South African distance running queen Gerda Steyn powered to a historic fifth Comrades Marathon victory on Sunday, 14 June, crossing the line in 5:44:53 to smash her own Up Run course record and seal her fourth consecutive win in the famed 86km ultramarathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
According to results published by iRunFar, Steyn’s winning time bettered her previous Up Run record of 5:49:46 by just under five minutes, underlining her continued dominance of the race known as “The Ultimate Human Race.” The 2026 edition started at 5am, sending runners on the gruelling uphill journey from the coast to the KwaZulu-Natal capital.
Steyn rewrites the record books
The fifth title cements Steyn’s status as one of the most decorated athletes in Comrades history. Her latest triumph also marked a fourth win in a row, a run of consistency that has set her apart from the field in recent years.
The victory came with a substantial reward. According to the Daily Maverick, Steyn earned R2,322,000 in total prize money, made up of a R925,000 winner’s purse and a R605,000 course-record bonus, among other incentives.
Behind her, the women’s podium was completed by two more strong performances:
- Gerda Steyn — 5:44:53 (winner, new Up Run record)
- Nobukhosi Tshuma — 5:53:36 (second)
- Irvette van Zyl — 6:02:30 (third)
Kusche stuns the field
The records did not stop with the women’s race. George Kusche set a record-breaking time to win the men’s Up Run, according to iRunFar and the Daily Maverick, capping a landmark day for the event.
Kusche’s performance ensured that both the men’s and women’s Up Run records fell on the same day, a rare double that elevated the 2026 edition into one of the most memorable in the race’s recent history.
A landmark edition
With course records tumbling in both the men’s and women’s races, the 2026 Comrades Marathon delivered a standout chapter for South African ultramarathon running. The 86km route from Durban to Pietermaritzburg once again tested the limits of endurance, and on this occasion produced history at the very front of the field.
For Steyn, the achievement adds another milestone to a career that has reshaped expectations of what is possible on the Comrades course. For Kusche, the record run announced a new high point in the men’s competition.
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