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A historic fourth Two Oceans Marathon win for Kovsie alumna Gerda Steyn

15 April 2023 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen | Photo Two Oceans Marathon Twitter

Gerda Steyn winning the 2023 Two Oceans Marathon — Former UFS student, Gerda Steyn, made history this weekend – she is the first woman to win the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon four consecutive times.

Kovsie alumna Gerda Steyn provided much jubilation on Saturday 15 April 2023, as she became the first woman to win the Two Oceans Marathon four consecutive times. Steyn, who represented South Africa in the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, in 2021, improved her personal best by finishing the race 39 seconds faster than her winning time in 2022.

Shortly after her fourth win in the 56 km race, Steyn told media that the desire to inspire girls kept her motivated during the race. “I thought of all the girls watching (the race) with their parents and seeing a woman who looked like everyone else winning this big race.” The former University of the Free State (UFS) professional athlete managed an average pace of 3:45 minutes per kilometre. Steyn proved that hard work pays off, as she finished 14th at the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon in 2016. Her first-ever first place at this race was in 2018, and again in 2019 and 2022 – the marathon was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proving that she not only has golden feet but a heart of gold too, she pledged to donate some of her bonus money towards the development of athletes living in Muizenberg shortly after she won the Two Oceans in record time in 2022. A true example of perseverance and hard work, she also won the Comrades Marathon in 2019, and finished seventh in the London Marathon in 2020.

Prof Francis Petersen, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS, says that Gerda is an embodiment of focus and determination. “I am so proud of her. The UFS is truly the home of champions, as can be seen by the achievements of Olympic track athletes Wayde van Niekerk, Louzanne Coetzee, and champions in many other sporting codes.”

Saturday’s Two Oceans Marathon saw Ethiopian-born Amelework Fikadu Bosho finish second in the women’s race – crossing the finish line 12 minutes after Steyn – with Carla Molinaro from Britain in the third position. Approximately 10 000 athletes entered the race, starting at the Newlands Stadium and ending on the University of Cape Town's campus.

News Archive

From cradle to career

2014-02-24

You have finally completed your studies and are ready to step into the world of work – and of course, earning big money. But what people forgot to tell you is how competitive it is out there. Hundreds of graduates are competing for a small number of jobs.

So, make sure you stand out from the pack!

Join Prof Jonathan Jansen for a discussion on Reducing Joblessness on Tuesday 25 February 2014, giving tips on how to secure a job for yourself. Students are also welcome to suggest solutions to joblessness after graduation.

Mark Mead, a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, will join Prof Jansen at this informative event. He will speak about opportunities available to graduates in South Africa, how to make a difference and prove your mettle. Mead is the founder of Cradle2Career, a commodity trader, the director of Tire World Exports, as well as a consultant for Africa to corporates.

The discussions are part of an exciting line-up planned by the UFS Career Development Office. These workshops are designed to assist students in bolstering their employability skills for today’s world of work.

Date: 25 February 2014
Time: 08:00–09:00: Reducing Joblessness by Prof Jonathan Jansen
09:00–10:00: Discussion by Mark Mead
Venue: EBW Auditorium (at Business School opposite the Wynand Mouton Theatre)

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