Gerda Steyn
{{Short description|South African marathon athlete}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| image =
| image_size =
| caption = Gerda after her victory in the 2023 Comrades Marathon
| birth_name = Gerda Steyn
| nickname =
| nationality = South African
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|3|3|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Bothaville, Free State, South Africa
| education = University of the Free State
| occupation = long-distance runner
| years_active = 2014–present
| agent =
| height =
| weight =
| spouse =
| other_interests =
| country = {{RSA}}
| sport = Athletics
| event = Marathon, Ultramarathon
| collegeteam =
| club = Phantane Athletics Club
| coach = self coached
| worlds =
| nationals =
| olympics =
| pb = {{unbulleted list
|Half marathon: 1:10:55 (Ras Al Khaimah 2020)
|Marathon:
2:24:03 (Valencia Marathon 2023)
}}
| medaltemplates =
}}
Gerda Steyn (born 3 March 1990) is a South African marathon and ultramarathon athlete. She set the down-run record for the 90 km Comrades Marathon in 2023 with a mark of 5:44:54, becoming the fourth woman under 6 hours for that race.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} She also holds the record for the 56 km Two Oceans Marathon and has won that event 6 consecutive times, starting in 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.capetownetc.com/news/khoarahlane-seutloali-and-gerda-steyn-wins-2025-two-oceans-marathon/|title=Khoarahlane Seutloali and Gerda Steyn wins 2025 Two Oceans|first=Aiden|last=Daries|date=5 April 2025|publisher=CapeTownETC}}
On 11 April 2021, she became the SA marathon record holder with a time of 2:25:28 at the Xiamen Tuscany Camp Elite Marathon in Siena, Italy. She then broke her own record at the 2023 Valencia marathon, setting a time of 2:24:03.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
Early life
Her parents are Pieter and Trudie Steyn. Gerda grew up on a farm in the Bothaville area and completed her schooling in 2008 at the Bothaville High School. Afterwards, she qualified as a quantity surveyor from the University of the Free State. She has a sister and a brother.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
Career
In 2014 she went to work in Dubai and joined a running club, where she discovered her talent for running.{{Cite web |url=https://www.never-stop-running.com/home/2017/1/14/gerda-steyn |title=Gerda Steyn: The Tough One |website=Never stop running |date=14 January 2017 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-10-10}} After completing her first Comrades in 2015, she met 1991 winner Nick Bester who became her coach.{{cite web | url=https://www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za/News/DisplayNewsItem.aspx?niid=61485 | title=The Gerda and Nick show }}
Her first major career victory was in the 2018 Two Oceans Marathon, in a time of 3:39:32.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
She won the 2019 Comrades Marathon in a record time of 5 hours, 58 minutes, and 53 seconds, becoming the first woman to complete the uprun in under six hours.{{Cite web |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a27887680/gerda-steyn-womens-record-2019-comrades-marathon/ |title=Women's Course Record Shattered at 2019 Comrades Marathon |last=Andrew Dawson |date=2019-06-10 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US |access-date=2019-10-10}}
She also won the 2019 Two Oceans Marathon in a time of 3:31:28. She won it for the fifth time in a row in 2024 and broke her course record with a time of 3:26:54.{{Cite web |last=Botton |first=Wesley |date=2024-04-13 |title=Gerda Steyn shatters record to win fifth Two Oceans title |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/gerda-steyn-record-fifth-two-oceans-title/ |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}
She competed in the women's marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{Cite web|title=Athletics - STEYN Gerda|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1301645-steyn-gerda.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-16|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816211910/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1301645-steyn-gerda.htm}}
Her best time for a standard marathon is the SA record of 2:25:28, achieved in 2021 at the 2021 IAAF Xiamen Tuscany Camp Elite Marathon in Siena, Italy, breaking the previous 25-year-old SA record by more than a minute.{{Cite web |url= https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2021-04-11-queen-gerda-steyn-breaks-25-year-old-sa-marathon-record/#Echobox=1618137720|title=Queen Gerda Steyn breaks 25-year old SA marathon record |last=David Isaacson |date=2021-04-11 |website=Times LIVE |language=en-UK |access-date=2021-04-11}}
At the 2023 Valencia Marathon, Steyn finished in 11th running a time of 2:24:03 becoming the South African national record holder for the event.{{Cite web |title=Marathon Results |url=https://www.valenciaciudaddelrunning.com/en/marathon/2023-marathon-ranking/ |access-date=December 4, 2023 |website=Valencia Marathon}}
Results
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; background:#faf5ff;"
!Year !Race !Place !Position !Time |
| 2015
|Comrades Marathon |56th |8:19:08 |
| rowspan=2|2016
|Two Oceans Marathon |14th |4:15:44 |
| Comrades Marathon
|14th |7:08:23 |
| 2017
|Comrades Marathon |4th |6:45:45 |
| rowspan=3|2018
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |3:39:32 |
| Comrades Marathon
|2nd |6:15:34 |
| New York Marathon
|13th |
| rowspan=3|2019
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |3:31:28 |
| Comrades Marathon
|1st |5:58:53 |
| New York Marathon
|11th |
| 2020
|7th |
| rowspan="4" |2021
|Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon |2nd |1:12:14 |
| Giulietta e Romeo Half Marathon
|4th |1:13:28 |
| Olympic Games
|15th |
| Cape Town Marathon
|4th |2:26:25 |
| rowspan="2" |2022
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |
| New York Marathon
|12th |2:30:22 |
| rowspan="3" |2023
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |
| Comrades Marathon
|1st |5:44:54 |
| Valencia Marathon
|11th |2:24:03 |
| rowspan="2" |2024
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |
| Comrades Marathon
|1st |
| rowspan="3" |2025
|Two Oceans Marathon |1st |
| Comrades Marathon
|1st |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{World Athletics}}
- {{Olympics.com profile|gerda-steyn}}
- {{Olympedia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steyn, Gerda}}
Category:South African female long-distance runners
Category:South African female marathon runners
Category:South African ultramarathon runners
Category:People from Lejweleputswa District Municipality
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic athletes for South Africa
Category:University of the Free State alumni
Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics