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Ryan Sandes aims to tame the Leadville 100miler Trail Run─── 09:01 Wed, 14 Aug 2013
Morgan Piek
Bloemfontein - South African Ultra Trail runner, Ryan Sandes heads back to the small town of Leadville, Colorado to defend his 2011 win of one of the most famous trail runs in the world – the Leadville 100miler Trail Run.
This weekends race takes place at an incredible 3200m above sea level, with the main climb, Hope Pass, taking competitors to heights over 3850m.
It is very common for more than half of the field to not finish within the 30hour time limit.
Sandes admitted that running at this altitude is extremely tough on the body, but he looks forward to the challenge.
When Sandes competed in this race in 2011, his winning time was 16 hours 46min, the 3rd fastest time ever set and the fastest time by a non-American.
Sandes is the only long distance ultra trail runner to have won a race on each of the worlds seven continents. He is also the only runner to have won every single stage of the worlds’ four desert races.
International Races:
2008 Gobi March (China) – 1st.
2008 Sahara Race (Egypt) – 1st.
2009 Namibia Desert Race – 2nd.
2009 Jungle Marathon – 1st in new record.
2010 Atacama Crossing (Chile) – 1st in new record.
2010 Gore-Tex TransAlps Race – 3rd in mixed pairs.
2010 The Last Desert (Antarctica) – 1st.
2010 4 Desert Champion and only competitor o win every stage of each of the four desert races.
2011 The North Face 100 Australia – 3rd.
2011 The Salomon Zugspitz Ultra –4th.
2011 Leadville 100 Mile Trail Run – 1st in 3rd fastest time in history.
2011 Racing the Planet Nepal – 1st Place.
2012 Vibram Hong Kong 100km Ultra – 1st in new record.
2012 The North Face 100 Australia – 1st.
2012 Western States 100 Miler USA – 2nd in 2nd fastest time in history.
2012 Fish River Canyon Trail – 6h 57min record time .
2013 The North Face TransGranCanaria 83km – 1st.
2013 Only person to have won an ultra trail race on every continent.
Local South African Races:
2009 Hout Bay Trail Challenge - 1st new record.
2009 Salomon Night run - 1st.
2010 Salomon Featherbed Trail Challenge - 1st in morning and evening race.
2010 Hout Bay Trail Challenge - 1st in Team Category, set new course record.
2010 4 Peaks Trail Run - 1st, set new course record.
2010 Hi-Tec Puffer Ultra Marathon - 1st, set new course record.
2010 Hout Bay Triple Trouble Marathon - 1st, set new course record.
2011 Fisherman’s Trail Challenge - 1st, set new course record.
2011 Table Mountain Trail Challenge - 1st in team category.
2011 Otter Trail Run - 1st, set new course record.
2012 Salomon Skyrun -1st, set new course record.
2012 Red Bull Lion Heart - 3rd.
Awards Won:
GoMulti Magazine – 2008 Trail Runner of the year.
Runners World South Africa – Running Hero of 2008.
OutThere Magazine -2008 Adventurer of the Year runner up.
Runners World South Africa – Running Hero of 2009.
Runners World South Africa – Running Hero of 2010.
Men’s Health Magazine – Best Man Competition 2010 Young Guns Category Winner.
Runners World South Africa – One of the running Hero’s of 2011.
Runners World South Africa – One of the running Hero’s of 2012.
Western Cape Ministerial Commendation Award 2013.
Ryan Sandes on running at altitude.:
