By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gerda Steyn, all-conquering queen of long-distance running, will be carrying the South African flag with pride as they take to the Paris roads to compete in Sunday’s women’s marathon.
Steyn joins Irvette Van Zyl and Cian Oldknow in the three-woman Team SA marathon squad.
The trio’s prospects have been helped by the fact that the course isn’t the traditionally flat one found at the big city marathons, or indeed previous Olympics.There’s 15km of relative flat, 17km of hills, climbing and downhills, and then 10km or relative flat towards the end of the race.
The South African if often considered an “ultra-distance marathoner” rather than a “standard marathoner” and ahead of Sunday’s Olympic showdown over 52km she explained her preference. “The longest the course the more at ease I am. I would say that 90k would be my ideal distance; I’ve relished the 89km of the Comrades.
The women’s Olympic marathon record is 2:23:07 and while there are a number of athletes who can threaten that time, the course makes things difficult.
In terms of other runners to loom out for, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, the world record holder, is running. The other Ethiopians are Megertu Alemu and Amane Beriso Shankule. Kenya have the reigning Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir along with Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi.