Pieter’s Mongolian Ultramarathon

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Pieter Van Vuren is one step closer to joining one of the world’s most elite endurance clubs — the 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Club.

The Sarina-based long distance runner recently completed the 250km Gobi March in Mongolia, putting him halfway towards his ambitious goal of completing four 250km self-supported ultramarathons organised by RacingThePlanet.

“To make the 4 Deserts Club, I need to finish all four events — I’ve now got two under my belt: the Namib Race in Namibia last year and the Gobi March in June,” Pieter said.

“My next one is in Greece in September this year and the final race will be in Antarctica in November next year. It’s all about getting to Antarctica.”

The Gobi March marked Pieter’s fifth multi-stage ultramarathon, and he described the experience as both physically gruelling and visually stunning.

“It was incredible scenery. It’s like a desert, but it’s green,” he said. “Mentally, it was very tough. For the first few days, I really struggled, but then for the last couple of stages, I felt strong.”

The seven-day race is self-supported — organisers provide water and tents, but runners must carry everything else themselves.

“My pack was too heavy — it was 12.9kg,” he said. “For the first few days, I walked quite a bit, maybe 60–70%, because I packed too much. Once my pack became lighter, I ran nearly the whole thing because I felt a lot better.”

That improvement came despite an unexpected setback.

“My blow-up mattress blew a hole on day three, so I had to sleep on the floor for the rest of the race.”

Pieter also chose to complete the race without his mobile phone — a first for him in a multi-stage event.

“There was no music or audiobooks; it was just me and my head. It reveals a bit about yourself,” he said.

“It’s not like you have a lot of spare thinking time though. You have to constantly think about nutrition, when to drink water, and the terrain is challenging, so you need to stay focused.”

Although around 80 runners from across the globe completed the race, Pieter said most of it was spent running solo.

He placed 30th overall, finishing with a total time of 42 hours, 44 minutes and 42 seconds.

Pieter said ultramarathon running had taught him valuable lessons that carried over into his work and personal life. In his role as Group Manager Operations (Ethanol and Plane Creek), he draws on many of the same mental tools.

“I think, mentally, it makes you a lot more resilient and probably more patient,” he said.

“It also proves that you can do anything you really want to. The body is an incredible thing.”

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Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Pieter Van Vuren ran 250km through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia last month as part of the Gobi March footrace. Photo credit: Gabriel Heusi / RacingThePlanet

Sarina long distance runner Pieter Van Vuren is halfway towards his goal of becoming part of the exclusive 4 Deserts Ultramarathon Club

Runners and support crew slept in traditional yurts during the seven-day Gobi March

Wilmar’s Pieter Van Vuren said ultramarathon running has made him more resilient and patient

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