Latest news with #SmilingAssassin
IOL News
10-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Gerda Steyn's total earnings from winning the 2025 Comrades Marathon
GOOD DAY AT THE OFFICE Gerda Steyn earned a total of R1,644,000 from winning the 2025 Comrades Marathon, combining her first-place prize with additional performance bonuses. Picture: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Media While the winner's cheque of R874,000 would have seemed like a great payday for women's Comrades Marathon champion Gerda Steyn on Sunday, it turns out the Smiling Assassin earned almost double that in total. In addition to her first-place prize of R874,000, Steyn earned R550,000 for the best average pace in the women's race, R220,000 as the first SA athlete home, and a handy R50,000 for reaching the Cell C Hot Spot first in the latter stages of the run. If you add all that up, it totals a whopping R1 644,000. Most people would quip 'not bad for a day's work', when in actual fact the performances of Steyn have been built through years of dedication and hard work in training to reach this point.
IOL News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Steyn secures fourth Comrades, grateful for rising competition
Gerda Steyn won hewre fourth Comrades on Sunday. Photo: Leon Lestrade Independent Media Image: Leon Lestrade Independent Media The reign is likely to continue unabated — at least for the foreseeable future. But there's every reason to believe it will not be the no-contest it had been in previous years. Gerda Steyn's fourth victory in the Comrades Marathon was not as compellingly dominant as her previous three. The Smiling Assassin beat second-placed Alexandra Morozova by just three minutes, clocking 5:51:09 in Sunday's Down Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Steyn sportingly welcomed the challenge, with the Russian runner — who won three years ago in her absence — just a minute behind at one stage of the race. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'To have had that competition was also good, not just for me to raise my performance but also for the race,' Steyn said, during the post-race media conference deep in the bowels of the Moses Mabhida Stadium. 'It is no surprise to see a tight time of only three minutes between us, because Alexandra had done well. We can expect faster times to come — and Comrades deserves it.' The Hollywood Athletics Club star said she relishes being challenged and enjoys seeing more talented runners enter the race because 'it is exciting to get competition. "As I said in the pre-race conference," she added, "we are entertainers, and I hope it (the race) was great to watch. It is not a one-woman show. "When I heard Alex (Morozova) had gained a minute on me at Fields Hill, it made me work harder. The competition makes me want to be in my very best shape whenever I go into the race.' Queen of Comrades! 👑🇿🇦 Gerda Steyn crossed the finish line in 5:51:19 to secure her 4th Comrades Marathon title! A phenomenal performance from Gerda.🏃♀️🔥#Comrades2025 #TeamSA #ForMyCountry — Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) June 8, 2025
IOL News
04-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Can anyone challenge Gerda Steyn 'The Smiling Assassin' at the Comrades Marathon?
DIFFICULT TO PREDICT? Gerda Steyn (pictured), a three-time Comrades Marathon champion and six-time Two Oceans winner, faces strong competition from Irvette van Zyl, who possesses incredible speed and endurance, as they prepare for the Comrades Marathon down run in Pietermaritzburg. Picture: Henk Kruger Independent Media Gerda Steyn will once again have a massive target on her back when she lines up in Pietermaritzburg for the Comrades Marathon down run on Sunday. That's for good reason though, as the three-time champion will be difficult to beat if her race goes according to plan. Last year, Steyn's incredible time of five hours, 49 minutes and 46 seconds (5:49:56) bettered her own 'up-run' record by almost 10 minutes. 'The Smiling Assassin' will also be looking to achieve the 'rare double' of winning the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon in the same year for the fourth time.
The Citizen
31-05-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Comrades queen Gerda Steyn faces a battle against Irvette van Zyl
Van Zyl has earned three runner-up finishes at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon and holds the SA 50km record. In recent years, Gerda Steyn has become the darling of South African ultra-distance running, racking up a long list of victories and records at the country's biggest races. Everybody loves Gerda, and for good reason. She hardly seems to put a foot wrong, and her dominance at both the Comrades and Two Oceans ultra-marathons has been astounding. However, as much as we've enjoyed the 'Smiling Assassin' tearing up the road with a grin, her phenomenal results have made things a little predictable. Gerda Steyn after winning her sixth successive title at the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town last month. Picture: Peter Heeger/Gallo Images Van Zyl debut At Comrades next week, however, Steyn will have to deal with Hollywood Athletics Club teammate Irvette van Zyl. One of South Africa's top road runners since she was a teenager, 37-year-old Van Zyl has been the only athlete to put up a fight against Steyn at Two Oceans over the last few years, pushing her all the way to the line on two occasions. And while she has been on the road back from injury in preparation for her first attempt at the Comrades Marathon, if anyone can give Steyn a go next weekend, it's Van Zyl. At first glance, Van Zyl looks like she's made of spaghetti. Beneath the veneer, however, is a lining of steel that makes her one of the most feared athletes on SA roads. Mental strength Van Zyl has been riddled with injuries throughout her career, and she's not as consistent as Steyn (to be fair, nobody is), but when she's in form she has the mental strength to dig deeper than just about anyone. It's this side of her character that suggests she could be well suited to the brutal Comrades course, on top of the fact that she's one of the strongest hill runners in the country. Comrades is all about hills, even on the 'down' run. Steyn will undoubtedly line up as the favourite for her fourth Comrades victory and though she will be almost unbeatable at her best, if she falters in any way, Van Zyl is likely to be lurking, waiting to pounce. Ultra-distance experience Not a novice to ultra-distance running, Van Zyl holds the SA 50km record of 3:04:24 (though she set that mark on a flat, looped course) and she has three runner-up finishes at Two Oceans. She might have to run the race of her life to give Steyn a shake next week, but Van Zyl might just make a race of it. As much as we love Gerda, some real competition will make things interesting, and Irvette van Zyl is just the sort of athlete who can mix things up. It should be a cracking race.
