INSPIRATION
MOST TWO OCEANS WINS
Here are all the runners who have won the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon three times or more, with Gerda Steyn the outright leader, for both men or women, with six wins.
I think that you’ re referring to the 2022 race, where I had some really dark moments. Unfortunately, I got really ill a week before the race, but I didn’ t want to miss it, because that dream of breaking the record had been on my mind for three years. I wasn’ t going to miss the chance of trying to do what I had been preparing to do for the longest time. And that meant having to dig deeper than I’ d ever dug before. I’ ve had difficult moments like that in my career, but I think that one stands out a little bit for me because I recovered from that dark patch to win the race and I broke the record! Looking back, I’ d do it all again, because I’ m willing to put that amount of effort into a race if it means that I reach the goal that I set out to achieve.
Q: In terms of preparation for the Two Oceans Marathon, do you do anything special or different? I don’ t expect you to give up any top secret training methods or nutritional supplements, but can you share what works for you?
GS: I’ m not secretive about this topic, and most of my training regime is freely available on my website and platforms. I’ ve always followed the same strategy to prepare for the Two Oceans since I started running it, but through the years, I’ ve adapted it slightly here and there. My preparation for the race starts in January, as I like to take the month of December to relax, while still doing some cross training and other fun activities to stay fit, but not a strict running programme. Then, at the turn of the new year, I
The interviews start immediately after Gerda’ s sixth Two Oceans win
start my preparation for Two Oceans, normally with a few races early in January, and then I build up the mileage as I get closer to the race.
I can’ t say that it’ s anything out of the ordinary, I just try to incorporate long runs, speed work and hill training every week, and build up to the race gradually, and then a few weeks before the race, I start to drop down the mileage again a little bit, followed by a week of tapering. That’ s always worked for me, and most importantly, I’ ve managed to stay injury-free by following this routine. That is very, very important, because you can be in the best form of your life, but then you just step over the line and do too much, and you’ re injured and you can’ t run the race. So, the key for me has always been to find that balance between making sure that I’ m strong and fit enough to take on the race, without overdoing it.
Q: Besides the advice you mentioned earlier, to hold back a bit on Chapman’ s Peak, any advice for first-time Two Oceans Ultra Marathon runners?
GS: Remember to break the race up in two halves, because the first half is very different to the second half. The first half is fairly flat, fairly easy running, and that’ s where you have to conserve your energy and make sure that you’ re strong when the profile of the race starts changing after halfway, and the hills come. You have to prepare for those climbs, so incorporate hill training in your preparation for the race, and don’ t be scared of the hills. Overall, it’ s a wonderful race, and for me personally, it was a
WOMEN 6 Gerda Steyn 4 Monica Drögemöller 4 Elena Nurgalieva 3 Beverly Malan 3 Angelina Sephooa 3 Olesya Nurgalieva
MEN 3 Siphiwe Gqele 3 Marko Mambo
( A further seven men and three women have won the race twice.)
life-changing race, so it could be for you as well. It’ s also something that will make you want to come back year after year.
Q: Let’ s finish on a lighter note. You’ ve developed a fun post-race tradition to celebrate your many wins at Two Oceans, including downing a few interesting drinks …
GS: Twice a year I let myself celebrate, and one of those is the day of Two Oceans. It’ s become a tradition to go to the Foresters Arms pub in Newlands to talk war stories with my friends and fellow runners, and there are certainly some funny concoctions involved. The most famous one now is what they call a Rumbler, which is a beer with a shot of rum poured into it, and you have to down it. That get-together is always something that I look forward to, and I promise myself to go to the celebrations regardless of how the race goes. But when the race goes well, it’ s always so nice to walk in there and see everyone wearing their medals, talking about how their race unfolded, and celebrating together.
No runner has raised the Two Oceans winner’ s trophy as many times as Gerda
A humble champion who always has time to share a laugh with fellow runners
Images: Two Oceans Marathon
20 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2026