Gerda Steyn looks back at another stellar season ‘A year of taking risks’
Gerda Steyn reflects on a challenging yet rewarding 2025 season, marked by victories at the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons, a third-place finish at the Soweto Marathon, and valuable lessons learned from unexpected setbacks. Picture: Sibonelo Ngcobo Independent Media
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo Independent Media
When you’re the undisputed queen of ultra-marathon racing in South Africa, it can be difficult when adding a major marathon to your schedule, but Gerda Steyn did just that again this year.
Steyn geared her season towards giving her best at the Two Oceans Marathon and Comrades Marathon, and once again in 2025 she won both titles.
Two Oceans is in April and Comrades is in June, which means Steyn usually has time to recover and train for one more major marathon in October and November.
In 2023 and 2024 Steyn competed in the Valencia in the first week of December. In the high-profile marathon, Steyn produced impressive results of 11th and 20th respectively.
This year though, Steyn opted for a different challenge and set her sights on the Cape Town Marathon which was scheduled for mid-October. It would have then come as a punch to the gut when it was cancelled on the day of the race due to high winds.
Steyn’s 2025Journey: From Soweto Marathon Challenges to Personal Growth
It meant Steyn was forced to readjust her goals and ultimately sign up for the Soweto Marathon for the first time. The Soweto Marathon is a much tougher course than the Cape Town Marathon so any thoughts of running fast times would have gone out the window.
To her credit though, Steyn produced another top performance for a third-place finish in 2:37:01 - just 2:28 behind Kenyan winner Margaret Jepchumba.
“Off season is always the time for reflection,” said Steyn on Facebook.
“I look for things that worked well, and also places where I feel I need to improve on.
“2025 was a year of taking risks, living in the moment and also navigating curve-balls in the best way I can. It reminded me to NEVER take anything for granted, to find a deeper value in results, and to just do my best in every situation! I will remember this year for achieving the results that meant the most to me at the Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans Marathon.”
Ultimately, It was something of a roller-coaster season explained Steyn.
“I will also remember not quite reaching my A-target on my last race, after navigating through a rough few weeks of knee injury caused by a silly fall on a silly afternoon jog (although the level of care I received from M&D Radiology left an impression I didn’t know I needed), a cancelled race, and losing a bit of confidence.
“And I will remember that that is exactly how life goes and that every rough patch comes with lessons to build a stronger version of ourselves. I just hope I can apply these many lessons before I am too old, hehehe! #justkidding I’m a spring chicken! And next year WE DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN!!!!”