No regrets, says Gerda Steyn, after going out hard at Two Oceans

Though she didn’t break her race record, Gerda Steyn said she had no regrets after changing her strategy at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town on Saturday.

Steyn, who has the ability to pace herself like a metronome, went out harder than usual and charged through the halfway mark on target to shatter her Two Oceans record of 3:26:54.

And while she faded somewhat in the second half, she held on to win comfortably in 3:29:10, finishing more than eight minutes ahead of runner-up Shelmith Muriuki of Kenya (3:37:50).

After the 56km race, Steyn admitted she had gone out hard in an attempt to shake things up and break her opposition, and despite missing out on her own mark, she was delighted to become the first athlete to win the prestigious Two Oceans race six times.

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‘I felt really strong’

It had been risky, she admitted, but her plan worked in the end as she clocked the third fastest time ever run by a woman at the gruelling annual event.

“To go out with a strategy like that comes with risks, so I also had to keep in mind how I felt and how the second half of my race would play out,” said 35-year-old Steyn.

“In my training I knew I was in good shape. I really felt strong and I tried to focus on the hills coming into the race, so I knew I was in shape for the record and I’m sure I could have done it, and I could still do it in future.

“But I’m not feeling like it was half a win. It wasn’t. I’m 100 percent happy with the result.”

Other results

Meanwhile, in the men’s race, Khoarahlane Seutloali of Lesotho took the win in 3:10:46 after a tight tactical battle.

Siboniso Sikhakhane was the first South African home, finishing half-a-minute off the pace in second position (3:11:17).

In the Two Oceans half-marathon on Sunday, William Kaptein won the men’s race in 1:04:41, and Mercy Jebet Kibor of Kenya took the women’s contest in 1:17:06.