{{Short description|South African marathon athlete}} {{Use South African English|date=October 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox sportsperson | image = Marathon des Alpes 2026 Gerda Steyn 2.jpg | image_size = | caption = Gerda Steyn in 2026. | birth_name = Gerda Steyn | nickname = | nationality = South African | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|3|3|df=yes}} | birth_place = Bothaville, Free State, South Africa <!-- | residence = Johannesburg, South Africa -->| education = University of the Free State | occupation = long-distance runner | years_active = 2014–present | agent = | height = | weight = | spouse = | other_interests = | country = {{RSA}} | sport = Athletics | event = Marathon, Ultramarathon | collegeteam = | club = Phantane Athletics Club | coach = self coached | worlds = | nationals = | olympics = | pb = {{unbulleted list |'''5 km:''' 15:45 (Kingsley 2020) |'''10 km:''' 32:24 (Dubai 2020) |'''Half marathon:''' 1:10:55 (Ras Al Khaimah 2020) |'''Marathon:''' 2:24:03 (Valencia Marathon 2023) }} | medaltemplates = }}
'''Gerda Steyn''' (born 3 March 1990) is a South African marathon and ultramarathon athlete. She set the down-run record for the 90 km Comrades Marathon in 2023 with a mark of 5:44:54, becoming the fourth woman under 6 hours for that race.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} She also holds the record for the 56 km Two Oceans Marathon and has won that event 7 consecutive times, starting in 2018.<ref name="ctetc2025">{{cite web|url=https://www.capetownetc.com/news/khoarahlane-seutloali-and-gerda-steyn-wins-2025-two-oceans-marathon/|title=Khoarahlane Seutloali and Gerda Steyn wins 2025 Two Oceans|first=Aiden|last=Daries|date=5 April 2025|publisher=CapeTownETC}}</ref>
On 11 April 2021, she became the SA marathon record holder with a time of 2:25:28 at the Xiamen Tuscany Camp Elite Marathon in Siena, Italy. She then broke her own record at the 2023 Valencia marathon, setting a time of 2:24:03.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
== Early life == Her parents are Pieter and Trudie Steyn. Gerda grew up on a farm in the Bothaville area and completed her schooling in 2008 at the Bothaville High School. Afterwards, she qualified as a quantity surveyor from the University of the Free State. She has a sister and a brother.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
== Career == In 2014 she went to work in Dubai and joined a running club, where she discovered her talent for running.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.never-stop-running.com/home/2017/1/14/gerda-steyn |title=Gerda Steyn: The Tough One |website=Never stop running |date=14 January 2017 |language=en-GB |access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref> After completing her first Comrades in 2015, she met 1991 winner Nick Bester who became her coach.<ref name="nbrc">{{cite web | url=https://www.nedbankrunningclub.co.za/News/DisplayNewsItem.aspx?niid=61485 | title=The Gerda and Nick show }}</ref>
Her first major career victory was in the 2018 Two Oceans Marathon, in a time of 3:39:32.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}
She won the 2019 Comrades Marathon in a record time of 5 hours, 58 minutes, and 53 seconds, becoming the first woman to complete the uprun in under six hours.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.runnersworld.com/news/a27887680/gerda-steyn-womens-record-2019-comrades-marathon/ |title=Women's Course Record Shattered at 2019 Comrades Marathon |last=Andrew Dawson |date=2019-06-10 |website=Runner's World |language=en-US |access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref>
She also won the 2019 Two Oceans Marathon in a time of 3:31:28. She won it for the fifth time in a row in 2024 and broke her course record with a time of 3:26:54.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Botton |first=Wesley |date=2024-04-13 |title=Gerda Steyn shatters record to win fifth Two Oceans title |url=https://www.citizen.co.za/sport/gerda-steyn-record-fifth-two-oceans-title/ |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=The Citizen |language=en}}</ref>
She competed in the women's marathon at the 2020 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Athletics - STEYN Gerda|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1301645-steyn-gerda.htm|url-status=dead|access-date=2021-08-16|work=Tokyo 2020 Olympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|language=en-us|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816211910/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/athletics/athlete-profile-n1301645-steyn-gerda.htm}}</ref>
Her best time for a standard marathon is the SA record of 2:25:28, achieved in 2021 at the 2021 IAAF Xiamen Tuscany Camp Elite Marathon in Siena, Italy, breaking the previous 25-year-old SA record by more than a minute.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2021-04-11-queen-gerda-steyn-breaks-25-year-old-sa-marathon-record/#Echobox=1618137720|title=Queen Gerda Steyn breaks 25-year old SA marathon record |last=David Isaacson |date=2021-04-11 |website=Times LIVE |language=en-UK |access-date=2021-04-11}}</ref>
At the 2023 Valencia Marathon, Steyn finished in 11th running a time of 2:24:03 becoming the South African national record holder for the event.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marathon Results |url=https://www.valenciaciudaddelrunning.com/en/marathon/2023-marathon-ranking/ |access-date=December 4, 2023 |website=Valencia Marathon}}</ref>
== Results == {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; background:#faf5ff;" !Year !Race !Place !Position !Time |- |2015 |Comrades Marathon |Durban |56th |8:19:08 |- |rowspan=2|2016 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |14th |4:15:44 |- |Comrades Marathon |Pietermaritzburg |14th |7:08:23 |- |2017 |Comrades Marathon |Durban |4th |6:45:45 |- |rowspan=3|2018 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:39:32 |- |Comrades Marathon |Pietermaritzburg |2nd |6:15:34 |- |New York Marathon |New York |13th |2:31:04<ref name="results.nyrr.org">{{Cite web |url=http://results.nyrr.org/ |title=New York Road Runners Official Race Results |website=results.nyrr.org |access-date=2019-10-10}}</ref> |- |rowspan=3|2019 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:31:28 |- |Comrades Marathon |Durban |1st |5:58:53 |- |New York Marathon |New York |11th |2:27:48<ref name="results.nyrr.org"/> |- |2020 |London Marathon |London |7th |2:26:51<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gerda Steyn flies SA flag at London Marathon|url=https://www.news24.com/sport/othersport/athletics/gerda-steyn-flies-sa-flag-at-london-marathon-20201004|access-date=2020-10-05|website=Sport|language=en}}</ref> |- | rowspan="4" |2021 |Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon |Port Elizabeth |2nd |1:12:14 |- |Giulietta e Romeo Half Marathon |Verona |4th |1:13:28 |- |Olympic Games |Sapporo |15th |2:32:10 |- |Cape Town Marathon |Cape Town |4th |2:26:25 |- | rowspan="2" |2022 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:29:42<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.news24.com/sport/othersport/athletics/sensational-gerda-steyn-obliterates-course-record-to-claim-third-two-oceans-title-20220417 |title=Sensational Gerda Steyn obliterates course record to claim third Two Oceans title |website=News24|access-date=2022-04-17}}</ref> |- |New York Marathon |New York |12th |2:30:22 |- | rowspan="3" |2023 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:29:06<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gerda Steyn smashes her own Two Oceans record |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/2023-04-15-gerda-steyn-smashes-her-own-two-oceans-record/ |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=TimesLIVE |language=en-ZA}}</ref> |- |Comrades Marathon |Durban |1st |5:44:54 |- |Valencia Marathon |Valencia |11th |2:24:03 |- | rowspan="2" |2024 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:26:54<ref name=":0" /> |- |Comrades Marathon |Pietermaritzburg |1st |5:49:46<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gerda Steyn wins 2024 Women's Comrades Marathon - eNCA |url=https://www.enca.com/sport-top-stories/gerda-steyn-wins-2024-womens-comrades-marathon |access-date=2024-06-09 |website=www.enca.com |language=en|date=9 June 2024}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" |2025 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:29:09<ref name="ctetc2025" /> |- |Comrades Marathon |Pietermaritzburg |1st |5:51:19<ref>{{Cite web |title= Comrades Marathon Live Results|url=https://track.rtrt.me/e/CMSA-COMRADES-2025#/leaderboard/top-women-90km-_ALL/FINISH}}</ref> |- | 2026 |Two Oceans Marathon |Cape Town |1st |3:27:39<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sportsplits.com/races/totalsports-two-oceans-marathon-2026 |title=Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon powered by BYD (2026) 56km Ultra Marathon |publisher=Two Oceans Marathon |date=2026-04-11 |access-date=2026-05-16}}</ref> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{World Athletics}} * {{Olympics.com|gerda-steyn}} * {{Olympedia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steyn, Gerda}} Category:Living people Category:1990 births Category:South African women long-distance runners Category:South African women marathon runners Category:South African ultramarathon runners Category:People from the Lejweleputswa District Municipality Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic athletes for South Africa Category:University of the Free State alumni Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:21st-century South African sportswomen