By Adnaan Mohamed
Gerda Steyn will trade ultra-marathon endurance for 10km speed when she lines up at the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K in Bloemfontein on Sunday, 25 October.
For one of South Africa’s most accomplished road runners, the race carries a personal significance. Steyn grew up in the Free State and attended university there, yet has never raced competitively in the province.
She describes her Mangaung debut as a “homecoming” and a full-circle moment.
“The Free State is where I grew up and also where I went to university. Being part of this first Absa RUN YOUR CITY MANGAUNG 10K feels like a homecoming, a full-circle moment because I’ve never actually raced in the Free State or the Northern Cape,” Steyn said.
“I’m sure I will recognise every corner and every turn. Racing a 10km also exposes me to a different side of the running community because I get to meet different people and new faces that I don’t get to meet at the marathons and the ultra-marathons. It’s very, very special indeed.”
Steyn arrives with formidable credentials. The seven-time Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON champion and five-time Comrades Marathon winner has a 10km personal best of 32:24, set in 2020.
The shorter distance will also serve a practical purpose as she rebuilds her speed following another demanding ultra-marathon season.
“I always find that stepping down from the ultra-marathon and marathon distance to race a 10km is very beneficial,” she said.
“After success at the Totalsports TWO OCEANS ULTRA MARATHON and Comrades Marathons this year, I’ve had time to recover and I’m back on the road again, working on my speed.”
The “Smiling Assassin” knows the 10km demands a different kind of aggression.
“The training and the racing for 10km is quite different to the long distances. There’s no room for mistakes. You have to be ready to go from the gun, which forces me to stay sharp and keep focusing on the speed side of my training.”
Steyn has previous experience of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, having competed in the inaugural Tshwane 10K in 2023.
The series began in Cape Town in 2015 and attracted more than 50 000 runners across the country last year. Mangaung becomes its sixth city.
“I think from the start the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series has had such a wonderful reputation for bringing mass participation and world-class elite-level performances to the heart of South Africa’s urban spaces,” Steyn said.
“Every runner can attest to the fact that the experience, from entering the race to finishing the race, is always so pleasant, which is why we have seen its tremendous growth.”
For Michael Meyer, Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Series Founder, Steyn’s appearance adds another dimension to the inaugural event.
“Gerda has such a strong connection to the Free State, so to have her return to race here for the first time makes this a particularly special moment,” Meyer said.
The race starts at 07:00 at the Sir George Grey Street exit of Grey College, with the finish on Kings Way.
Steyn’s target is straightforward.
“My aim is to get the most out of myself on race day, which is all I can ask of myself.”
In Mangaung, the ultra queen gets a chance to show how sharp her shorter-distance claws remain.
Websites: www.runyourcityseries.com