Gerda Steyn, preparing for her fifth Comrades Marathon title, reflected on a peaceful fishing moment with her husband before heading to KZN, having completed extensive training in France and Dullstroom. Picture: Gerda Steyn/Facebook
Image: Gerda Steyn/Facebook
By now, all the training and the majority of the preparation is behind Gerda Steyn ahead of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday.
With the up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg now just five days away, even the tapering of Steyn is done - it will just be about getting out on the road for one or two more shakeout (keeping the legs loose) runs.
But before Steyn left Dullstroom where she had done the last bit of fine tuning for the race, there was one more thing left to do.
That was to share a relaxing moment with her husband fishing on one of the many dams in the area.
“In between all the training and many miles on the road, there was this peaceful moment of reflection and taking it all in,” wrote Steyn on Facebook on Monday alongside a video of the couple on a pier while the Comrades champ watched as her husband first reeled in a fish before releasing it.
But then it turned back to business at the end of the post: “Excited to head down to KZN tomorrow… A big job awaits!!”
That big job? That would be winning a fifth Comrades title, and fourth in a row.
From spending six weeks in France to pile on the altitude and hill training, to spending her taper in Dullstroom - Steyn will be well-prepared as ever for the Ultimate Human Race.
Last week, Steyn posted a video on Facebook alongside a group of other fast men’s runners, including fellow Comrades champions Tete Dijana (2022, 2023, 2025) and Edward Mothibi (2019).
Pictured along a sand road, the 40-second clip showed the runners going through their paces, starting out slowly before working up to full race speed.
The video ends with a few photos, including Steyn sharing a lighter moment with her peers.
When Steyn returned from France, she squeezed in some training in Tshwane before it was off to Dullstroom.