslaught of Van Zyl .
But champions are made in adversity and Steyn dug deep , found her second wind and on the descent from Constantia Nek to Kirstenbosch opened the after-burners . Relentlessly she started to chase a flagging van Zyl who had hit the proverbial wall and with 3km left , Steyn was able to catch and pass van Zyl . But Steyn was running scared , and the effort was clearly visible on her usually smiling face . Only once she hit the grass of the UCT fields at the finish did she realise she had won . Both she and van Zyl broke van der Merwe ’ s long-standing record of 3:30.36 with Steyn becoming the first woman to go under 3:30 , clocking 3:29.45 while van Zyl came in at 3:30.31 . It was Steyn ’ s third back-toback win at the iconic race .
Four out of four
In the absence of Van Zyl who missed the 2023 edition of the Totalsports Two Oceans due to injury , Steyn was able to run free and came flying home in 3:29.04 – a 41-second improvement on her record . Such was her dominance that she was 12 minutes clear of runner-up Amelework Bosho ( 3:41.29 ), while a flying Carla Molinaro would come through for third ( 3:41.38 ).
Will Steyn make it five in a row ?
Not in a long while has the running community so eagerly looked forward to a rematch as both Irvette van Zyl and Gerda Steyn confirmed their entry for the 2024 edition of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon . Steyn is in the shape of her life after breaking her own SA Marathon record in Valencia in 2023 , running 2:24.03 and taking 85 seconds off her previous best time of 2:25.28 and will be
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