Gerda Steyn runs with joy, trains with fire, and races with purpose. In every stride, she’s not just chasing victory, she’s chasing her best self.
High in the French Alps, where the air is thin and the climbs unforgiving, Gerda Steyn has been at peace, quietly preparing to make history. Again.
The serene Alpine town of Savoie, her home base for Comrades Marathon training, is a stark contrast to the electric roars of race day. But it’s here, in the stillness, that the South African ultra-distance queen has sharpened her edge for Sunday’s race epic.
With three Comrades titles and six Two Oceans crowns already in her collection, Steyn is not just chasing medals. She’s chasing mastery.
“I want to see myself get better and get stronger,” she says. “Of course that means getting faster, so it is always a big driving force for me.”
Her dominance defies belief. At Comrades and Two Oceans, she doesn’t just win, she obliterates the field. Her margins of victory at Comrades, where she won in 2019, 2023 and 2024, read like typos: 18 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes. But behind those results is a relentless, joyful grind.
Late start, meteoric rise
Steyn’s story breaks the elite athlete mould. She only took up running seriously at 24, an age when most top competitors are deep into their careers. “Running came into my life at the right time,” she reflects. “It was completely my own choice, and I’ve never fallen out of love with it.”
In just over a decade, that late start has turned into one of South African sport’s most inspiring trajectories. She’s now a household name, not just for her endurance feats, but for the ever-present smile she carries through every finish line.
“It’s become a bit of a trademark,” she laughs. “It helps me stay positive. Especially in long-distance running, your mindset is everything. Smiling is also my way of giving back; the support along the route means so much to me.”
The grind behind the glory
Steyn is warm and gracious and generous in conversation, but don’t mistake that for softness. Her training is as serious as it gets.
In peak Comrades build-up, she logs nearly 200km a week. “The highest I’ve done this time around was 190-something,” she says, almost casually. But she’s quick to add: “I’m not just chasing numbers . . . I make sure I’m healthy enough to do them well.”
Injury, she admits, is her greatest fear. “That’s the one thing that would really hinder my plans. It’s always at the forefront of my mind.”
Her preparation is no longer just about the kilometres, it’s about precision. Her training has matured. Her diet is smarter. Though, she confesses with a grin, “I really crave a good ice cream or a bar of chocolate. Fortunately, we burn a lot of calories.”
And then there are the rituals: painted nails before every race, even-numbered strides in warm-ups. “Not superstition,” she insists. “Just little things that make me feel ready.”
Tactical brilliance
This year’s Two Oceans Marathon offered a glimpse of her evolving race brain. Abandoning the patient, controlled starts that had served her in the past, she launched a bold early attack.
“I wanted to almost just throw a hand grenade and shock the entire rhythm of the race,” she says. “I had confidence in myself and in my training. It was a calculated decision.”
That kind of tactical aggression, combined with her endurance and mental fortitude, makes her nearly untouchable on South African roads.
Role model on the run
With success comes visibility, and Steyn is well aware of her role as a public figure, especially for young girls.
“It’s an honour,” she says. “I want to show how enjoyable and pleasurable it is to choose an active life. That also inspires me to give my absolute best on race day, because I know they’re watching.”
There’s no façade. What you see is what you get: a top-tier athlete who trains with fire, competes with flair, and never forgets why she runs.
“Even when it’s hard, I remind myself that this is what I chose,” she says. “That’s freeing.”
Not done yet
Despite her dominance, Steyn’s hunger is undiminished. “For the near future, my sights are 100 percent set on running my very best at Two Oceans and Comrades,” she says.
Eventually, the call of Europe’s biggest trail races may tempt her. “But I’m not chasing something bigger or better. I’ve found what I love. I want to put everything into that.”
It’s this clarity, this blend of joy, drive and purpose, that defines her.
The joyful relentlessness
What makes Steyn so rare is not just her results, but the energy with which she pursues them. In an era of burnout, overtraining and career fragility, she stands as a counterpoint: the athlete who trains hard but loves harder.
“I’ve never really struggled with motivation,” she says. “Even on the hard days, I know 10 minutes in, everything changes. I don’t ever wake up thinking I don’t want to run.”
There’s a scene you can imagine: a quiet French morning, mist lifting off the trails, and a lone figure cutting through the stillness – strong, smiling, unshakeable.
That’s Steyn. Champion, role model, outlier. Running not from pressure, but from passion. Running not for a legacy, but building one with every joyful, relentless step.
On Sunday, she goes again.
