In Cape Town
High altitude training in Lesotho and a brutal cross-training regime paid off for South Africa's Gerda Steyn, as she claimed the women's Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in emphatic fashion yesterday.
Cape Town put on a show with near perfect conditions after welcome rain soaked the Mother City on Friday. The last remnants of the front that passed the peninsula made for cool, calm conditions and Steyn revelled, crossing the line in three hours, 39 minutes and 26 seconds.
After cutting through the field in the second half of the race and passing Poland's Dominika Stelmach with about 9km to go at the top of Constantia Neck, she opened the gap to two minutes and 31 seconds by the time the European runner crossed for second.
Steyn joined elite company after compatriots Sarah Mahlangu (2000) and Caroline Wostmann (2015, 2016) as 21st century SA winners in the 49th staging of the race.
The 28-year-old has already finished fourth at the Comrades Marathon and holds a personal marathon best of two hours 37 minutes and 17 seconds. This victory was reward for careful planning.
South Africa's Charne Bosman, the 2016 down run Comrades Marathon winner, came third, nearly six minutes behind Steyn to complete a good day for the SA women.
"I had strong legs at the top of Constantia Neck where I took the lead, so I knew it would go well on the downhills although it was a tough last 5km," Steyn said. "I wasn't sure if the lady behind me was chasingt, but I said to myself I wasn't going to look back.
"I had a race plan and largely stuck to it but I lost a bit of time right at the start, even before the half marathon mark, and lost about two minutes at that stage.
"But I recovered well and I felt so strong for the remainder of the race.
"I do a lot of cross-training rather than running because I'm not a big believer in high mileage running. It's worked for me."
In the men's race the title stayed in Africa, with Kenya's Justin Kemboi Chesire winning by over a minute from Lesotho's Lebenya Nkoka. SA's David Gatebe was third.
Kemboi became the second man from that country after John Wachira in 2009 to win. He crossed the line in three hours, nine minutes and 20 seconds to finish 70 seconds ahead of Nkoka with Gatebe nearly two minutes behind the winner.
Results:
Men:
1. Justin Kemboi Chesire (Kenya) 3:09:20
2. Lebenya Nkoka (Lesotho) 3:10:30
3. David Gatebe (South Africa) 3:11:10
Women:
1. Gerda Steyn (South Africa) 3:39:26
2. Dominika Stelmach (Poland) 3:41:57
3. Charne Bosman (South Africa) 3:45:08..