Gerda Steyn
Gerda Steyn (born 3 March 1990) is a South African marathon and ultramarathon athlete. She set the Comrades Marathon up-run record in 2019 with a mark of 5:58:53, becoming the first woman under 6 hours for that race.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gerda Steyn |
| Nationality | South African |
| Born | 3 March 1990 Bothaville, Free State, South Africa |
| Education | University of the Free State |
| Occupation | long-distance runner |
| Years active | 2014-present |
| Sport | |
| Country |  South Africa |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event(s) | Marathon, Ultramarathon |
| Club | Nedbank Running Club |
| Coached by | Nick Bester |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal bests |
|
Early life
Her parents are Pieter and Trudie Steyn. Gerda grew up on a farm in the Bothaville area and completed her schooling in 2008 at the Bothaville High School. Afterwards, she qualified as a quantity surveyor from the University of the Free State. She has a sister, Estie, and a brother, Stefan.
Career
In 2014 she went to work in Dubai and joined a running club, where she discovered her talent for running.[1] After completing her first Comrades in 2015, she met 1991 winner Nick Bester who became her coach.
Her first major career victory was in the 2018 Two Oceans Marathon, in a time of 3:39:32.
She won the 2019 up Comrades Marathon in a record time of 5 hours, 58 minutes and 53 seconds, becoming the first woman to complete the up run in under six hours.[2]
She also won the 2019 Two Oceans Marathon in a time of 3:31:28.
Her best time for a standard marathon was 2:27:48, achieved in 2019 in the New York City Marathon.
Results
| Year | Race | Place | Position | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Comrades | Durban | 56th | 8:19:08 |
| 2016 | Two Oceans | Cape Town | 14th | 4:15:44 |
| Comrades | Pietermaritzburg | 14th | 7:08:23 | |
| 2017 | Comrades | Durban | 4th | 6:45:45 |
| 2018 | Two Oceans | Cape Town | 1st | 3:39:32 |
| Comrades | Pietermaritzburg | 2nd | 6:15:34 | |
| New York Marathon | New York | 13th | 2:31:04[3] | |
| 2019 | Two Oceans | Cape Town | 1st | 3:31:28 |
| Comrades | Durban | 1st | 5:58:53 | |
| New York Marathon | New York | 11th | 2:27:48[4] |
References
- ^ "Gerda Steyn: The Tough One". Never stop running. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ Andrew Dawson (June 10, 2019). "Women's Course Record Shattered at 2019 Comrades Marathon". Runner's World. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ "New York Road Runners Official Race Results". results.nyrr.org. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
- ^ "New York Road Runners Official Race Results". results.nyrr.org. Retrieved October 10, 2019.