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MA : My next question is about 13 Peaks … The challenge has received a lot of coverage in recent years , including in this mag , and it ’ s motivated a lot of people to tackle something that they might never have done , or didn ’ t even know they could do . So , do you have plans to build it still more , add new challenges or dimensions to it , or is it something that you ’ ve now parked and are just letting it run on its own steam ?
RS : Currently , it ’ s just running on its own steam , but I ’ m still very involved with the badges , and checking on the website and the social media . I think there are over 2500 finishers now , and I ’ m blown away by the amount of people that have done it . I have thought of ways of growing it and I ’ m looking at options , but I haven ’ t actually had enough time to implement ways to grow it yet . That said , because it ’ s very close to my heart , I want it to stay pure , and what it currently is . I think it ’ s really important to keep its ethos , and why people enjoy doing it . But it would be cool to eventually get it recognised internationally as an ecosport type adventure trail , to showcase Cape Town and Table Mountain .
MA : On a related note , let ’ s talk about future goals , and thinking outside the box to come up with new ideas and challenges . You ’ ve run across the Drakensberg and the Himalaya with Ryno , and you ran around Lesotho , and those challenges really captured the imagination , so I think you must get asked this all the time : Do you have more ideas for crazy challenges that you just want to go and tackle ?
RS : I have been chatting to Red Bull about some more challenges , but obviously , the big thing now is having a family , as some of the previous challenges were touch and go , to be honest . I want to try and avoid risk now , especially with the human element . We ran into issues on the Skeleton Coast , and also in the Himalaya and Lesotho , but I ’ d love to do something on Kilimanjaro , or Mount Kenya , and even something in Iceland , so I ’ ve been chatting to Red Bull about one or two concepts . A short while back , Ryno and I did a bit of a recce scout of the Langeberg Mountains on the Cape fold range , but we realised it was way too overgrown , and definitely a project that we won ’ t be able to do . Still , it was a fun few days , and I ’ m definitely always thinking of new ideas .
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I ’ ve realised that there ’ s probably only a couple of races that really appeal to me now , and while I never say never , I think this will be my last UTMB , but I do want to stay in the sport , so doing projects is what really excites me . On the other hand , a couple of the guys that have been doing 100 milers for a while now are starting to move into the 200-mile or 250-mile distances , like François D ’ Haene is doing a 200-mile race at Tor des Géants in Italy this year . I ’ m actually quite keen to do that , too , so I was looking at Tor des Géants , but I think I might look at doing the Cocodona 250-miler next year in May in the US . It ’ s a relatively new race , but it looks pretty epic , and it actually sold out in 45 minutes .
With 250-mile races , it ’ s obviously a lot more than just running , because it ’ s also about the sleep , and the nutrition , so it ’ s like an organised adventure , if you want to call it that , but these races are starting to get quite a number of top runners , so it will also be a race . So , I ’ m quite keen to look at doing something like that , and then also , hopefully , a project or two . I ’ ve also got a second book coming out now in September .
MA : Getting back to Red Bull , I think that anybody that follows the brand knows that Red Bull is always coming up with new ideas , new challenges , thinking outside the box , so I would imagine it ’ s quite exciting for somebody like you to be part of that brand . I would think that the Red Bull ethos coincides with your running ethos , about adventure , setting new boundaries , and things like that ?
RS : For sure ! It ’ s been incredible to work with
Red Bull , because as you say , they ’ re open to crazy ideas , and there just are no boundaries or limits with them . I remember with the Drakensberg Crossing , after Ryno and I initially recced it , and I remember chatting to Red Bull and they asked what the biggest challenges were for us to go for the FKT . I mentioned altitude , and they asked , how can we overcome that ? I said , ideally we needed one of the Hypoxico altitude training machines , but you could only get them from the US , and they were very expensive . Long story short , two weeks later I had one in my house !
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Ryan says having a family has changed the way he approaches his running projects
Red Bull really is an incredible brand that really supports the athletes . With their high-performance centres in Austria and the USA , and all the work they ’ ve done with athletes , it always feels like they ’ ve been ahead of the curve . They have supported all my big projects , which has been incredible , but I also really appreciate how they also supported me in the low moments , when things didn ’ t go according to plan , and they said , how can we support you to build you back up again ? If I look at where I am now in my career , where maybe my focus has shifted from just racing to doing more projects , they fully support that . They ’ re just an amazing brand to work with , and super forward-thinking .
MA : Then my last question for you … Does Red Bull really give you wings when you ’ re running ?
RS : I ’ ve always been a strong believer in the product , and I ’ m actually doing a role now as a product expert , chatting to guys about the product . I ’ m not someone that says you must drink eight Red Bulls a day . I use it in key areas when I ’ m racing , especially , say , 100 miles , when you ’ re going through the night and need caffeine , then I will use it . So , you will see me come into an aid station and drink a Red Bull , or when I ’ m doing a big back-to-back training sessions , I ’ ll have a Red Bull before my second training session . I think that ’ s the big thing : I don ’ t wake up and have a Red Bull for breakfast , I use it strategically , but I ’ m definitely a believer in the product !
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With thanks to Flume Digital Marketing , a PR agency representing Red Bull in South Africa , for setting up this interview with Ryan Sandes . |
Images : Craig Kolesky / Red Bull Content Pool & courtesy Ryan Sandes |
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Always thinking about the next trail running challenge |