4 days ago
Gerda Steyn has two options for rare Comrades Up-Down pairing triumph
Dijana holds the best time for the Down race, having clocked 5hr 13min 58sec in 2023. But Wiersma is the second fastest, having finished only three seconds behind in that race, his Comrades debut.
The 35-year-old Steyn, the overwhelming women's favourite, is looking to secure her fourth Comrades triumph, having won in 2019, 2023 and 2024, a feat that will see her join Maureen Holland as the second most prolific female victor.
Holland claimed her four wins unofficially in 1966, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
Hollywood runner Steyn, who has five gold medals in total after finishing second in 2018 and fourth in 2017, could also achieve an Up-Down pairing feat if Edward Mothibi, the 2019 Up champion, were to win the men's race on Sunday.
If that were to transpire, that would be the first man-woman Up-Down double achieved outside consecutive years.
