Image: Two Oceans Twitter
It was a weekend to remember for the purple stars Hollywood Athletics Club elite athletes Khoarahlane 'Joseph' Seutloali and Gerda Steyn rewrote record the books to take victories in the prestigious Cape Ultra on Saturday, 5 April. Steyn also became the first person in the history of the event to record 6 wins.
On a windless morning, the canon was fired at 05:15 in Newlands Maind Road and immediately, Hollywood AC’s Purple Stars Stephen Mokoka and Nkosikhona Mhlakwana went into the lead, indicating they were ready to run fast. The pack did not respond, the duo dropped back into the bunch. The duo would hand over the baton to newly appointed Hollywood Elite, Lindelani Mjwara who was running his debut Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon.
Mjwara passed the halfway mark in 1:35:30, with a huge chasing pack which featured teammates Seutloali, Mokoka, Mhlakwana and Tshepo Ramashamole. It was at the top of the climb on Chapmans Peak that Mjwara was overtaken, and the race pace started to heat up.
A relatively slow marathon mark time of 2:24:30 saw a huge bunch still together up front, but once they crested the brutal Constantia Nek climb at 46km, the pack started to disintegrate and over the next 5km, it was broken down to four, with Hollywood Athletics club athletes Mhlakwana and Seutloali dictating the pace. At 53km and onto the final climb, Seutloali unleashed a brutal surge and never looked back, stopping the clocks at the UCT sports grounds in 3:10:47.
“I am so happy with how I ran today after my eighth place finish last year,” said Seutloali. “We looked at what we did last year and chatted with my coach to make some changes and that is what enabled me to win today. Everyone talks about the tough climbs but to me I did not feel them because anywhere I train at home in Lesotho, we are running up mountains and it made me stronger.” Behind him, Mhlakwana who had battled with cramp, rallied for a fourth place finish and pick up his third Two Oceans Marathon gold medal.
We have a new men's champion - the king of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, Khoarahlane Seutloali, stormed to victory in a surprise sensational run, improving on his 8th place finish last year in a thrilling sprint finish which saw him beat out a stellar field!… pic.twitter.com/Xpyqo1cysx
— Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (@2OceansMarathon) April 5, 2025
In the women’s race, it was all about Gerda Steyn after the anticipated dual with teammate Irvette van Zyl failed to materialize with van Zyl having a rare off day. With only the company of Kenya’s Shelmith Muriuki for the first 28km, the smiling assassin as Steyn has become known, led through the halfway mark in a very fast 1:40:43, before pulling ahead of Muriuki once the climbs started.
“I had a time in my mind before the race this morning and definitely went after it but I also told myself that the most important thing about today was getting the sixth win,” said Steyn. Passing the marathon mark in 2:34:20, Steyn was unchallenged to the finish, although the record started to slip away up the Constantia Nek climb. With thousands chanting “Gerda, Gerda, Gerda,” Steyn crossed the line to earn a record sixth victory in 3:29:10.
“I’m so happy to win again today and the crowd support along the way was truly amazing.” Behind her, Hollywood Athletics club teammate Neheng Khatala who was making her Two Oceans debut, ran a fantastic race to finish third, holding off a surging Carla Molinaro who finished fourth and picked up the Club’s fifth gold medal on the day.
The final tally for the Hollywood Athletics Club came to five gold medals; two wins, one third and two fourth place finishes make up the best showing the club has had at this iconic race in the short three years of having an elite team.
Should you feel sorry for competitors lining up in the women's ultra marathon race against Gerda Steyn? Yes - undoubtedly, as our five-time champ and current record-holder has now extended her unbroken reign in what has now become an unbelievable *sixth* successive victory!
— Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (@2OceansMarathon) April 5, 2025
The… pic.twitter.com/sCcTbyuJ0t
