Although she couldn’t beat her own record from last year, her winning time of 3:29:10 seconds is still one of the fastest times to date.

She dominated the race from the outset, and there was little pressure on her. From early on, it was clear that her opponents were mainly fighting for second place, as Steyn approached the race with ease. Had she faced more pressure from her fellow athletes, she most likely would have shifted gears and broken her own record.

Gerda Steyn, 6th time winner of the @TotalsportsSA Two Oceans Ultra Marathon 2025 shares her joy on the finish line ??#Totalsports @CityofCT #EventsInCapeTown #CCPBEvents @PoweradeZA #PauselsPower @JomaSportZA #WeAreRunning @CSOS_SA #CSOS #RegisterWithCSOS @Heart1049FM #HeartFM… pic.twitter.com/KQgJlZZ05m

— Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon (@2OceansMarathon) April 5, 2025

Following her win, the runner from Bothaville in the Free State, while not achieving a record time, was still more than satisfied.

"I'm very happy with my performance; everything worked out beautifully," said the former Kovsie. "You can’t always chase a record."

Apart from her record of 3:26:54, only her winning time from 2023 – 3:29:06 – was faster than Saturday’s outstanding performance.

Shelmith Muriuki of Kenya finished second in 3:37:50, more than eight minutes behind Steyn. Dikeledi Majara of Lesotho took third place in 3:40:38.

Khoarahlane Seutloali. Photo: Two Oceans

In the men's race, Khoarahlane Seutloali from Lesotho emerged as the new champion in 3:10:46. South Africa’s Siboniso Sikhakhane finished second in 3:11:17, with his compatriot Lucky Mohale coming third in 3:11:26. A group of four athletes ran together before Seutloali managed to break away in the final few kilometres.

Both Seutloali and Steyn earned R250,000 for their victories. The hugely popular half marathon will be held on Sunday.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg