When Csielo Tsanyane mentioned the possibility of participating in the HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc week at the end of April, it seemed like an unattainable dream. The 27-year-old trail running enthusiast expressed a desire to compete in international races in Mont Blanc to challenge mountain runners.
Despite recently winning the title in the DRJ25 (Drakensberg Rock Jumper 25km) at the RMB Ultra-train Drakensberg (RMB UtD), Tsanyane wondered how a young man with limited funds could get to Italy to participate in the race. Tsanyane is a member of LIV2Run in Durban and has made significant progress since joining the trail running development program supported by RMB during the Covid-19 pandemic. He has become not only the best athlete in the organization but also one of its coaches.
Together with another outstanding runner, 30-year-old Sinoviwe Ndlovu, he will showcase his talent at one of the largest sporting events, albeit on its periphery. The duo will compete in Courmayeur, Italy, on August 25th at the ETC (Experience Trail Courmayeur) event—a 15-kilometer race with an elevation gain of 1200m, which takes place as part of the HOKA UTMB Mont-Blanc week.
Although this is a short course by ultra-marathon standards, it is not easy: with a cut-off time of 4 hours and 30 minutes and considering the elevation gain, it is a real test on terrain that neither runner has seen before.
Michael Edwards, Head of Sponsorship Marketing at RMB, is pleased that the efforts to develop the sport are bearing fruit: 'RMB's support for trail running is aimed at developing this sport in South Africa and creating meaningful pathways for talented athletes so they can compete, develop, and access new opportunities.'
This is exactly what is happening for Tsanyane and Ndlovu, whose dreams of participating in the Mont Blanc week became possible thanks to major sponsor James Miller, a South African living in London, who raised funds specifically to send the two runners to Europe for the first time.
This achievement was something they couldn't have dreamed of recently, when they joined LIV2Run after finishing school. Ndlovu recalls arriving at LIV Village in Durban from the Ndwedwe mission immediately after receiving her certificate and describes her running talent, which no one could develop due to lack of funds. She says she is now very happy to have the opportunity to coach younger runners.
She is also happy to be abroad for the first time, and this experience will undoubtedly make the duo even better as runners and mentors. Tsanyane describes his growth as a kind of challenge that he gladly accepts. He notes that being a coach is very difficult because he is not just running, but must also set an example, showing the young people that victory is achieved not only through physical fitness but also mentality. Furthermore, he has become a brother to many of these young people and receives personal and sometimes financial advice from them.
The Mont Blanc experience will undoubtedly further elevate his status in the LIV2Run community, and he intends to use this opportunity to the fullest. He emphasizes that while he is certainly competing, the most important thing for him is to gain experience that will help him become a better runner, a better person, and a better mentor. He believes that LIV has changed his life, and he wants to contribute to changing the lives of others for the better.
This is what the founder of LIV2Run, Lindi Meyer, envisioned when she created the club ten years ago after seeing a group of young people behind her during a run. She officially established the club in 2018 and states that the achievements are only half the journey. She says they strive to provide their runners with access to opportunities and life skills training, taking athletes to competitions, which opens their eyes, mind, and heart to bigger things and instills hope for big dreams in their lives.
Tsanyane and Ndlovu are living proof that these dreams can become reality, and their participation in the ETC on the periphery of the Mont Blanc week may inspire many others.