Even before Gerda Steyn lines up as the heavy favourite in the women’s race at the Comrades Marathon, up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg next month, she has already banked a fair chunk of change this year.
Steyn’s confirmed earnings for 2026 currently stand at R380,000, following her victory at the Two Oceans Marathon in April.
She won the race in 3:27:43 to claim the full winner’s cheque, with the 2026 edition offering R380,000 to the champions in the men’s and women’s races.
That figure represents her only publicly confirmed prize money so far this year, although additional bonuses (such as time incentives) are typically not always fully disclosed.
Steyn’s 2026 Season: Potential Earnings from Comrades Marathon Could Exceed R1.5 Million
The big financial swing in Steyn’s 2026 season though, is likely to come at the Comrades Marathon.
For the 2026 race, the winner’s prize stands at R925,000, with the first SA runner bonus also standing at R242,000. That means Steyn could potentially earn R1,160 000 from victory.
And that’s before factoring in additional incentives such as pace bonuses, hot spot primes, or course record rewards — which historically have pushed her total well beyond the base prize.
For context, Steyn earned over R1.6 million from her Comrades victory in 2025 once all bonuses were included, highlighting how lucrative a dominant run can be.
It means Steyn, with her Two Oceans triumph, has R380,000, but with her potential earnings from Comrades, that figure could rise to well over R1.5 million.
That puts Steyn on track for a multi-million rand season — once again underlining her status as the most commercially successful athlete in South African road running.
Even before Comrades, Steyn has already secured a solid return for 2026. But the numbers show the real story: The Smiling Assassin’s season — financially — hasn’t even properly started yet.
@Michael_Sherman
IOL Sport
