"I HAVE NEVER HALLUCINATED LIKE THAT."

SA TRAIL LEGEND RYAN SANDES RECENTLY TOOK ON ONE OF THE LONGEST TRAIL RACES IN THE WORLD - THE 400KM COCODONA 250 - AND FINISHED SECOND, IN HIS DEBUT EVENT. IT WAS A RACE THAT TOOK 43-YEAR-OLD SANDES TO THE LIMIT OF HIS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ENDURANCE.

- 

403km. 12 500 metres of climbing. These are the bare facts.

But the Cocodona 250 trail run in Arizona, USA throws way more at you than just distance and climbing.

Sleep deprivation, hallucinations, cold and mud were all challenges that Ryan Sandes had to face on his way to second place after 61 hours, 21 minutes and four seconds of racing.

Runner's World sat down for a debrief.

RW: You've done pretty much every single important trail event around the world; and you've won some big ones, like Western States. So take us through your decision to do this race?

RS: I always thought that after running a 100-mile event - like a Western States, or a UTMB - that would be the end of my racing, and I wouldn't try and race a distance any further than that. But in the last couple of years, 200-mile races have been popping up, and gaining in popularity; I think Cocodona is in its fourth or fifth year.

I followed it last year, and got quite excited.

I'd been pretty stagnant in terms of racing, and was beginning to think it was the end of my racing career. But Cocodona changed all that.

RW: So you didn't think you could be competitive over those 'shorter' distances, like the 100-milers?

RS: I think it was a bit of both. I think for me, going into UTMB last year, I felt like... if I had a good race, I'd get a top-10.

But before that, I'd always bet that I'd stand a chance of being on the top step of the podium. The sport has progressed and evolved, and times are a lot faster; and I don't think I'm fast enough anymore to win a Western States or a UTMB.

I'm okay with that. I've had my time. So it was just about finding a new challenge that would excite and motivate me.

RW: What was it like, training for an event like this?