Ultra-distance trail runner, Ryan Sandes, maiden Downhill Event at Meerendal Wine Estate on Wednesday evening was a resounding success with over 200 runners taking on the challenge. Llewellyn Groeneveld took top honours amongst the men, setting a blazing winning time of 10min18sec and Hayley Preen took the ladies crown in a time of 12min37sec for the 3.4km route.

“We had a great turn out last night and the feedback has been phenomenal,” says Ryan. “I was super stoked with the event. The main aim was to have fun, and everyone that ran yesterday had a massive smile on their face and said what a cool and unique event this was.”

“I wanted to do something that showcased the fun side of trail running, which downhill running does so perfectly,” explains Ryan. “The route wasn’t super technical, so it was a great place for beginners to feel safe and have a bit of fun, whilst at the same time letting the faster runners really open up and get some good speed going. Big thanks to Seth Phitides and Red Bull for giving the event wings, and Salomon and Oakley for supporting the event. And last but not least a big thank you to Meerendal Wine Estate and Carlucci’s Meerendal for hosting us – we look forward to having many more of these events in the future.”

For more information and to see pictures from the event please visit Ryan Sandes Facebook Page - @Ryan.Sandes.Ultra.Marathon.Runner, Twitter and Instagram account @RyanSandes 

King of the trails, Ryan Sandes, has turned the tables and instead of taking you up a mountain, has announced that he will be hosting a first of hopefully many to come, Downhill Run Events. The inaugural event will be taking place at Meerendal Wine Estate on Wednesday 14 November and is open to all levels of fitness and abilities.

“I am super excited about this event and having the chance to have some fun on the trails with the local Cape Town runners,” says Ryan Sandes. “Downhill running is gaining huge momentum in Europe, and I honestly believe that with all of our incredible mountains we can have just as much fun as they are having.”
Ryan will release the 3.4km downhill Strava segment which descends less than 300m, via social media the day before the event.

In order to take part, runners need to register a Strava profile on www.strava.com, and then take the plunge at Meerendal between 5:30pm and 7:30pm on the evening of the 14th to set their fastest time. “The route we have chosen is currently only open to mountain bikers, but will be closed off for the event,” explains Ryan. “We are so thankful to Meerendal and their mountain biking community for allowing us to use their trails for this event.”

The downhill route will finish at Carlucci’s in Meerendal where runners can celebrate with their family and friends, rehashing their war stories. Megan Mackenzie and some of the Salomon Running Ambassadors will also be at the event and are happy to chat about techniques and trail running advice!
Entry is free and all are welcome to join in the festivities. For more information on the event please follow Ryan Sandes on social media