Four-time women’s winner Gerda Steyn could become just the second woman to win the Comrades Marathon five times. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images) When she lines up alongside 20,000 other hopefuls outside the Durban City Hall on Sunday, 14 June, Gerda Steyn will be looking to make history once again at the Comrades Marathon.
Known as the “Smiling Assassin”, Steyn is out to crush all competitors as she targets a fourth consecutive win and fifth overall in the historic marathon.
Steyn is already in second place on the all-time list of women’s winners, with only Elena Nurgalieva ahead of her with eight wins.
The Russian ultramarathoner’s era of dominance was unprecedented and no other woman has won this race more.
Since 2019, however, there has been a different queen on the hills. That year, Steyn etched her name into Comrades history when she became the first woman to break the six-hour barrier on the “up run”, winning in a remarkable time of 5:58:53.
She was further victorious in 2023 on the “down run” when she crossed the finish line in 5:44:54, obliterating Frith van der Merwe’s record, which had stood for more than three decades, by nine minutes.
Steyn was at it again in 2024 when she shattered her own “up run” record from 2019 with a blistering time of 5:49:46.
“I don’t really think about it being my fifth title,” said Steyn. “I just think about how to perform at my very best in that moment and on the day. Since my first win here at the Comrades, I’ve always known that there is a target on my back and that others might be focusing on me, but I’ve never allowed that to faze me.
“I just focus on myself, on the training, the preparation, being 110% ready on race day, being healthy, being mentally fresh and excited and to perform at my very best on the day.”
/file/attachments/orphans/Prize2_GerdaSteyn_896195.jpg "Gerda Steyn could pocket more than R2-million if she has another blistering ’up run’ in the 2026 Comrades Marathon. (Photo: Supplied / Comrades Marathon Association)")
Steyn has the opportunity to break her “up run” record again as the 99th edition of the Comrades is also the shortest in its recent history with a course route of 85.777km, 133 metres shorter than 2024’s distance.
Earlier this year in April, Steyn won the Two Oceans ultramarathon for the seventh successive time. However, she said she did not get winning fatigue.
“When my year starts with a win at Two Oceans, it gives me nothing other than a huge mental boost and it always leaves me very excited to go again at the Comrades Marathon. So I’ve never felt mentally fatigued after the Two Oceans excitement, it always leaves me mentally hungry,” she said.
Beyond Steyn, the women’s field is packed with proven contenders eager to challenge her dominance.
Eight of the other nine gold medallists from last year’s race return, including Kenya’s Shelmith Muriuki, who impressed with third place on her Comrades debut.
SA’s Irvette van Zyl, who placed fourth last year, arrives in strong form after breaking the Loskop 50km course record.
The last winner before Steyn’s reign of dominance, Alexandra Morozova, who won in 2022 and was runner-up last year, will miss the race.
Men’s field far more competitive
In the men’s elite pool, the competition is much tighter. SA’s Tete Dijana will be looking for his fourth win after having won in 2022, 2023 (breaking the record with a time of 5:13:58) and 2025.
However, Dijana has been labelled the “down run king” because, thanks to the disruption of Covid-19, all those races were “down runs”.
Dijana has yet to conquer the “up run”, with his 2024 campaign ending in disappointment as cramps hampered him on his way to 14th place.
Dutchman Piet Wiersma, Dijana’s perennial rival, was the one who claimed victory in 2024. After finishing in close second to Dijana in 2023 and 2025, trailing by three and five seconds respectively, Wiersma will be looking to turn the tables once more this year to reclaim his crown.
If Dijana does go on to win on Sunday, he will join the legendary Alan Robb on four wins.
This would also put him joint third on the men’s list of multiple winners and make him just the seventh man to win the race four times or more.
“Winning the ‘up run’ will be a big victory for me,” said Dijana. “Having Piet as a rival also makes me work harder to be a better runner.”
/file/attachments/orphans/TL_2408407_711908.jpg "South Africa's Tete Dijana (middle) will be looking to win his fourth Comrades but first ‘up run’ in this year’s historic race. But he will have perennial rival Piet Wiersma (left) to answer to, who is also looking to claim the crown. Nikolai Volkov is on the right. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images)")
The elite field further includes two former South African champions, with 2019 winner Edward Mothibi and 2016 winner David Gatebe having finished fourth and seventh respectively last year.
Mothibi, who battled with cramps last year, said he was aiming for a top-10 finish.
“This year’s field is very strong because there are almost 40 elite competitors who are very strong, and more than 10 that can win Comrades,” said Mothibi. “Winning the 2019 Comrades remains the best achievement, but winning again is not on my mind. Times change and competition is high, so I am aiming to finish in the top 10.”
Challenging the elite field are several 100km record holders, including current World Champion Aleksandr Sorokin of Russia, who will be making his Comrades Marathon debut.
Joining him is Charles Lawrence, the United States 100km record holder who set a world record for 50 miles (approximately 80km) in 2023.
Making a return will be French 100km record-holder Guillaume Ruel, who will undoubtedly look to do better than last year’s 7:03 for 344th place.
‘8.2 million reasons’
If the status of running the “Ultimate Human Race” was not convincing enough to participate, the record prize purse of a combined R8.2-million surely will be.
A total of R4.62-million has been allocated to the Top 10 category, with the winners each receiving R925,000.
Furthermore, if the race winners break the “up run” records, they will each pocket an additional R605,000. With the route the shortest distance in recorded history for the “up run”, this incentive may well be claimed on race day by one or both of the winners.
And with the race distance changing every year, the winners will also get an extra R550,000 for the fastest average pace recorded at the annual event.
/file/attachments/orphans/Prize1_LeadMen_311215.jpg "The elite athletes have 8.2 million reasons to push for a share of the 2026 Comrades Marathon prize purse. (Photo: Supplied / Comrades Marathon Association)")
In addition, the first South African man and woman will each receive R242,000, while the first KwaZulu-Natal athlete to finish, provided they finish in the top 30, will earn R77,000.
Multiple other prizes are on offer on race day, including cash prizes in various age groups, as well as club team prizes.
“We have made sure that the top contenders... have 8.2 million reasons to give everything they have,” said race director Sue Forge. “This race has always produced world-class performances, and this considerable prize purse reflects the status of both the race and the elite field we have running this year.”
The Comrades Marathon takes place on Sunday, 14 June, with the first batch of runners setting off at 5am. DM