If the Average Joe were to draw up his list of greatest South African sportsmen, chances are Ryan Sandes wouldn’t be on the list.
But he should be.
For devotees of endurance sport Sandes is part man, part myth, a running machine who for over 15 years has conquered the world, or at least its continents, having won races on all seven in a career equal parts magnificent and maddening. In trail running, his forté, the three letters you don’t want behind your name are “DNF”, yet Sandes has had plenty of Did Not Finishes to go alongside his remarkable wins in famous 100-milers like Great Western States and the Leadville 100.
Accepting both the good and the bad with equanimity are hallmarks of Sandes’ newest book, “Run. Risk. Reward”, which picks up where “Trailblazer” left off in 2016.
Sandes takes readers on a romp through many races and challenges but what is evident early on is how he is transitioning from elite athlete to a life beyond, as he must at 42. You sense that Cape Town’s heroic long-distance marvel will always run, but his legs must be tired and Father Time waits for no one. He is already easing back but for now we can all share in many of his great adventures.
Half the fun was in the planning and plotting and Sandes gives due credit to many close friends and associates who give lie to the belief that long-distance running is an individual sport. They all muck in, some heroically so, and Sandes is quite happy to share the glory.
One of the best takeaways is how he lays bare his vulnerabilities. He talks openly of his failures and doubts, documenting them in a fashion that is relatable for part-timers (like me) or elite aspirants who will be able to draw from countless lessons he puts down on paper with the help of Steve Smith, a veteran editor whose insight into endurance sport makes him a natural to help tell this remarkable story.
The book has much to recommend and some of the best anecdotes deal with the mishaps and miscreants who populate his journey through road running lore. There are bandits to contend with, officious security men in Namibia, mad dogs and charlatans along the way, all adding colour and excitement to the career of a man who preferred to do things his way.
Ironically, one of his finest achievements came without leaving the front gate of his home. As the Covid lockdown was raging, Sandes ran 100 miles through his house and garden, a mad-cap feat that sums up his wilder instincts.
At once readable and chockers with stories, “Run. Risk. Reward” is the book that every runner in your family deserves. – Clinton van der Berg
