QUEEN OF ULTRA-MARATHON: 'Remember my name'

Gerda Steyn, a 33-year-old, marathon and ultramarathon athlete from Free State, unpacks what it takes to be queen of the road.

adidas is thrilled to announce the release of the third episode of its original docu-series, "Remember My Name." This five-part series delves into the narratives of five distinguished female athletes, not only commemorating their remarkable accomplishments as South African athletes in their respective disciplines but also shedding light on the challenges faced by women in sports.

The third episode focuses on the golden girl of South African road running, Gerda Steyn, a marathon and ultramarathon athlete who started running at the age of 24 in Dubai. Gerda broke a 33-year ultra-marathon course record and has won Cape Town’s Two Oceans 56km ultra-marathon for the fourth time in four consecutive occasions.

Steyn is an exceptional elite runner in South Africa as she holds 2 x Comrades & 4 x Two Ocean Marathon titles.

Gerda strongly believes that it is never too late to chase your dreams and always keep in mind that “Impossible is nothing.”

“Becoming a professional athlete was part of my dreams but I was not putting in a lot of effort to ensure that it becomes a reality because I did not think it would be possible. I started my running career in my mid-twenties and that did not stop me from achieving my goals, I want people to know that nothing is impossible and you can achieve whatever you want if you put your mind to it”. Said Gerda.

Gerda has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of the Free State making her a qualified Quantity Surveyor. Steyn’s journey into running started 9 years ago at the age of 24 where she got the opportunity to work as a quantity surveyor in Dubai. Here she decided to join a running club for the social aspect.

“Being a professional athlete changed my life. When I started running in 2014, everyone in my running group was training for an ultra-marathon and I was running socially to keep fit and I ended up joining them. That is how my running journey began.” Added Gerda.

Gerda Steyn has participated on the international stage in a number of Abbott World Marathon Majors, coming 13th and 11th in the New York Marathon in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and 7th in the London Marathon in 2020; while also representing South Africa at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 15th position.

Gerda explains how the sports world is changing and that more female athletes are getting the recognition they deserve.

“I am happy that women are getting the recognition they deserve. Historically, women athletes have been far behind their male counterparts. However, the narrative is changing as more and more female athletes get recognition.” Said Steyn

Gerda says she appreciates the support she receives from family, friends and most importantly her fans, stating "My family members have always been my pillar of support when I started my running career. I appreciate every single one of them including friends & fans. Running is a team sport and I don’t just run for myself when on the field. I do it for my loved ones, coach and everyone who has supported me throughout my running career.”

In 2019 Gerda competed in her fifth Comrades Marathon and won the 87km ‘up-run’ in a record time of 5:58:53, becoming the first woman to finish the race in under six hours.

In 2021, she broke a 25-year record to become the South African Marathon record holder (2:25:28).

In 2022, she broke a 33-year record on her way to a hattrick win at the 56km Two Oceans ultra-marathon (3:29.42).