Gerda Steyn rates rivals as she looks to extend her Comrades dominance

Defending champion Gerda Steyn sounded a strong warning to her rivals in Durban on Friday, saying her preparation for the Comrades Marathon on Sunday had gone well and she was looking to go even faster.

“I would love to see myself improving from what I’ve done in the past,” said Steyn, who set the up run best time of 5 hr 58 min 53 sec the last time this iconic event went from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in 2019.

“I feel like my training has been up to standard and I'm here in the shape that I was wanting to be in [at] the beginning of the year when I set out my goals.”

Last year she broke Frith van der Merwe’s 34-year-old best time for the Down run.

Steyn, pointing out that she had grown considerably since 2019, believed that this year’s women’s field was the toughest she had witnessed.

“In terms of the competition, I believe that this year is the strongest female field woman I've ever seen and that to me is actually really exciting,” she said at the press conference for elite athletes.

Adele Brookryk, who ran the second-fastest down time behind Steyn last year, was upbeat about her chances, even though this will be her first up run.

“I feel like the underdog and that I’ve got something to prove on Sunday ... As a sports scientist I’ve dissected the route forwards, backwards. I made changes to training, I’ve done a lot of hill work. I’m a lot stronger than I was last year.”

Steyn believed the R500,000 incentives to break the best time and the fastest average pace, which she holds at 4 min 07,99 sec per kilometre, would be a factor.

“I think it will bring quite an interesting dynamic to the race. I can’t see it being too strategic, I think it will be a fast race.”

Steyn’s decision to run both the Comrades and the Olympics, which takes place nine weeks later, has come under scrutiny.

“I’m 100% prepared for the Comrades and focusing 100% on the Comrades,” she said, adding she would switch her focus to the Paris Games from Monday.

At the beginning of the year she set three goals for herself — the Two Oceans, where she broke her own 56km record, the Comrades and the Olympics.

Two-time champion Tete Dijana, who is aiming for a hat-trick, is predicting a tough men’s race.

“The race is going to be very difficult and very tactical, but I’m looking forward to it and I’m always expecting the unexpected.”

Dijana said he hadn’t changed his training significantly, but was hoping to go faster than the 6 hr 25 min 03 sec silver medal he did in 2019.

Piet Wiersma, the fast-finishing Dutch runner who ended second in his Comrades debut last year, insisted he was the favourite. 

“Last year in my mind I was the favourite and in my mind this year I’m still the favourite. I feel confident.

“I would say I definitely trained better this year, also a lot more hill work. Last year I approached the race without any knowledge about it which worked out for me because my only task was to stay with the group for 60km and then speed up.

“But this year I’ve read up more about the race, I spent six weeks in Kenya to train at altitude. This was my first training camp in five years ... I cannot promise to win this weekend, but I can promise to run the best race of my life.”

Edward Mothibi, who won the last up run, said he was looking to improve his time.

“I’m prepared and I’m looking forward to it.”