Since the Grand Raid des Pyrenees (race report, beautiful video) to the build up of the upcoming RGB Ultra-Trail Cape Town on the 22-24 November we have not stood still, it might seem that way as we have been quiet and not spreading news, but we are busy behind the scenes. In this case, no news is good news.
We have had time to evaluate the season so far and to propose improvements across the board, we have discussed with outsiders and internally whether and how we should grow. The simple answer is that if we are doing well, we must grow to generate more funds, visibility, and resources. But at the same time, we do not want to be eaten by ‘the monster’ and everything becomes unmanageable.
We have all experienced moments of elation and heartache, and even in the clearest of situations, sometimes the wisest decisions are not made. If you grow, it is by knowing what you are doing and why.
We have been contacted by many races, we appreciate it, and it encourages us to keep going, whether they are part of this group in the future or not, there are common views and ideas. We all see how this sport is growing, sometimes it seems that there is no ceiling but at the same time we all must be cautious. We are aware of our place; of the gamble we have made, and of the gaps we have left in this first edition of the series.
In a thoughtful, reflective, and calm way we want to grow, improve what already exists, and offer more and better options to trail runners. The existing ten races are committed to continue and we are evaluating in detail others that are aligned with our way of thinking and that would add value and variety to the circuit. We recognise that there are many places to explore, that we could be more flexible on distances and that diversity is one of our key identities.
We started from a blank canvas to which we added the accumulated experience of decades of trail running knowledge, organizing races, and being part of series. Hopefully, at the beginning of December we will be able to announce some developments, we are taking our time, we prefer to do it this way, this is not a sprint and we are not just passing through.
Until then, we have an exciting race coming soon in Cape Town, with an extraordinary level of competition and will conclude our first year of operation. We are sure it will be a very exciting race and while watching the live streaming many of us will want to race there. We hope those who are racing enjoy the experience. Let us finish this year as strong as possible and stay tuned to the networks and to this space for further news.
Happy trails.
