South African runner Gerda Steyn won the 2025 Comrades Marathon on Sunday, marking her fourth victory in this world-famous ultra-marathon. Known for her stamina and strong finishes, Steyn completed the nearly 90km race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in five hours, 51 minutes, and 19 seconds.
Comrades Marathon 2025: Gerda Steyn wins race for the fourth time
This year’s route was longer than previous down runs—89.98km compared to 87.7km in 2023—because the finish line was moved to People’s Park outside Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Even though the extra distance made the race tougher, and Steyn showed visible signs of fatigue in the final 10 kilometres, she managed to hold off a strong challenge from Russia’s Aleksandra Morozova.
At one point, the gap between the two was less than three minutes, but Steyn pushed through to secure the win.
This latest Comrades victory adds to her past wins in 2019, 2023, and 2024, cementing her status as one of the most successful female ultra-marathoners in South African history.
Steyn is also the only woman to hold both the up and down run records at the Comrades Marathon.
Earlier in 2025, Steyn won the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in Cape Town for the sixth year in a row.
She finished the 56km race in three hours, 29 minutes, and 11 seconds, the third-fastest time in the event’s history. Her best time remains 3:26:54, set in 2023.
Reflecting on her Two Oceans victory, Steyn said:
“It is an amazing feeling. I am really, really pleased by the results today. It was once again just an amazing race. Thank you for all the support on the course. I was carried really on people’s shoulders today. So, very very grateful.”
At the 2024 Comrades, she set a new course record of five hours, 49 minutes, and 46 seconds. That was her third straight Comrades win at the time and made history in the sport.
Her consistent victories and record-setting performances have made her a household name in South Africa’s running community.