Gerda Steyn, South Africa’s premier ultramarathon runner, broke her own Two Oceans Ultramarathon record on Saturday, 15 April, when she crossed the finish line in an astonishing time of 3:29:06.

That’s 36 seconds faster than last year when she broke Frith van der Merwe’s long-standing record.

Steyn has run herself into legendary territory by becoming the first athlete ever to claim the Two Oceans Ultramarathon crown in four consecutive events: 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gerda Steyn during the 2019 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon on 20 April, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images)

Read more in Daily Maverick: Record-breaker Gerda Steyn’s historic Two Oceans Marathon run in her own words

The 33-year-old finished the race an impressive 10 minutes ahead of second-placed Amelework Fikadu Bosho of Ethiopia (3:41:29). Bosho finished third last year behind South Africa’s Irvette van Zyl, who didn’t run this year due to a foot injury.

Steyn, who came into the race as the favourite, started comfortably enough in the early hours of Saturday morning in Newlands, Cape Town.

Although the trailing pack of racers were within arm’s length of Steyn for the first half of the “the world’s most beautiful marathon”, Steyn pulled ahead toward the end down Chapman’s Peak, the more daunting section of the race.

With a few hundred metres to go, Steyn, almost nonchalantly, made time to high-five her adoring fans as she entered the University of Cape Town’s upper campus grounds.

With her now iconic, broad smile across her face and 56kms behind her, Steyn crossed the Two Oceans Ultramarathon winning tape with her goals for the race achieved.

“I tried to really not think about the record too much because the win was the first and foremost goal,” she said at the finish line.

“I did not want to chase the time and perhaps blow up too early. It was at the 30km mark when I saw the clock and so I knew I was on record pace. That helped calm me down because I knew I just had to maintain the pace. Because my legs were still strong, I knew I could still get the record.”

South Africa’s Carla Molinaro finished in third place in a time of 3:41:38.

Women and mens top 3, from left: Carla Molinard (3rd), 2nd placed Amelework Fidaua Bisho and winner Gerda Steyn and mens top 3 winner Givemore Mudzinganyama, Dan Matshailwe (2nd), and Nkosikhina Mhlakwana (3rd) following the 2023 Totalsports winner Oceans Ultra Marathon finishing at UCT Rugby Fields on 15 April, 2023, in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: Peter Heeger / Gallo Images)

Mudzinganyama’s race

Zimbabwe’s Givemore Mudzinganyama was the first athlete across the Two Oceans Ultramarathon finishing line on Saturday morning in a time of  3:09:56 to claim the men’s ultramarathon title.

South African duo Dan Matshailwe (3:10:19) and Nkosikhona Mhlakwana (3:10:40) were Mudzinganyama’s nearest competitors.

It was Mudzinganyama’s ultramarathon debut event. The Zimbabwean athlete was a surprise winner, but he managed to stick with the leading pack throughout the gruelling race and timed his ascent to the front of the pack at the right time.

“I’d like to thank my coach Hendrick Ramaala and my club CEO [Zakhele Mkhize],” said Mudzinganyama, who had struggled to secure a professional contract until Entsika signed him.

“Before I joined Entsika, I sat at their conference and I heard it said that if you can catch one big fish in a year, it will be a big boost for your career. I asked myself which big fish I could catch in 2023 — and I decided on Two Oceans. So this is my biggest achievement,” he said. DM