SUCH HAS BEEN Gerda Steyn’s remarkable achievements on the road that you’d be forgiven for thinking that anything less than a record-run would be considered minor by the darling of South African running.
Yes of course the records and the victories mean a lot to the ‘Smiling Assassin’, as she is affectionately known, from Bothaville in the Free State, they are legacy stuff after all.
But the Hollywood Athletics Club starlet who has dominated the country’s ultra-marathon scene for over half a decade now, values the other feats that many normal social runners strive for. Take the TotalSports Two Oceans Marathon Blue Number Club (BNC) for example – open to runners who have completed the 56km race on 10 occasions, the BNC is a dream of many achieved by very few.
Steyn is yet to run the ‘world’s most beautiful marathon’ 10 times but given her six victories, she has long become a member of this exclusive club and to say it means the world to her would be putting it mildly.
“Receiving my Blue Number at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon was my first ever permanent race number, so it was a huge honour,” she says “Not many people know that winning the event three times also qualifies you for a blue number.”
That’s how she got to join the club, Steyn having won the race on three occasions and then going on to double that number. Most remarkable perhaps is the fact that she won half of those in course record time, a feat that secured her legendary status in the world popular Mother City race.
Still, even with those achievements – Steyn nurses ambitions of ‘earning the Blue Number the normal way’ so to say.
“I would still like to run it 10 times, but receiving my Blue Number means that I am invested in the race in the same way as those who have completed it 10 times or more.”
Invested she truly is, and as she will once again toe the line with thousands of other runners for this year’s edition of the race on April 10, again looking to be the first woman to get to the finish at the UCT Sports Grounds.
“Being part of the BNC reminds me that running is deeply rooted in me and that I am in it for the long term. It shows that I have held onto something for many years and didn’t give up when it got tough.
“No matter life’s circumstances, I’ve continually been drawn back to one start line, which has become a constant – teaching me life lessons and pushing me to improve. You also hear so many inspiring stories from other members that you can’t help but feel part of something special.”
And many of those BNC members are not superstars like Steyn but rather the back runners who plod through the race year after year, finishing long after the likes of Gerda have gotten back to their hotels and celebrated their victories. She has a message for the runners aspiring to earn that badge of Two Oceans honour.
“Keep working toward your goals – the BNC is a symbol of dedication and commitment to yourself and those who support you. A blue number represents longevity and the possibility of continuing to run if you take care of yourself.
“Don’t give up and never doubt your ability to achieve your goal. The BNC has a place for everyone, and the journey is filled with incredible, often life-changing moments.”
