Just how far can a person can go? Arda Saatçi has answered that in his own way: He didn’t just run one marathon, but a dozen – all in one go. Not just anywhere, but through Death Valley to Los Angeles.
For rampstyle #38 “Just for the Plot”, Michael Köckritz spoke to him about dreams, pain and how extreme sports can take you to a new level as a person.
Arda Saatçi belongs to that new generation of extreme athletes who define performance not only in physical terms, but also as a narrative. The German ultra-endurance athlete first came to prominence via social media, but quickly emerged as a figure in his own right, straddling the worlds of self-optimisation and modern adventure culture. Saatçi’s spectacular long-distance and ultra-challenges seem less like traditional sporting events and more like cinematic self-experiments under extreme conditions. Runs covering hundreds of kilometres. Sleep deprivation. Heat. Exhaustion. Add to that cameras and constant public scrutiny. Pushing the body to its limits as a modern narrative. And all underpinned by a remarkable sense of relatability. For Saatçi does not present himself as an untouchable elite athlete; he is someone who doubts, suffers – and carries on.
In his latest project in May this year, Saatçi set out to run some 600 kilometres through Death Valley to the Pacific coast in around 96 hours. Temperatures well over 40 degrees, isolation and utter physical exhaustion made the run one of the toughest challenges of his career to date. He made it. After 123 hours, 21 minutes and 10 seconds. We spoke to him whilst he was still in Los Angeles.
Mr Saatçi, is the pain slowly subsiding?
The first two days were a bit of a struggle; my head was still spinning. On top of that, I’ve got a few niggles here and there – some inflammation in my hips and knees. But nothing too serious. And today I’ve finally had a good night’s sleep again and feel well rested. So, things are moving in the right direction.
Who are you – and what drives you?
I’m just a normal lad from the neighbourhood, trying to reach for the stars and leave a positive legacy along the way. To young people, to everyone out there, I always say: believe in your dreams, never give up. Try to go to bed every day a better version of yourself than when you woke up. Try never to compare yourselves with others, focus on yourselves and do your best.
You’ve just completed a Death Valley Ultra Run. Why this race in particular?
Because it demands everything from me to become a better athlete, to grow as a person and to reach a new level personally. That’s why I chose this route and these conditions.
You wanted to run the distance in 96 hours. It took longer, but you didn’t stop. Why not?
Because giving up wasn’t an option. Life sometimes writes its own stories. Every challenge has its own rules. Even though I didn’t manage it within the set time – the journey is the destination. I try to make the best of every situation and get to where I want to be. (…)
→ Read the full interview in the latest issue of rampstyle #38 ‘Just for the Plot’.
Interview: Michael Köckritz
Photos: Daniel Gracanin / Red Bull Content Pool
rampstyle #38 Just for the Plot
In our culture, we glorify optimization. Everything is supposed to be plannable and as risk-free as possible. And yet, at the same time, there is a growing longing for the detour. For the unplanned. For the real. “Just for the plot” means: I know this may not be the most sensible thing to do. But it tells my story better than reason ever could. Because people remember summers. Journeys. Encounters. That one evening that changed everything. The plot is the story we tell later. Not the Excel spreadsheet we keep today. Find out more
