Ryan Sandes will again be returning to the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc Festival later this month, but this time will be tackling the 145km TDS route as preparation for his 160km UTMB race in 2020. Over the years the event has become Sandes nemesis and he is hoping the TDS route will allow him to master the European Trail running conditions before coming back next year.

“I am really excited to be running TDS this year, I believe this will give me the experience I need on the European trails,” says Sandes. “I am feeling strong and positive about the race, and hope to get the best result possible and have a great day out in the mountain. I haven’t had the best races at UTMB in the past, so I am looking forward to getting out there and getting on the front foot!”

Top names joining Ryan at the 2019 start line include French runner Ludovic Pommeret, a previous UTMB winner; Spaniard, Tofol Castaner Bernat, previous CCC winner and 2nd place at UTMB and Russian, Dmitry Mityaev, who took 3rd place at TDS in 2018.

TDS, an acronym for Traces des Ducs de Savoie (the footprints of the Dukes of Savoie), follows his journey from Courmayeur to Charmonix, will take place on Wednesday, 28 August. The 2019 edition of the race has been lengthened by 23km to 145km with an astounding 9100m of elevation gain and will now take runners through the exquisite Beaufortain region. The new addition allows for easy adjustments in the case of extreme weather conditions with several options that will take runners as close to the original route as possible and not only increases the distance by 23km but also adds 1800m of elevation gain.

For more information on the race please visit www.ultratrailmb.com for live coverage on race day, and follow Ryan live on his Facebook Page @Ryan.Nicholas.Sandes, Twitter and Instagram account @RyanSandes.

On Saturday 29 June, ultra-marathon trail runner, Ryan Sandes, will be returning to the start line of the world’s oldest trail race – the Western States 100 Miler. “I am super excited to be heading back to Western States again this year to race,” says Sandes. “Having run this race a few times, I feel my preparations have gone really well. With my win in 2017, the pressure is off to prove anything so I am looking forward to getting out onto the start line and enjoying the unique experience that is Western States.”

This year’s start line see’s some of the world’s best trail runners lining up, including 2018 defending champion Jim Walmsley who set a new course record of 14hrs30min04sec, Matt Daniels, Ian Sharman and David Laney to mention a few.

The 369 strong competitor list also includes 72 year old race founder, Gordy Ainsleigh, who has completed the race a whopping 23 times. Starting in Squaw Valley, California near the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics and ending 100.2 miles (160km) away in Auburn, California, Western States, in the decades since its inception in 1974, has come to represent one of the ultimate endurance tests in the world. Following the historic Western States Trail, runners climb more than 5500m and descend nearly 7000m before reaching the finish line in Auburn.

Over the 160km, runners experience the majestic high country beauty of Emigrant Pass and the Granite Chief Wilderness, the crucible of the canyons of the California gold country, a memorable crossing of the ice-cold waters of the main stem of the Middle Fork of the American River, and, during the latter stages, the historic reddish-brown-coloured trails that led gold-seeking prospectors and homesteading pilgrims alike to the welcoming arms of Auburn. The race will start at 5am local time on Saturday 29 June 2019 – 2pm local South African time.

To find out more about the race please visit https://www.wser.org/

To follow Ryan live on race day please follow his social media pages: Facebook - @Ryan.Nicholas.Sandes Twitter - @RyanSandes Instagram - @RyanSandes www.ryansandes.com

Calling all mountain bikers and trail runners – entries are now open for the 2019 Husqvarna Classic Mid-Illovo MTB Challenge & Trail Run, with race options to suit the whole family.

This popular event has limited entries so don’t delay in entering.  The race starts on Sunday 28 April at Gwahumbe Game & Spa in Mid-Illovo in KZN.

The serious mountain bikers can choose either the 60km Husqvarna Classic MTB X-treme or the 40km Safire Classic route, while fun riders have the choice of an 18km Gwahumbe Family Experience or the 10km route, which is free entry for the under 12s.

For trail runners, the Farmers Agri-Care 16km or the 9km Gwahumbe trail routes offer spectacular trails through indigenous KZN bushlands and grasslands. Each year, the Mid-Illovo community benefits from hosting the Husqvarna Classic Mid-Illovo MTB Challenge & Trail Run, as proceeds from the event go towards community upliftment. Every entrant also has the opportunity to give back and help a child in this Midlands community by purchasing an Uzwelo School Bag, with a built-in raincoat poncho, for R150. Enter online at www.roag.co.za or contact ROAG on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 086 100 ROAG/7624.

Entry Fees

For more information, visit www.husqvarnaclassic.co.za

4 Peaks Early Bird entries open 15 March 2019
At 8am on Friday 15 March, early bird entries for the iconic Trappers Bloemfontein 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge presented by Bloemfontein Courant, will be open for a limited 24hrs at vastly reduced rates. “Due to demand we have decided to open entries early for this year’s race and to allow entrants to customise their race to suit their budget,” says race organiser and director, Adrian Saffy from Pure Adventures.
Apart from the traditional 24km route – which is known as the toughest 24km mountain race in the country – race organisers have also added a 10km panoramic route, which will follow the base of the mountain range as a great option for those not yet ready to tackle the mountains. “What makes this route so unique is the abundant game life that runners will be able to see,” says Saffy. “As with the 24km route, the 10km will also have limited entries to allow runners to experience the true magic of the event and preserve the pristine nature of the mountains.”
A 20km and 40km mountain bike race have been added to the Sunday events – ensuring something for the whole family to do, as well as being great for those who enjoy multi-sport events over a weekend.
The events will take participants through the picturesque Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 September 2019.
To get your early bird entries makes sure you go online at 8am on Friday 15 March 2019 to take advantage of the reduced rates http://4peaks.co.za/.
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The Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) is hosting the next event in its urban trail run series on 7 April 2019. The challenge is open to experienced and new runners from all across Cape Town, on a beautiful trail through Bellville’s public green spaces. Launched at the end of last year, the GTP Urban Trail Run traces a route starting in Tielman Marais Park, through Jack Muller Park and up to Tyger Valley, linking and activating Bellville’s green spaces.

The event features a 5-kilometre family run and a more arduous, challenging 14-kilometre run. Most of the route is off the tarmac, offering participants a chance to enjoy beautiful natural surroundings in the heart of the city. Fantastic prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female runners in each category and exciting lucky draw prizes will be on offer during the day. Every runner will receive a water-wise plant as a medal in recognition of their participation.

Warren Hewitt, GTP CEO explains the principle behind the GTP Urban Trail Run: “Quality public spaces are an important component in building cohesive urban communities. We want to see people using the natural green areas in our city every day, and not only on special event days. The GTP Urban Trail is a great way to introduce people to the green spaces that Bellville has to offer.” Bellville has 236 661 square metres of green parks. Tielman Marais Park is one link in the green chain of parks in Bellville that connect Elizabeth Park to Jack Muller Park and the green spaces leading to the Doordekraal Dam, behind Willowbridge.Entrance to the Bellville Urban Trail is R60 per runner for the 5km event, and R100 per runner for the 14km event.

Each entrant is asked to bring old and unused running gear and other clothes, which will be donated to local charities to bring dignity and care to the more vulnerable in our community. A percentage of the proceeds of the Bellville Urban Trail will be used to maintain and upgrade the running route to ensure maximum enjoyment for everyone in the future. After the event, the urban trail route will remain open for runners, walkers and strollers who want good quality, safe running, walking and leisure routes in their city.

Food trucks and other stalls will be available on the day, selling food, drink and other goodies. Participants can register for the event on Quicket at http://qkt.io/1UioDq.

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Media release distributed by Rabbit in a Hat Communications. For more information, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

About the GTP
The GTP is a not-for-profit company, established in August 2012 with a mandate to make the Greater Tygerberg region one of most inclusive, vibrant and economically prosperous areas to live, work, invest and play in Cape Town. The GTP’s primary focus in on reinvigorating the growth and development of Bellville into a leading African city. The GTP is guided by three key goals, which are to: stimulate a 24-hour economy; build physically and virtually connected communities; and facilitate an urban transition to an inclusive, vibrant and economically prosperous area. The GTP is a partnership between the private and public sectors, academia and civil society.

Website http://gtp.org.za
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thegtp
Twitter https://twitter.com/gtp_the

Lessons from the Edge, a film documenting Ryan Sandes and Ryno Griesel’s epic adventures traversing the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) earlier this year, will be premiering at the Ultra Trail Cape Town opening night on Thursday 29 November 2018. The film, shot by Dean Leslie and Jared Paisley from The Wandering Fever Productions for Red Bull Media House, captures the intricate stories within Ryan and Ryno’s successful 25 day 1500km Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the Great Himalaya Trail

“Looking back on our GHT attempt, it is definitely one of the craziest projects I have attempted, and it was really awesome to have my close friend, Dean Lesley with Jared Paisley, along to document the journey,” says Ryan. “I’m really looking forward to the movie coming out, Dean has spent many months editing and crafting this story, so I am really excited to share it with everyone!”

"Our Lessons from the Edge” project was one wild raw adventure,” exclaims Ryno Griesel. “It turned out a bit crazier and way more dangerous than expected and I am extremely grateful that I could share it with Ryan. It was definitely a life changing journey through massive mountain range and we got to meet amazing Nepali people along the way, but there were some dark times that we had to deal with ... we are excited to share this journey of our highs and lows with everyone!"

The film sees Sandes and Griesel traverse heavily snow-covered mountains and experience incredibly extreme weather conditions unusual for that time of year along the way. They suffered frost-bitten fingers, serious tummy bugs, breathing difficulties and a few of near death experiences. A constant on the route, however, was the incredibly welcoming spirit of the Nepalese people who truly embody the spirit of Namaste, and welcomed the both of them into their homes.

“Logistically, this was one of the most complex shoots I have ever done. The simplicity of Ryan and Ryno moving through the Himalayan Mountains on foot was seemingly countered by the chaos behind the scenes,” explains Dean Leslie from The African Attachment. “Going into the project, I hadn’t fully grasped the enormity of the challenge that Ryan and Ryno were undertaking. We faced daily challenges and obstacles as we tried to keep up with Ryan and Ryno and as the attempt progressed the filmmaking slipped into the background as concerns grew around their safety and well-being.”

Lessons from the Edge will premiere on Thursday 29 November at the opening of Ultra Trail Cape Town at Garden’s Rugby Club at 7:30pm and is open to all. It will be launched globally on Red Bull TV and Red Bull’s YouTube Channel on Tuesday 04 December 2018.

For more information please follow Ryan’s social media pages.

A series of unfortunate injuries to leading trail runners this year means that new champions will be crowned at the 22nd running of the 2018 K-Way SkyRun taking place in Lady Grey on Saturday 17 November. K-Way athlete and defending champion Lucky Miya, who will not be able to fight for his crown in the 100km race, due to injuries during the year, will be welcoming in the 2018 champion before heading out on the inaugural 38km night run at this year’s event. “We are sad not to have our defending champs back to try reclaim their crowns, but it means that we have an exciting race on our hands for who will take the title this year,” says race organiser Mike de Haast from Pure Adventures.

Leading contenders in the men’s race this year include K-Way athlete AJ Calitz, who has yet to add a SkyRun win to his list of achievements, along with Stewart Chaperon, who was crowned South African Ultra Trail Running Champion after his recent win at the Addo Elephant Trail. Also in the mix are SkyRun stalwarts, Hylton Dunn and Mr. SkyRun himself, Bruce Arnett, who has taken the title 13 times. The bug has bitten Nepalese mountain runner, Sange Sherpa, who will be back for his second year to race SkyRun after coming 2nd to Lucky Miya in 2017.

There is a joke amongst mountain and trail runners that SkyRun has been bewitched by a foreigner curse, in the last 21 years of running this race, despite some of the very top names coming out to do it, it has never been won by a male foreigner, with overall first place always going to a local South African runner. Can Sange break the curse this year? And will this be the year that the elite men are able to break the Sub12 time barrier? Ryan Sandes was the first to run a sub14 in 2012, and this time has since only been achieved by a select few number of athletes, with none having yet gone under the 12 hour mark!

In the ladies field, SPOT athlete Naomi Brand, who has been making a solid name for herself on the trail running scene is a firm favourite for first place, with SkyRun regulars Su Don-Wauchope and Tracy Zunkel hot on her heals. In 2016 former SkyRun champion and K-Way athlete, Nicolette Griffioen, set a record sub 16 hour time of 15hrs16min. “No woman in the history of the race has been able to break the sub 14 hour time achieved by male competitors,” says Mike, “but we know how strong these ladies are and we know that endurance and toughness are where they excel, so we are hoping for great things this year!” Unfortunately Nicolette has been amongst the list of injured athletes this year and will be running the 100km route with her mom as part of her fitness rehabilitation. K-Way athlete Cleo Albertus, will be looking for first place on the 38km route after her recent win at the 3 Peaks Challenge.

K-Way SkyRun will be taking place on the 17th of November 2018 in the small town of Lady Grey In the Eastern Cape. The race encompasses 3 distances – 100km, 65km and a new 38km route. All 3 races are unique in that they are truly self-supported and self-navigational races, where athletes tackle the remote terrain of the Witteberg Mountain range with a map, compass or GPS unit and a backpack containing all their food, water and compulsory equipment that will enable them to survive in this harsh environment, while operating at an average height of between 2200-2500 meters above sea level.

Live tracking for the race will be offered through Sportraxs and all social media channels will be kept updated throughout the race to let supporters know how their competitors are doing.

Website – skyrun.co.za
Facebook – SkyRun
#Hellofarun
#SkyRun
#AuthenticallyAfrican
#gearupgetout
ENDS

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

SPOT southern Africa will be sponsoring the tracking of the Elite Runners at the 2018 Otter African Trail Run. The elite field, including Christiaan Greyling, Marc Lauenstein, Kane Reilly and Meghan Mackenzie, will carry a small, lightweight, SPOT Gen3® satellite tracking and safety device to allow followers to track the race through the rough and out-of-cellular-range route. All runners will have the opportunity to hire a device through OtterShop : http://otter.run/product-category/tracking/ prior to the race so loved ones at home may follow their progress as well as have emergency response at the tip of their fingers should the need arise.

This year the Otter African Trail run marks the Grand Final for the 2018 Golden Series and takes place from 17 - 20 October 2018 starting in Nature’s Valley and finishing at Storm’s River Mouth. With 42 kilometres distance and 2600 meters of elevation gain, this race forces even the strongest of runners to walk and with a TrailFactor of 2.0, the Otter can take twice as long as the equivalent distance on road. Rugged, rough, off-the-grid and being beyond cellular range makes this the perfect environment to use SPOT’s satellite-based technology. As the race status was previously limited to checkpoints, SPOT devices will now enable followers to track the race at 5 minute intervals, increasing supporter experience and providing insight about the location of participants for emergency response should it be needed.

Belen Sanchez, Event Director for The Otter African Trail Run commented, “SPOT is the benchmark when it comes to race management due to its satellite based tracking in remote areas. It is a cutting edge tool for organisers to monitor the exact progress of their participants as well as track the whereabouts of their resources in terms of logistics, media and safety personal and vehicles. SPOT exponentially increases the speed and effectiveness of emergency response while significantly reducing the amount of personal required to provide a responsible level of safety and emergency support for a remote event. Being reliant on satellite coverage, not cellular, means it is nearly 100% reliable and opens up a broad range of remote areas that can be effectively managed from an event perspective. SPOT also enables the public to follow a remote event through regular coverage. This dramatically increases the level of interest that can be generated bringing sports that previously were hard to follow or understand to global audiences. This exponentially increases the value of the event property.”
SPOT is no stranger to the trail running vertical; recently having tracked Ryan Sandes and SPOT Ambassador Ryno Griesel’s adventure to traverse and beat the Fastest Known Time for The Great Himalaya Trail. Other trail ambassadors and regular contenders in the Otter African Trail Run include Rory Scheffer, Naomi Brand and Marzelle van de Merwe. Rory Scheffer, a top 10 finisher in the 2016 and 2017 races, commented. “Having SPOT on board as the tracking partner for the event is amazing! Now our supporters get to follow us along the whole route and follow the race closely. Due to the remoteness of the race and lack of access, supporters never got a chance to see the race unfold. Now they get to be a part of the action."

“We are proud to provide support to the Otter African Trail Run this year especially as it forms the Grand Final for the Golden Series. The beautiful remote and rugged terrain of the Otter Trail is the perfect playing ground for our devices which use satellite technology, which is not reliant on cellular coverage, to transmit tracking and emergency messaging to followers. Supporter’s viewing experience and runner’s safety will increase considerably,” commented Deborah Fourie, Marketing Manager of Globalstar Satellite Africa.

About Globalstar, Inc.
Globalstar is a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and data services. Customers around the world in industries such as government, emergency management, marine, logging, oil & gas and outdoor recreation rely on Globalstar to conduct business smarter and faster, maintain peace of mind and access emergency personnel. Globalstar data solutions are ideal for various asset and personal tracking, data monitoring, SCADA and IoT applications. The Company's products include mobile and fixed satellite telephones, the innovative Sat-Fi satellite hotspot, Simplex and Duplex satellite data modems, tracking devices and flexible service packages.

Note that all SPOT products described in this press release are the products of SPOT LLC, which is not affiliated in any manner with Spot Image of Toulouse, France or Spot Image Corporation of Chantilly, Virginia.

Despite coming into the race with injuries and 8 weeks of on-again off-again training, Thabang Madiba has taken podium position at the 2018 Trappers Bloemfontein 4 Peaks Mountain Challenge presented by Bloemfontein Courant and realised his goal of setting a new course record! He now holds the title for both the “forward” and “reverse” routes of the race.

“4 Peaks is always the toughest race on the calendar. I went into the race not feeling the greatest after having injuries and not being able to train consistently – so this result is amazing,” exclaims Thabang. “I said earlier this month that one of my goals was to set a new course record for this route and I am really thrilled to have been able to do that today!”

Thabang took first place in a time of 2hrs39min56sec, with Simon Tshabalala hot on his heels in 2nd place in 2hrs39min57sec and Sampie Makoekoe in 3rd place in 3hrs01min54sec.

The ladies race was won by last year’s reverse champion, Trude Carstens, in a time of 4hrs09min01sec, with Tara-Lea van Zyl in second place in a time of 4hrs09min02sec and Caryn Phipson taking 3rd place in a time of 4hrs21min08sec. “What an honour to not only be back at this amazing, but super tough race, but to take the title again!” says Trude Carstens. “The race went really well, I suffered a little bit in the last 8km which is when Tara-Lea caught up with me, but I was able to dig deep and pip her at the line!”

Great weather conditions ensured all athletes had a great run on the mountain. “We are delighted to have had such an exciting race between our top two men and ladies,” says race organiser Mike de Haast of Pure Adventures. “All in all it’s been a fantastic day out – we couldn’t have asked for more!”

Dubbed as the toughest 24km trail race in South Africa with a vertical accent of over 1800m, the race takes place on the picturesque Moolmanshoek Private Game Reserve. The terrain is definitely not for the faint of heart and good preparation is a must. Four very distinctive peaks make up the race as one circle around the Moolmanshoek valley. The route is not marked, but is very easy to traverse with marshals and very clear signage at key places. There are some very steep sections along the route that need to be navigated with the two toughest places being behind Jakobsberg and Visierskerf. 4 Peaks is a completely unsupported race, meaning that all athletes will need to carry everything they will need for the race on their person.

For more information on the race and to find out how you can enter next year’s event, please visit http://4peaks.co.za/. Follow the race live on Facebook on @4PeaksMountainChallenge

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Notes to the editor:
Leading Positions

1. Thabang Madiba 2hrs39min56sec
2. Simon Tshabalala 2hrs39min57sec 
3. Sampie Makoekoe 3hrs01min54sec

Top ladies

• Trude Carstens 4hrs03min02sec
• Brigitte Joubert 04hrs14min27sec 
• Martie Botes 04hrs14min27sec

For the rest of the category wins please visit https://app.sportraxs.com/en/event/4-peaks