'I'll keep pushing and try to improve on my own time' - Gerda Steyn to race Valencia Marathon
Two weeks before Glenrose Xaba broke her national record with a 2:22:22 debut at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Gerda Steyn had already revealed that she was in the middle of marathon preparation. Although she played her cards close to her chest, South Africa’s ultra marathon queen let slip that she had her eye set on racing a fast marathon before the end of the 2024.
It has now been confirmed that the two-time Olympian is on the start list for the Valencia Marathon which takes place in Spain on 1 December. While some suggest that the Adidas top runner could be tired after a long year during which she survived a tough Olympic Marathon and set records at the Totalsports Two Oceans and Comrades Marathons, Steyn chooses to see her 2024 glass as half full.
"It certainly has been a very demanding year for me, but I wouldn't have it any other way. If I had known the results I would get at the end of the year at the beginning, I would have chosen it all over again. It’s been such a blessed year for me, just to have ticked all the boxes I wanted to tick. Sometimes it was difficult, sometimes it was easy but there was never a dull moment. I’m really grateful. For how this year has been," she said after running her final 10km road race in South Africa in early October.
Returning to a famously fast course on which Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:01:53 in 2022 could mean that Steyn is ready to go beyond her 2:24:03 personal best which she set when she took 11th position during the same race in the Spanish city last December. After a disappointing 2:32:51 in Paris in August, the Phantane Athletic Club athlete went back to basics to prepare for her final marathon of the year. Last month Steyn looked impressive when she bested some quality 10km specialists during the Boxer Super Run Durban 5km.
"While 5km isn’t my usual race distance, I absolutely loved every moment from start to finish. The strong competition really pushed me, and I’m happy with my time. I wasn’t too focused on my pace during the race, but finishing in second place means a lot to me. I was putting myself out there and following the race tactics, and overall, I’m really, really pleased with the outcome," she said after taking second place in 16:25.
So has the Comrades Queen set her sights on reclaiming her national record from Xaba? "I feel like I still have room for improvement, so for as long as I possibly can I'll keep pushing and try to improve on my own time, whether that means it’s the national record or not."
Comments