Trails Collective Interviews: De'Vang Patel

De'Vang Patel has been around the mountain a time or two. His favorite race happens to be the gnarly Manitous Revenge, a 54 mile race that runs like a 100 miler. He's also competed in the tough HURT 100 and Eastern States 100, because flat, runnable courses just don't appeal to him. De'Vang runs for Red Newt Racing and Mountain Peak Fitness, but still lends his road racing skills to the NYRR to pace the NYC marathon, which has been cancelled for this year. He grew up playing basketball (guy has mad hops) and ran for his college's XC and track teams. Last Saturday, De'Vang and some of the other MPF/RNR crew took on the Manitous course on what would have been race day before it's cancellation. Running through thunderstorms, rocky terrain and 15,000 feet of vertical, he finished the 54 mile run in around 17 hours. HOW DID HE DO THAT? De'Vang doesn't complain. He just gets shit done. In this episode, Ellie and De'Vang talk about hard work and how it's shaped the way he runs and trains. They talk about overcoming injuries and learning as they go. They discuss the best aid station and why the running community is the best part about racing. Instagram: @d3vang