Trinidad Coast 2 Coast Multisport Race
Taking it to the Limit
Ryan Mendes (Photos James O'Connor/CaribbeanStockPhotography.com / 09.10.2006
The rainy season made its presence known on the first day of the Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport Race, with heavily overcast conditions creating a cool but humid climate for racers. A record field of about 40 competitors left the start line at the Toco Lighthouse at 6:00 am with a demanding course of cycling and running ahead of them. The route began with a short 1.4 km run along Trinidad’s picturesque northeast coast, followed by a 30 km cycle to Matelot. Athletes then transitioned to Stage 2: a challenging 32 km run through beautiful rain forest trails to Blanchisseuse, made trickier because of the rainy conditions.
First across the End of Day One marker in a time of 4:34:40 was Trinidad and Tobago marathoner Cantius Thomas, part of a relay team that includes cyclist Guy Costa and South African paddler Andrew Blackburn. The first individual entry across the line was Multi-Sport World Champion Richard Ussher, in a time of 4:35:15. Ussher completed the cycle stage in a faster time than Costa, but said that the run “really took it out of him�, due to a combination of the heat, humidity and muddy conditions – so much so that he took a “time out� in the Paria River to cool off and regain his energy.
“The bike ride was great,� he says, “and it was pretty cool to have a police escort for part of the way – but because of the rain, I was a bit wary of all the little bridges we had to cross, so I slowed it down.� While he says the run through the forest was absolutely stunning, it was also tough. “You know how there are some days when you find your limits?� he laughs. “Today was one of those days.�
Even so, Ussher holds on to the lead at the end of Day One. Last year’s winner of the Trinidad Coast 2 Coast, triathlete Jason Gooding, finished in a time of 5:15:10, while Elina Maki-Rautila from Finland was the first female to cross the finish at the end of the first day, just seconds after Gooding. Despite the tough conditions, the course also yielded a few personal bests – runner Erle Rahaman-Noronha improved his time by almost half an hour.
Stage 3 of the Tropical Power Trinidad Coast 2 Coast continues from 5:00 am tomorrow with a 58 km ride to Diego Martin’s North Post, followed by a hilly 8 km run to Macqueripe. The final stage of the course is the 30 km paddle to Williams Bay, Chaguaramas, through the swells of Trinidad’s First Boca, which sits between the Gulf of Paria and the Caribbean Sea.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast calls for more of the same – cloudy conditions, with showers and high humidity – so it’s still anybody’s race.
For more information see www.ecoadventurestt.com.
Photos by James O\'Connor/CaribbeanStockPhotography.com. See All Event Posts
