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The Coastal Challenge staged run set for Feb. 1-6, 2009

Jacqueline Windh / 15.05.2008

The next edition of The Coastal Challenge staged run has been set for Feb. 1-6, 2009. The route will take competitors to the steamy jungles of southern Costa Rica, finishing in Corcovado National Park/UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

This route is really exciting, and I am sure hoping to be able to be there. I was hiking on the Osa Peninsula, Corcovado National Park, last year. The toughest part about it is the heat - it is really hot and humid (I strongly recommend competitors get there early for a bit of acclimatization to the heat). But the spectacular part is that this is one of the regions with the most biodiversity on the planet, and the wildlife does not hide! I saw so many monkeys, I just missed seeing a puma (the hikers behind me told me it had slipped into the jungle right behind me as I set out on a trail), and I saw numerous other jungle animals so bizarre that I didn’t even know what they were.

This is a very hard place to get to - if you’ve had a hankering to experience true, pristine, wild jungle, and all of the wildlife that goes with it, this is your chance.

As for last year, Race Director Tim Holmstrom is making every effort to ensure that the race is both a challenge to the elite competitors, yet accessible for less experienced runners. “In order to keep the world-class running event more inclusive, we introduced short course and team categories that allow runners of all levels to attempt the expedition course, but fall back to a less demanding course if it proves too much, as opposed to just washing out altogether and missing out on most of the experience.”

“We’ve also worked at creating opportunities for strategy,” he continues. “By creating cut-offs for teams and individuals on the longer ultra days and providing race guides that detail those distances and cut-offs we\'ve essentially created the opportunity for competitors to employ strategy. They are able to map out the 6 stages in advance and with good planning, based on individual ability, improve their odds of successfully completing the full course.”

The staged format of the race, with camps set up by the organization and food provided (and I will attest to the fact that it is tasty, nutritious, entirely appropriate to athletes’ needs and, best of all, abundant!) allows for a great sense of community amongst racers. “Many of our alumni forge strong bonds because of the community atmosphere engendered by 6 days of racing, eating and camping together while migrating across Costa Rica,” says Tim. “We’re not a corporate sponsored event, so there’s an intimacy that is unusual in competitive sports and a real closeness that often extends beyond the event.”

The organizers also realize that, for many of the competitors, this race is basically their “vacation” for the year. Rather than competitors having to wrestle with leaving family behind while they go and “do their thing” in Costa Rica, they have put together an adventure excursion program for friends and family accompanying racers (including children), where guests reunite with their competitor back at camp each evening. Check out the website for details on this program.

The race, which will be capped at 125 competitors, offers four categories of participation:

Team Expedition Run - Runners sign up in teams of three to six
Solo Expedition Run - The full 200+ kilometer Expedition Run
Solo Adventure Run - A shortened, yet extremely challenging 125-kilometer route
Guest Adventure Tours - Daily adventure tours like river rafting, nature hikes and more available to guests of the runners.

For details, visit: www.thecoastalchallenge.com