All eyes are on the unstoppable Gerda Steyn as she chases a historic fifth title on the grueling 85.777km Up Run. Photo: Backpagepix
Gerda Steyn has spent the better part of the past decade rewriting the record books of South African ultra-distance running. On Sunday, she has the opportunity to add another remarkable chapter to her legacy.
The four-time Comrades Marathon champion headlines a star-studded elite field for the 99th edition of the Ultimate Human Race, with 21 677 runners set to tackle the 85.777km Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
A fifth victory would elevate Steyn into truly rare company. Already second on the all-time women's winners list with four titles, the South African could become only the second woman in history to reach five victories, joining a select group of Comrades legends and moving one step closer to the record of eight wins held by Elena Nurgalieva.
Steyn arrives in KwaZulu-Natal in ominous form after claiming a seventh consecutive Two Oceans Marathon title earlier this year. Since returning to the top of the Comrades podium in 2023, she has dominated the race and will once again start as the athlete everyone else must beat.
