Shelmith Muriuki of Kenya was third in 6:07:56, Irvette van Zyl fourth (6:11:35) and Dominika Stelmach of Poland placed fifth (6:12:02).
Steyn took the lead from first-half leader Elizabeth Mukoloma of Zambian just past halfway in the Thousand Hills.
She has been so almost superhuman in her dominance of the Comrades and Two Oceans ultras in the last half-decade it was surprising to see Steyn having to call on her reserves in the last 15km.
Stelmach passed Mukoloma to move into third just before 3:30:00, approaching Hillcrest and seemed to be threatening then-battling Morozova in second place.
However the Russian regrouped and made ground on Steyn, as Muriuki and Van Zyl passed Stelmach for strong finishes.
Gerda Steyn wins her fourth Comrades Marathon
Image: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Gerda Steyn laboured more than in previous victories but continued her dominance of South African ultra-marathon running and the Comrades Marathon clinching her fourth win in the 2025 race on Sunday.
At one stage near the end of the 98th Comrades the gap between Steyn and second-placed Aleksandra Morozova of Russia was less than three minutes approaching the finish.
Steyn dug deep and ran into the People's Park finish strongly to take the win in 5 hrs 51 min 19 sec, well off her 5:44.54 in her win in the last down run in 2023.
The 2025 race would always have slower times given it was run over 89.98km, about 2km more than the 2023 down run because of a finish at the People's Park outside Moses Mabhida Stadium due to renovations to the 2010 Fifa World Cup semifinal venue.
However, Steyn did grimace and show unusual signs of strain in the last 10km coming into Durban.
The women's race best time record-holder added to her wins in 2019, 2023 and 2024.
Morozova โ who cramped and walked just after the halfway stage, recuperated for a period and then ended strongly to apply pressure on Steyn โ finished just four minutes later in 5:55:56.
Dijana wins 2025 Comrades in another superb sparring race with Wiersma
Shelmith Muriuki of Kenya was third in 6:07:56, Irvette van Zyl fourth (6:11:35) and Dominika Stelmach of Poland placed fifth (6:12:02).
Steyn took the lead from first-half leader Elizabeth Mukoloma of Zambian just past halfway in the Thousand Hills.
She has been so almost superhuman in her dominance of the Comrades and Two Oceans ultras in the last half-decade it was surprising to see Steyn having to call on her reserves in the last 15km.
Stelmach passed Mukoloma to move into third just before 3:30:00, approaching Hillcrest and seemed to be threatening then-battling Morozova in second place.
However the Russian regrouped and made ground on Steyn, as Muriuki and Van Zyl passed Stelmach for strong finishes.
Top 10 women:
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