Trail of Dreams. Worldrecord & Ultramarathon-Adventure through the land of the inkas

Titel: Trail of Dreams
Germany 2023 | 90 Min
Adventure/Extremsport
Directors: Steffi Rostoski & Dorit Jeßner
a documentary by ravir film

A young man from a simple suburb of Bremen has a dream: Contrary to the expectations of his Turkish family, Savas Coban wants to realize himself as an extreme athlete. Thus, in 87 days and 87 ultramarathons, he runs through crisis-ridden Peru - across all climate zones, desert, rainforest, snow-covered Andes, and burning barricades. Always with the unwavering will to prove to himself and his family that anything is possible if you believe in yourself strongly enough.

Trail of Dreams is an adventure documentary about an incredible venture and the unyielding desire for recognition and self-realization.

 Timeline/Route:

Savas ran an average of 60 km per day (ultramarathon) across the country of the Incas. The first stage started in Lima. He initially ran south along the coast, first to Pisco, then to Ica. The coastal area has a desert climate. On this part of the route, the main goal was to stay well-hydrated. The roads here were still manageable, but the real challenge awaited him off-road in the Andes. From Ica, he ran further south to Nazca, past the famous lines in the sand. The southernmost point of his tour was Tacna, near the Chilean border. From there, his journey continued northeast to Puno on Lake Titicaca. At the largest lake in Latin America and the highest navigable lake in the world, he ran along a portion before continuing northeast.

From this point, the journey became more difficult due to the political unrest in the country, which frequently hindered or delayed him. Nonetheless, he completed his ultramarathon each day. He then proceeded off-road at the base of the Andes in the Peruvian rainforest. In the rainforest, he often had no mobile reception and had to be prepared to be unreachable or poorly reachable for days. From the rainforest, he continued northwest towards Cusco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Here, he definitely wanted to run to Machu Picchu – the ancient Incan fortress and ruins that heavily influence Peru's image abroad. However, due to political protests and unrest, access to Machu Picchu was closed. The route to this point took about 14 days, with another ten days to reach Ayacucho in the west of the country, already in the midst of the Andes.

The city is relatively isolated, with few paved roads. He saved a real challenge for the end. His wish was always to run through the highest sections of the Andes, the peak of the Cordillera Huayhuash, part of the central Cordillera. This section of the Andes includes Peru’s highest mountain, Huascarán. In this part of the Andes, he reached an altitude of over 5000m. He trained for this in a high-altitude chamber in Hamburg to simulate the oxygen levels at high altitudes.

Route_Peru_

But he knew it wouldn't be easy. The weather conditions in the Andes at this time of year are very unpredictable. During the rainy season, the rivers swell so much that they overflow their banks and often flood large areas in the mountains. This could be dangerous, and he needed to be very careful. To assess weather changes, Savas regularly had to ask the local people for updates on the weather and the situation in the mountains. He spent about two weeks in this area, pushing himself to his mental and physical limits. There were often days when he barely got enough food, or any food at all. Here, he learned what it meant to go without. 

The final stage took Savas from the Andes back to Lima. He needed less than a week of running time for this.

 

Goal:

"I want to show that you can achieve anything if you work hard for it and never lose courage. I firmly believe this: You always get what you ask for. If you think about injuries, you'll get injured. If you think about giving up, you'll give up. I only think about making it."

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Bio:

Savas Coban, 30 years old, was born in Germany and has completely focused on extreme sports. "You're too good - there's no grade for you in sports," says Savas’ physical education teacher. Sports have always played a significant role in Savas' life. Whether it was soccer as a child, kickboxing as a teenager, or running as an adult, the disciplines have been diverse and "mostly outside his comfort zone," says Savas. Growing up in a very poor family without a father, he constantly had to justify his desire to make a living from sports as the younger brother. He trained to become a personal trainer, but that wasn't enough for him. Savas wants more, even if it means he can't lead a normal life or have a family life.

In 2020, Savas cycled 3247 km from Hamburg to Seville in southern Spain. In 2021, he ran an ultramarathon every day, covering 2248.21 km from Munich to Istanbul. Running gives him a sense of freedom. "You can creatively design your route and push yourself to the limit." The adventure and the feeling of doing something unique are very exciting for Savas. For him, a major motivation is to inspire others with his athletic feats. With each journey, the boundaries shift. This inspires him to plan even bigger projects in the future. Whether it's running or something else, Savas is always looking for a challenge. Knowing that everything is a mental affair gives him the confidence and belief that he can achieve anything.

 

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DIARIES - Trail of Dreams
STATUS NEWS

489 publications. 399 broadcasts on 142 channels with a total airtime of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 06 seconds. 90 online publications.

Süddeutsche I 9.02.23

Extreme Athlete from Bremen: 5,170 Kilometers in 86 Days. Direct from the Reuters video channel: Savas Coban averaged 60 kilometers per day as he ran across Peru. His journey took him through deserts, rainforests, beaches, and snow-covered mountain peaks.

ntv I 9.02.23

Ultramarathon through Peru: Hamburg Native Runs 5000 Kilometers to World Record. Savas Coban speaks of his "life's work," and he has every reason to do so. In three months, the Hamburg native runs 45 kilometers daily. His journey takes him across crisis-stricken Peru, culminating in a world record.

[to the article]

tagesschau I 9.02.23

Extreme Athlete Runs an Ultramarathon for 86 Consecutive Days

[to the article]

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