Steyn eyes another Comrades crown after Two Oceans victory

While three-times Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn is poised for another title when she lines up for the down-run – from Pietermaritzburg to Durban – on Sunday, the pressure of going into the race as a defending champion is what motivates her the most.

Steyn is an overwhelming favourite to clinch the women's title in the 98th edition of Comrades. She will however face stiffer competition this year, especially from her clubmate at Hollywood Athletic Club, Irvette van Zyl, who will be making her Comrades debut.

Steyn, who hails from Bothaville in Free State, says she plans to better what she achieved last year.

Last year, in the up-run, Steyn achieved an incredible winning time of 5:49:56. This year her bigger mission is to clinch her fourth Two Oceans and Comrades double.

“When you come in as a defending champion, it comes with a certain amount of pressure but I feel like it is a way you process that pressure,” Steyn told the media during the press conference in Durban yesterday.

“When everyone hears the word pressure, immediately in my mind I say 'it's not pressure it is support'. That's how I pressure it and how I process it, but that won't affect my race strategy. I think it is about how I can get the most out of Gerda and the best that I was like this year, that's how I approach the race.”

In the men's race, last year's champion Piet Wiersma will be out to win the title for the second time on the trot. He will face down-run defending champion Tete Dijana, and former champion Edward Mothibi and Onalenna Khonkhobe.

Khonkhobe, who is known for his self-confidence, made a bold statement yesterday that he planned to win the Comrades back-to-back within three years. He said he was the race this year to learn.

“Sunday, when the gun starts, and no matter the pacemaker or not [alongside me], I'm going up front. [But] I'm here to learn a lot of things at the race, and in three or four years, I will win the Comrades back-to-back because this is my show.”

Dijana will look to make amends following his disappointment last year when he finished outside the top 10 after he cramped along the race.

The race will start at 5.45am at Pietermaritzburg City Hall with the first batch and the second group following at 6am.

The race will finish 12 hours later at People's Park in Durban. 

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