Gerda Steyn made history on Saturday, claiming her seventh consecutive Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon title with a commanding performance around the iconic 56-kilometre course that took her through Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, over Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek to finish at the University of Cape Town upper campus rugby fields on Saturday, 11 April, 2026.
The Hollywood Athletics Club champion crossed the finish line in a time of three hours, twenty-seven minutes and forty-three seconds, eclipsing all competition on the most beautiful marathon course in the world.
The defending champion’s winning time put her just one minute and eleven seconds away from her own course record of three hours, twenty-six minutes and fifty-four seconds, set in 2024.
From the opening kilometres, Steyn demonstrated the form and focus that has defined her unprecedented dominance in the ultramarathon. Running with her trademark style and mental strength, she controlled the race throughout the fifty-six-kilometre journey around the Cape Peninsula, establishing herself as the sole female champion in the elite field.
Kenya’s Margaret Jepchumba produced an impressive debut performance to secure second place in three hours, thirty-three minutes and thirty-one seconds, with Zimbabwe’s Nobukhosi Tshuma claiming the final podium position in three hours, thirty-eight minutes and thirty-four seconds.
The top-ten finishers represented seven nations, highlighting the international calibre of elite women’s ultramarathon racing and the Two Oceans Marathon’s status as a world-class event.
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Steyn’s seventh consecutive victory represents an unprecedented achievement in Two Oceans Marathon history and cements her legacy as the greatest female ultramarathoner of her generation, and this victory underscores the commitment and support she has received from her club, coaches and the entire country behind her.
The 2026 winner received the enhanced women’s prize purse of R380,000, reflecting the growing investment in women’s sport across South Africa and the recognition of elite athletic achievement.
Leading Elite Results from the 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (56km)
1. Gerda Steyn (South Africa) 03:27:43
2. Margaret Jepchumba (Kenya) 03:33:31
3. Nobukhosi Tshuma (Zimbabwe) 03:38:34
4. Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya) 03:39:14
5. Rholex Jelimo Kogo (Kenya) 03:40:39
6. Mildred Chepkemei Kinyanja (Kenya) 03:42:42
7. Bize Beyira Negasa (Kenya) 03:42:42
8. Bize Beyira Negasa (Ethiopia) 03:43:00
9. Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) 03:43:43
10. Courtney Olsen (United States) 03:44:40
Main Photo Caption: Gerda Steyn celebrates her historic seventh consecutive Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon victory after completing the gruelling 56-kilometre course around the Cape Peninsula, finishing at the University of Cape Town on Saturday, 11 April, 2026. Photo: Totalsports
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