Gerda Steyn Would 'love To Get Sa Marathon Record Back'

GERDA Steyn lavished Glenrose Xaba with praise for deposing her as the national marathon record holder, but almost in the same breath intimated she will be going out to reclaim the mark this year.

Speaking at her unveiling as a member of the Hollywood Athletics Club in Durban on Wednesday, Steyn declared that her goal for the 2025 campaign will be to retain both her Two Oceans Marathon and the Comrades Marathon titles.

Those are almost guaranteed victories though, the athlete fondly referred to as The Smiling Assassin having no equal in the ultra-marathon distances.

She holds the records for both Two Oceans and Comrades, Steyn having run the best times for both the Up and Down runs of the world famous ultra of about 90km in KwaZulu-Natal.

The marathon is not a distance she specialises in, the fact she previously held the national record in the standard marathon notwithstanding.