By Adnaan Mohamed
Johannesburg’s streets are about to become a purple river of determination as 8,000 runners lace up for the sold-out Hollywoodbets Joburg 10K on Saturday.
At the front of this human tide will be two giants of the long road, Comrades champions Gerda Steyn and Tete Dijana, swapping ultra-endurance for the short, sharp burn of 10 kilometres.
Steyn, the undisputed queen of South African distance running with four Comrades and six Two Oceans crowns, will don the purple of the host club, Hollywood Athletic, as she tests her mettle against speed merchants like Cacisile Sosibo, Karabo Mailula and Ntsoaki Mohlahlu.
For her, this race is less about medals and more about sharpening her blade for October’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
“This course isn’t flat as a pancake, it’s more like a stack of flapjacks with some tricky layers in between,” Steyn smiled.
“It teaches you to manage effort, race dynamics and strategy rather than just staring at your splits. Those are the lessons I’ll carry into Cape Town.”
On the men’s side, three-time Comrades Down Run winner Tete Dijana admits he’ll be running on foreign turf. Against the jet-heeled Thabang Mosiako, Stephen Mokoka and Cwenga Nose, the Mafikeng marvel is realistic:
“I don’t have their speed, 10km is their playground. My time is only 32 minutes, slower than Glenrose Xaba! But racing them gives me strength. If they ever come to Comrades territory, I’ll show them who’s boss,” he chuckled.
At a lean 38kg, Dijana carries more grit than bulk, his focus firmly fixed on defending his Comrades throne.
“Among men, you can’t dance between marathons, Two Oceans and Comrades in one season. Only someone like Stephen Muzhingi managed that. I won’t gamble, I’ll always choose Comrades.”
Saturday’s 10K may be a sprinter’s stage, but with distance icons Steyn and Dijana on the line, the city will witness two ultra-legends trading their long-distance strides for shorter, sharper tactical duels.
