TRAIL quickly , but George has perfect training conditions if you plan to race in Europe . It ’ s got an incredible variety of amazing trails , it ’ s just an outdoor mecca , and if I had to choose a home away from Cape Town , George would definitely be second on the list . I also think they ’ ve got an incredible trail community in George , super passionate about what they do , and I think that ’ s the foundation , and what makes it cool . And I can see George becoming a trail hub .
Red Bull has been a big supporter of all Ryan ’ s running endeavours
I ’ m really excited to see where the MUT event goes . I think that the 100-miler route I ran last year is actually harder than the UTMB route . At UTMB , you ’ ve got 200 or 300 of the top trail runners in the world racing , so the level of competition obviously makes UTMB tougher , but the actual George route is way , way harder . Running the marathon route this year , I absolutely loved it because it had a bit of everything , but at the same time , it just felt fast and flowy , and you finished feeling good .
MA : When you look back at your career now , going back to 2008 when you burst onto the world stage , what are your thoughts ? Do you ever have moments when you find it hard to believe just how much you ’ ve achieved in the last 15 , 16 years ?
RS : It ’ s been a long journey , and I ’ m really proud of being in the sport for such a long time , but having said that , I ’ ve realised that trail running is more than just a sport , it ’ s become a lifestyle . It ’ s something I love , and am really , really passionate about . I think racing is just a small aspect of it . So , if I look back now , I ’ m super proud to have won the 4 Deserts , and races like Transgrancanaria , Leadville and Western States , but I ’ m even more proud of creating something like 13 Peaks , seeing so many people complete that , and hearing their stories . I think for me , it ’ s the actual experiences that stand out , more than the achievements … and I ’ m really proud to have been a part of it all .
Also , just to see where the sport started and where it ’ s going , how it ’ s grown , is really exciting . We ’ re doing a lot more travel and running all these exotic races – and we ’ re either following the UTMB Series , Golden Trail Series or World Trail Majors circuit , with all the anti-doping protocols . I support testing , but there have been a fair amount of positive tests in the sport , including some guys that I know , which has been quite disappointing . So , as I said , I think the sport is in a very positive place , but there is a part of me that sometimes misses the good old days , where it was a bit more free-spirited …
MA : On a related note to your last answer , is there one specific race , or win , or FKT challenge that stands out above the rest for you ? You already said that it ’ s not just about wins or achievements , it ’ s about the legacy and the lifestyle , but I ’ d still like to hear your answer , please .
RS : You know , I do actually have a favourite , but it ’ s not what you ’ d expect , it was actually with T-dog some years ago , I think it was 2013 . We did a K9 Search and Rescue 4km run out in Somerset West , and T-Dog and I won it . I always say , that ’ s my proudest race win , and I still have the rosette that we won , and the photo of us together at the finish line . Of course , I ’ m super proud of Western States , and stuff like that , but it ’ s those small moments , those special memories , that stick out . Like after dropping out of a race like UTMB , being all down , then suddenly you join a community run of 40 local runners , and you just see how stoked people are to be out in the mountains . It reminds you why you started running , why we all run … and that dropping out of UTMB is not the end of the world .
For starters , back then you didn ’ t have to necessarily follow a set series . I mean , for an elite to run UTMB now , you need to plan almost 18 months in advance , and what races you ’ re going to do to qualify for it . The Western States is the same now . I think for my first Western States , I just wrote to the race director after I won Leadville , and said I ’ m from South Africa , can I have a special consideration entry ? They were like , thumbs up , because outside of America , you ’ re an elite runner and gave me an entry , whereas now you have to do a Golden Ticket race . The bigger races are getting super competitive , and it ’ s definitely harder to get into them , but I guess that in itself is positive , seeing that the sport is getting more competitive , because now there ’ s a lot more sponsorship in the sport .
Ryan ’ s standout running memory , winning a K9 Search and Rescue 4km race with T-Dog
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