Ultra-endurance runner Ryan Sandes claims second at Cocodona 250
Even the most experienced athletes are challenged by the event, which spans 402 miles and involves a height gain of almost 11,000 meters.
Ryan didn’t just go to @cocodona250 to find him limits, he went to rediscover his love for the sport. He found that it runs as deep as ever. Picture: @cortneywhite_
JOHANNESBURG - Ultra-endurance runner Ryan Sandes finished second in the Cocodona 250, one of the most difficult trail running competitions in the world, which was held in Arizona, USA, from May 4–8, 2025.
Even the most experienced athletes are challenged by the event, which spans 402 miles and involves a height gain of almost 11,000 meters. Sandes had one of his best efforts to date, finishing second overall with a time of 61 hours, 21 minutes, and 4 seconds.
The race was the longest non-stop race of Ryan’s career, more than doubling his previous ultra-distances.
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Ryan Sandes preparing for career defining challenge at Arizona’s grueling Cocodona 250
The 43-year-old holds the fastest known time on the Great Himalaya Trail; Sandes has also won all four of the 4 Deserts events.
The excited athlete had this to say about his performance: "I really felt when I entered Cocodona last year that its kind of really, or kind of end of last year, early this year, it really lit kind of the flame and kind of got me excited about trail running again. Like last year, I felt like a bit stagnant after UTMB.
So yeah, it's cool that I can kind of keep finding new challenges and things that excite me. So really stoked about that and kind of how the race panned out. And that, yeah, I mean, geez, made lots of mistakes out there, but I think overall I was really chuffed with how things went."