Ryan Sandes

What happens when entries for the Knysna half-marathon sell out, so you decide to run the full marathon – just for fun? Destiny happens. At least, that’s what happened for Ryan Sandes, the world’s indomitable trail runner. 

Courage, confidence, and a mindset that propelled him ever forward, were just some of the gifts Ryan received as he went up against the odds – and his own better judgement – in choosing to take the road less run. 

In a series of twists and turns of fate, the trailblazer shows us how simply taking a chance on yourself can take you to places you’ve never dreamed of.

The race that started it all. With one local marathon under his belt, and a 9-5 job commanding his time, Ryan Sandes challenged himself to enter the Gobi March in 2008: a 250-kilometre, self-supported, multi-day trail race – across the desert. They said he’d never make it. 

In a moment of madness and possibly magic, Ryan recounts how words from his father and raising the stakes inspired him to endure six months of hard yards in training, which had him bleeding, sweating, contemplating his (in)sanity, and – almost – throwing away his running shoes. 

Discover what makes a man break, build, and rebound, all in the name of determination.

In 2014, after a year of trailblazing and peak success, Ryan Sandes was diagnosed with glandular fever: an illness that shook his body, his mind and, with several DNFs, threatened to take him out of his own race. 

In an honest, vulnerable account, Ryan shares his moments of reckoning, caught between enough and too much. Learn how important it is to know your body, to listen to it; to understand and acknowledge the push and pull of the path - and how, sometimes, slowing down is often the fastest way to speed up.

How do you go about breaking world records in seemingly-impossible races across some of Earth’s most unforgiving terrains: the Gobi Desert, the Sahara, the Atacama, Antarctica and the Great Himalayas? You prepare, you prepare, and you prepare some more. 

In an episode that digs deep into the marrow of the hard work required way before the start line, Ryan Sandes talks us through the thinking, the training and the planning that comes with the territory of showing up to your best adventure and how to set yourself up, physically and mentally, for everything and anything that comes your way. 

From his off-race to pre-race routines, Ryan breaks down the hard stuff that sets the mind on track and, whether you’re a virgin or a veteran runner, shares the tools for how to show up - lace up - with your best foot forward.

You’ve heard it. They’ve said it. But what does it really mean to the body, mind, and soul, to ‘go to the well’? In this episode, Ryan invites you to go to the well with him - a horribly special place where every inch of you wants to quit. A place that’ll leave you for dead - if you let it. A place that offers you two choices: fail or finish. 

Ryan unpacks this transient space of angst and inspiration through his own grueling experiences; what it feels like to be stripped to the bare bones of your being; and to have nothing and no one carry you forward. In this episode, find out what lies beyond the trail.

After a series of life-changing – and life-giving – incidents, Ryan shocks the running world when he goes on to win the Western States 100: “The Original” 100-miler, one of the gnarliest races in the world (and the equivalent of running four marathons, back-to-back!) 

The victory was bucket-listed, the feeling was incomparable. Step a little closer into this heartfelt, inspirational and stirring episode where the ultra-distance trail runner shares what it takes to get back in the race…and win.

Is it enough to become the first competitor to win all four ‘Racing the Planet’ desert races? Or set the FKT for the Drakensberg Traverse? Or be the first person in the world to win an Ultra-Trail race on all seven continents? For Ryan Sandes, it’s never enough. Not until death comes knocking. 

In this one-of-a-kind episode, the fearless adventurer takes us with him on a heart-thumping journey across the Great Himalaya Trail — covering 1406 km in 25 days, that would test him, shake him, leave him begging for shelter, and ultimately, questioning (for the first time in his life) if he had in fact done the right thing.

Preparing properly for an ultra-trail run is half the task done, while the promise of adventure will

keep you running back for more. Whether you’re a first-time athlete, or a trail junkie, who better to

get you ready than Ryan Sandes? Ryan unpacks the fundamentals of taking to the trail, in this

practical two-part episode; from his favourite shoes to the right packs, covers and jackets, get up

close and confident with the kit of a trail master.

In this continued episode of preparation, Ryan invites you to take a run with him. Weave through the

mountainous backdrops of his hometown in Cape Town, with pro-advice on how to choose and use

your gear effectively. Discover all the tricks – and wizard sticks of the award-winning trailblazer - as

well as some hard-learned lessons when it comes to a runner’s survival grit.

Grab your mat! You’re working out with Ryan Sandes today. In a short and controlled exercise burst,

Ryan takes you through his own daily exercise routine to help get his body in shape and fit for

purpose. From rocking planks to quad work and ankle mobility, you’ll learn to flex for the win,

warming up your body and switching on your muscles – the Sandman way.

With Nature as the backdrop to every track and adventure, trail running is more than just a run; it’s a connection to Creation, a dialogue with something far greater than yourself; a hook-up and a hang-out with the innermost parts of you. 

In this intimate episode, Ryan shares his love affair with Table Mountain. Learn how a property guy turned professional trail runner found a deeper connection to the life around him; how the size of the journey can move you in places that you may never have touched before, and how Mother Nature, in all her wild wonder, runs with you, always.

Alongside a list of local and international races, Ryan Sandes has a number of personal accolades to his name. Designing trails is another of Ryan’s professional hobbies, intended to keep things fun and interesting (especially when they turn into trails of demand). 

Ryan talks about his most meaningful personal project to date: the 13 Peaks Challenge. A custom-designed South African trail that started as a scribble on a piece of paper and evolved into an always-on invitation to anyone who’s willing to get out and explore some of South Africa’s most beautiful wilderness areas. 

Learn how to design your own trail with Ryan as your coach, and understand what makes a runner’s heart beat; and what it is, in the end, that ultimately outruns the biggest of wins. 

On a fated night in the Himalayas, a monk opens his door to three adventure junkies! What happens next is a tale of turns that will live on in the minds and hearts of Ryan Sandes, Ryno, and Dean Leslie for the rest of time. 

In an off-camera episode with these three trailblazing friends, we get up close and personal about a 24-day trail that left its own marks of madness and triumph in their history books.