In one scene she points out a mountain and says how the previous year she ran to the top, at 3,700m.
The roads around the alpine house where she and her husband live are steep and even where there is a track to train, the altitude is 2,100m above sea level.
Unlike many local distance runners, Steyn trains on her own, not in a group.
She devises her own training schedules, diets and writes down a daily log of her performances on the road.
After the highs of the Two Oceans and the Comrades, the documentary looks at her disappointments in Paris and in Spain with the same honesty.
Throughout it all, Steyn almost never stops smiling, one of her trademarks on the road.
With just more than two weeks to go to the 2025 Two Oceans, the broadcast of the documentary is about as well-timed as Steyn’s races.
It is scheduled to be broadcast on Variety 4 (DStv channel 209) from 6pm on Friday.
Gerda Steyn documentary that airs on Friday offers insight into star runner
Image: SUPPLIED
Fans of distance queen Gerda Steyn get a chance to gain an insight into the life of the runner in a new 90-minute documentary that airs on SuperSport on Friday evening.
Breaking records: The Gerda Steyn Story focuses on the competitive life of the phenomenon who has won the past five Two Oceans ultra-marathons and the past three Comrades, setting records along the way.
She also held the South African marathon record until late last year.
Executive producer Sean Everett offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the popular runner’s hectic 2024 season, covering the build-ups to her record-breaking Two Oceans and Comrades Up runs, as well as the Paris Olympics and the Valencia marathon at the end of the year.
She is seen at her training bases in Dullstroom in Mpumalanga and in the French Alps.
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In one scene she points out a mountain and says how the previous year she ran to the top, at 3,700m.
The roads around the alpine house where she and her husband live are steep and even where there is a track to train, the altitude is 2,100m above sea level.
Unlike many local distance runners, Steyn trains on her own, not in a group.
She devises her own training schedules, diets and writes down a daily log of her performances on the road.
After the highs of the Two Oceans and the Comrades, the documentary looks at her disappointments in Paris and in Spain with the same honesty.
Throughout it all, Steyn almost never stops smiling, one of her trademarks on the road.
With just more than two weeks to go to the 2025 Two Oceans, the broadcast of the documentary is about as well-timed as Steyn’s races.
It is scheduled to be broadcast on Variety 4 (DStv channel 209) from 6pm on Friday.
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