‘I’ve never been so emotional’: Steyn delighted with her latest victory | The Citizen

Despite the remarkable list of records and victories she has racked up in recent years, Gerda Steyn admitted her win at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town on Saturday was the most emotional of her career.

Steyn had some international opponents for company in the early stages, and it was only in the second half that she managed to break away.

Once she moved ahead, however, there was no stopping her and she charged away to win convincingly in 3:29:06, chopping 36 seconds off her own course record set at the 56km race last year.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional at the finish. My whole family was here to welcome me,” Steyn said afterwards.

“I just love this race and will certainly be back next year and hopefully for many years to come.”

Steyn, who also holds the Comrades Marathon ‘up’ run record and the national standard marathon record, admitted she hadn’t been chasing her Two Oceans mark when she lined up at the start.

While she had to work hard to break the record, however, battling a little up some of the steeper hills, she ultimately produced a perfectly judged performance to dip under 3:30:00 for the second time as she picked up her fourth straight Two Oceans victory.

“My main aim was simply to go for my fourth win. I was racing head-to-head with the Ethiopian athletes for the first half and on Chappies before I was able to move ahead, and I thought the record might come if I maintained a good pace,” she said.

“At 50km, I worked out that if I ran 3:30 per kilometre to the finish I would still have a few extra seconds to enjoy the moment.

“This was a much more enjoyable race than last year’s one. I did experience a tough patch on Constantia Nek, but nothing like the ‘dark place’ I had to run through last year.”

In other races at Two Oceans, Zimbabwean athlete Givemore Mudzinganyama won a hard-fought battle in the men’s 56km contest on Saturday in 3:09:56.

In the half-marathon events held yesterday, Mbuleli Mathanga took the men’s title in 1:03:58 and British triathlete Emma Pallant claimed victory in the women’s race in 1:14:17.