Gerda Steyn Excited to Join “Growing” Hollywood Athletics Club

Gerda Steyn with Morgan Shandu and Brett Goodwin

Gerda Steyn Excited to Join “Growing” Hollywood Athletics Club

Hollywood Athletics Club's newest recruit Gerda Steyn is relishing the chance to run in famous Purple and is laser-focused on defending her Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon crowns.

What has to be the biggest signing the Hollywood Athletics Club has achieved in its Elite Programme’s short tenure, is that of the signature of Gerda Steyn, the Queen of South African Road Running.

Steyn was unveiled as the latest addition to the Purple Team on Wednesday 15 January at Hollywoodbets Greyville Racecourse in Durban. The unveiling ceremony was attended by various media personnel and Hollywoodbets Brand Ambassadors Eben Etzebeth and Akona Ndungane.

Steyn is regarded as one of the country’s greatest-ever ultra-distance runners. In addition to the three Comrades titles behind her name, Gerda boasts five consecutive wins at the Two Oceans Marathon; and has set the fastest times ever on both the Up and Down Runs of the Ultimate Human Race and owns the course record of the Two Oceans Marathon. She is also the former SA Record Holder in the marathon, her 2:24.03 set in Valencia 2023 only recently beaten by the 2:22.22 of Glenrose Xaba. A record Gerda is keen on reclaiming. She says she is extremely excited to be joining Purple Team.

Gerda Steyn - Hollywood Athletics Club
Steyn will be looking to defend her Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon crowns in the Purple of the Hollywood Athletics Club in 2025.

“I’m really excited to join Hollywood. I have been in contact with them for a very long time and the move was supposed to happen a few years back. To join a new club is not an easy decision. You must consider lot of things. To finally join Hollywood, it makes me happy and it is truly an honour. We have seen that the club has grown from strength to strength over the past few years. The club’s mebership numbers have skyrocketed. I think they have over 2 000 members and they had close to 1 000 Comrades Marathon runners last year. So It feels good to join a club that is growing,” said the elated Steyn.

The 34-year-old multiple Comrades Marathon champion is going to strengthen the club’s ultra-distance team that is made of Two Oceans and Comrades gold Medalist Carla Molinaro, Olympian and four-time Soweto Marathon winner Irvette Van Zyl as well as Two Oceans gold medallist Loveness Madziva. The reigning Two Oceans and Comrades champion believes the main goal for her this year is to defend her titles.

“This year, the main focus is Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon. Two Oceans is the race that is special to my heart as I have won it since 2018 (in 2020 and 2021, the race didn’t go ahead due to restrictions put in place to curb the Covid pandemic). So I’m willing to continue to build and etch myself into the race’s history books. It is going to be the first assignment for the year and I’m aiming to win it once again. The race did open the doors for me. Then Comrades, it’s where my passion lies and I have no intention of missing either race. So I’m looking forward to successfully defending my titles in both events,” she said.

Hollywood Athletics Club President Morgan Shandu was delighted with the move and believes that having such a prominent and experienced athlete like Steyn underlines the massive growth the club has enjoyed.

“It’s a huge thing that we have managed to sign an athlete like Gerda. It shows how the club has grown in the past few years. Remember, in the past we didn’t have the big names. But now things have changed completely. Most of the big athletes are willing to associate with or join the club because of the wonderful work we have been doing,” he said.

Share the Post:

Related Posts

Carla Molinaro - Hollywood Athletics Club
Club News

Hollywood Athletics Club Targets Strong 2025 Showing

Following a successful 2024 year in which Hollywood Athletics Club’s elite athletes performed exceptionally well in big races such as the Two Oceans and Soweto Marathons, (Elite Athlete Manager) Manfred Seidler believes the club is on the right track to dominate long distance in the country.

Read More »