South African road running queen Gerda Steyn will spearhead the Hollywood Athletics Club challenge at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town on Saturday 5 April. Thathe Msimango looks at all of Hollywood AC's contenders.
Steyn will no doubt carry the favourite tag as she looks to defend the crown she won for the fifth consecutive time in 2024 in a course record time of 03:26:54.
She will be out for a record sixth consecutive Two Oceans title. Leading up to the race, she has boxed smart in terms of racing. In January, she was second in the Bay to Bay 30km race in a good time of 1:50:09. She then won the Pirates 21km in 1:18:20 on a challenging course – missing the course record of Team Mate, Irvette van Zyl by a mere 20 seconds.
The 35-year-old former Women’s SA Marathon Record Holder with a scintillating time of 02:24:03 set in 2023 at the Valencia Marathon in Spain completed her preparations in Dullstroom. She says that the love she has for the race makes it easy to keep pushing herself to improve in the Western Cape’s premier road ultra.
“Two Oceans Marathon is one of the races I haven’t missed since 2018. It’s a race that opened the doors for my running career,” said Steyn, who is also a three-time Comrades Marathon Champion.
“To race in Cape Town is something I always look forward to. Two Oceans is very close to my heart. I want to continue setting the record there, but the most important thing is to go out there for a victory,” she added.
Expected to be a serious contender for the title that comes with a cool R250 000 prize purse is Irvette Van Zyl. The 37-year-old has twice finished runner-up in the race (2024 and 2022) behind Steyn on both occasions. Van Zyl has made no secret that she is hungry and will want to come out on top in a titanic battle.
Van Zyl used the Balwin Sport Pretoria Marathon as part of her build-up to the big day. She didn’t disappoint as she clocked 02:51:03 to finish second overall.
Former World 50km Champion Carla Molinaro will also pose a huge threat. In the two races she has raced (2023/4), she has been placed inside the top five. In 2023, she ran 03:41:37 for the third place overall. Last year she was fifth in 03:42:17. red 03:38:00 to take third place.
Meanwhile, Neheng Khatala’s decision to step up into the ultra distance certainly spices things up in the Women’s race and has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons as she is rated by many as podium contender.
Khatala was in red-hot form in 2024, winning the Hollywood Durban 10km race and followed that up with a win at the Soweto Marathon in a 2:43:07. She also set a Lesotho national record of 32:01 over the 10km distance. Now she makes her much-anticipated Two Oceans debut in Western Cape. The 32-year-old North-West University student has continued where she left off last year. She opened a season with a victory in style winning Biogen 21km before winning the Balwin Pretoria Marathon in a solid time of 02:48:26 on a very challenging course that would have given her a taste of what is to come on Saturday 5 April.
In the men’s 56km race, all eyes will be on Nkosikhona Mhlwakana’s Two Oceans comeback. Following his decision to skip a race in 2024, Mhlakwana will make a return with the ambitions of continuing with his good record in the race. In his two starts, Mhlakwana who was training in the Underberg mountains, has finished on the podium. In 2022, he came agonisingly close to securing the title on debut, clocking a scintillating 03:09:08 to finish three seconds behind winner Edndale Belachew of Ethiopia. The 31-year-old who hails from Howick was third in 2023 in a time of 3:10:40.
“After not running the race last year, I’m going there as the new athlete. In the past I have done well in the race, but things will be different this time around. I have huge respect for the athletes I’m going to line up against. But based on my training, I’m quite ready to give it all on race day,” he said.
.Joining Mhlwakana in the start list is South African multiple national Champion Stephen Mokoka who will be tackling the race for the second time in his career. Last year he dropped out in the 53km after experiencing dehydration and is out for redemption. “I have a score to settle with this race. Thist will be my first run as I did not finish in 2024. So to me that one doesn’t count.” Mokoka spent time with Gerda Steyn and has made full use of her knowledge of the race in his preparations. Khoarahlane Joseph Seutloali will seek to improve on his eighth position from last year and is confident of challenging for a podium after finishing second in the 2024 Soweto Marathon. Lookout for Tsepo Ramashamole to also finish inside the top 10.
In the Half-Marathon Mathews Leeto opens his 2025 campaign and is rated as a dangerous contender.. Last year, Leeto had a remarkable season managing to dip under two hours 10 minutes in the marathon when clocking a superb personal best time 02:09:47 during the Durban International Marathon. He will want to leave a mark in the Mother City.
