How Hollywood Athletics Club’s Gerda Steyn has changed the Comrades Race

Gerda Steyn’s record-breaking efforts have dramatically changed the Women’s race at the Comrades Marathon.

Hollywood Athletics Club Elite star, Gerda Steyn set yet another record-breaking run at this year’s Comrades Marathon, not only winning for a third time in a row, but setting a new average pace course record on the longer than usual down run course when she crossed the line in 5:51:19. With her record breaking efforts, she has drastically changed the Women’s race at Comrades with many now running so fast, they’d have landed podiums not so long ago but now find themselves out of the golds for a top 10 finish.

After finishing second behind Ann Ashworth at the 2018 Comrades Marathon down run when Ashworth ran an incredibly fast 6:10:04 for the long course with Steyn in second in 6:15:34, Steyn looked at her marathon time and knew the faster she got over 4.2.km, the harder it would be to beat her. And that is exactly what she did. Returning to Comrades the following year, Steyn made history when she became the first female to run under 6 hours on the up run, taking victory in 5:58:53, with Russian Alexandra Morozova a distant 2nd in 6:17:40 and Irish athlete Caitriona Jennings rounding off the podium with a 6:24:12. In tenth that day for the final gold medal was Mary Khourie, who came home in 6:55:27. It would be the last time that the Comrades Marathon would see Steyn for four years, partly due to Covid but also with Steyn focusing on further improving her marathon times.

With the race not taking place in both 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, Steyn watched the 2022 edition from home. “It was so difficult watching Comrades in 2022 and not running. I told myself that next year I need to be back on that start line no matter what,” recalled Steyn. Morozova took victory that year in 6:17:48 with the final gold medal in 10th spot going to Yolande Maclean who finished in 7:00:19.

After setting yet another course record at the Two Oceans Marathon in 2023, Steyn returned to the Comrades Marathon with everyone wondering just how fast she could go, and whether Frith van der Merwe’s seemingly untouchable 5:54:43 down run record could be broken. Exactly 5:44:54 after the starter’s pistol had fired outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall, Steyn crossed the line to annihilate the record. Behind her, she dragged along the Women’s race when Adele Broodryk finished 2nd in 5:56:26 and Hollywood Athletics Club’s Carla Molinaro rounded off the podium in 6:00:23. Such was the pace, that the 10th gold medal went to Jenet Mbhele who ran an outstanding 6:27:14 which would have been a podium finish in previous editions.

With the course being 1.5km shorter than normal, many felt that it would be a once off thing, but the trend continued the following year when Steyn yet again rewrote the record books to obliterate her up record finishing in 5:49:46. Morozova once again finished 2nd in 6:05:12 with fast finishing American Courtney Olsen rounding off the podium in 6:08:09. The tenth and final gold medal on the day went to Russian novice Yulia Ryzhankova who ran 6:28:22, a time good enough for many previous podium finishes. On the day, 26 women ran under 7 hours. The most in the event’s history.

Returning in 2025, the trend continued, yet even faster than ever before. With Steyn taking victory, behind her, Morozova ran the quickest she has ever run before, finishing in 5:55:56 with Kenyan debutant Shelmith Muriuki rounding out the podium in 6:07:56. Bear in mind this year’s event was a longer course than normal, the 10th and final gold medal went to Britian’s Melissah Gibson who ran an unbelievable 6:19:59.. Steyn was also joined that day in the top 10 with Hollywood AC teammates Irvette van Zyl (4th 6:11:35), Carla Molinaro (6th 6:13:03) and Courtney Olsen who was 9th in 6:17:48.