Some athletes find their sport. Holly Ranson's sport found her. From sailing the cold waters of Tasmania as a six-year-old, to racing on the national road cycling circuit, to winning her very first trail race, Holly has never done anything by halves.
As the newest member of the Fractel Athlete team, she's setting her sights on one of the most coveted races in the world, the Western States Endurance Run.
We sat down with Holly at her home in Cobdogla, a tiny riverland town in South Australia to find out who she is, why she runs, and what it took to earn that golden ticket.
Q: Outside of being an athlete, what makes you uniquely you?
A: I'm a very stubborn and competitive person. When I set my mind to something, I commit to it wholeheartedly and don't stop until I get there. Outside of sport I love music, creative arts, writing and learning French. I have a tendency to pack my life way too full of things at once, but sport has always been the constant. And right now, trail running is very much where my heart is.
Q: Can you talk us through how you first got into trail running?
A: I was a cyclist when I moved to Darwin in 2018 and quickly realised it wasn't the most conducive environment for road cycling. I stumbled across Run Larapinta, a three stage trail race outside of Alice Springs, thought it looked like fun, gave it a go and came out the winner of the female race. The Larapinta Trail is just beautiful and from that point on I was completely hooked. It's just been, what's the next trail race I can do, ever since.
Q: Can you tell us more about growing up in Tasmania and how your sporting background evolved?
A: Sailing was my sport growing up. I started in little dinghies at six years old and competed at the national championships every Christmas until I was about seventeen. I got into running through friends at eighteen, moved quickly into triathlon and eventually got my pro license. After some stress fractures I shifted to cycling and spent five or six years in the national road series. Then I moved to Darwin, discovered trail running and the rest is history.
Q: Do you feel there's much crossover between sailing and trail running?
A: More than I ever realised. Through mindset work with my coach I've come to appreciate how much sailing gave me. Learning to problem solve, sticking it out when conditions are tough, staying present under pressure. My dad was a high level sailor and without me realising it, he was passing those things on to me. The mental foundations sailing built have absolutely set me up for trail running.
Q: Why do you run?
A: Honestly, to escape responsibility. And I mean that in the best way. Running is white space and time to think, away from screens, emails and the never ending to do list. I'm doing a PhD at the moment so having time to just let my brain percolate is really valuable. Beyond that it's about connecting with nature, exploring new places and meeting people. Running really is sacred time for me.
Q: Can you talk to the significance of Western States?
A: The race began when one particularly enterprising gentleman, Gordy Ainsleigh, decided to run a horse racing course in under 24 hours, essentially founding the first hundred mile running race in the world. Only 380 runners compete each year, so your way in is through the lottery, sometimes a ten year wait, or through a golden ticket like I received. But beyond the prestige, it's the grassroots community atmosphere that really draws me in. It's a charity event run by thousands of passionate volunteers and that's exactly the kind of racing environment I love.
Q: What measures and sacrifices have you and your team made to give yourself the best preparation for Western States?
A: We've made some big changes since receiving the golden ticket. I had to turn down a dream job offer because the timing conflicted with the race, which was genuinely one of the hardest calls I've made. We relocated to regional South Australia so I could focus almost entirely on running, though the flat terrain means a six hour round trip most weekends to train in the Adelaide hills. But I wouldn't call any of it a sacrifice. I'm so proud of how brave we've been and incredibly grateful for everyone around me who has made their own sacrifices to help make this happen.
Holly's journey to the start line of Western States is already one worth following. From the cold waters of Tasmania to the biggest stage in trail running, she's backed by an incredible team around her and the full support of Fractel behind her. We couldn't be more excited to have her racing in our kit and we can't wait to see what she's capable of!
Leave a comment