Read more
Tete Dijana admitted he had to dig deep to win his third title in the men's race.
Gerda Steyn celebrates her fourth Comrades Marathon victory in Durban on Sunday. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Though spectators might have become accustomed to Gerda Steyn winning ultra-marathons, the 35-year-old runner says she still feels an overwhelming sense of emotion when she triumphs in big races.
Steyn, who won the Two Oceans in Cape Town for the sixth time in succession earlier this year, picked up her fourth victory at the Comrades Marathon in Durban on Sunday.
She became only the second woman (after Russian athlete Elena Nurgalieva) to win Comrades more than three times.
“So many things have to go right in the lead-up to the race, and in your life, to get to the point where you’re in the finishing straight, just about to win the Comrades,” Steyn said after the race.
“It takes so many pieces of the puzzle for that to happen, and that moment is short, but it is so meaningful and impactful. So I try and share it a bit because that moment is so big you can’t experience it all by holding it in yourself.
“So I try to show my appreciation to the crowd for their support, and in a way it’s a moment that changes me a little bit, and I have no doubt I will forever remember that feeling.”
Morozova gave her a fright
Known as the ‘Smiling Assassin’, Steyn didn’t look as comfortable as usual on Sunday, with former Comrades winner Alexandra Morozova pushing hard in the second half to close the gap which Steyn had opened at the front of the field.
While she managed to hold off the challenge and draw further clear in the closing stages to win the race in 5:51:19 (nearly five minutes ahead of Morozova who clocked 5:55:56), Steyn admitted the consistent Russian athlete had given her a bit of a fright.
“I realised Alexandra was closing the gap on me quite significantly in the latter stages of the race, which really made me stay on my toes and remain 100% focused on getting the most out of myself,” she said.
Dijana digs deep
Meanwhile, Tete Dijana also had to dig deep to hold off a late charge from Dutch athlete Piet Wiersma down the finishing straight in the men’s race.
In what was a virtual replica of the 2023 Comrades finish, when Wiersma had pushed Dijana all the way to the line, the Dutchman finished just five seconds off the pace, with Dijana crossing the line in 5:25:28 to secure the third Comrades title of his career.
Dijana said he had struggled to get enough rest the night before the 90km race, which he felt had affected his performance, despite outclassing a strong elite field.
“Last night I didn’t have enough rest. I tried and tried but I think I only slept for one hour, 30 minutes, so during the race I could feel my body was not responding,” Dijana said.
“So I had to push, and at some point I could feel my body was becoming heavier, and mentally I felt I needed to back off a little bit, but I refused.”
