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Comrades Marathon favourite Gerda Steyn is confident that nothing will stop her from winning her fifth title as long as she in injury free and healthy.
Steyn and Tete Dijana are the heavy favourites to win the Comrades up-run on Sunday for women’s and men’s races.
The “Smiling Assassin” is looking to cement her dominance with another victory in the women’s field after winning in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025, while Dijana is gunning for his fourth success and first in the Durban-to-Pietermaritzburg version.
I think now that I have won both the Two Oceans and the Comrades several times, people expect that the winner of the previous year will win again this time, but for me it is not that simple.
— Gerda Steyn
Around 20,000 runners are expected to line up at the Durban City Hall for the 99th edition of the Ultimate Human Race, with the first batch of athletes, including elites, starting at 5am and ending at the Scottsville Racecourse 85.91km later.
Steyn, who has won the race three consecutive times and is looking for her fourth consecutive title, will face stiff competition from Alexandra Morozova and Courtney Olsen.
“I think now that I have won both the Two Oceans and the Comrades several times, people expect that the winner of the previous year will win again this time, but for me it is not that simple,” Steyn told journalists on Thursday.
“I have to focus on every race like it is my first time. I can’t say that what I have done in the past will guarantee this year’s results. However, I do take confidence from previous years that I’ve done it, and I’m capable of doing it again.
“But this year, everything has to go right and according to plan. I have to wake up in the morning feeling healthy and ready. Nothing should happen to derail my plans and if that is the case, then I’m confident that I will do it again.”
In the years she won the Comrades she also won the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, and says the training is spot-on again this time. So she plans to complete another double. In April, she won the Two Oceans for the seventh time in a row.
“I have always felt that I can compete in both the Two Oceans and the Comrades. This year is no different for me, I feel like my training has been spot-on and I’m optimistic about that,” she said.
Dijana is keen to win the men’s race to go with his three down-run victories.
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