Costa Rica: The Coastal Challenge
And the Winners Are ...
Coastal Challenge / 03.02.2008
The 2008 Coastal Challenge (TCC) crossed the finish line Friday afternoon, with 44 competitors from 10 countries chugging down the beach in Bahia Salinas along the Northwest Costa Rican coastline. Launching from the sand in Bahia Junquillal, both Expedition and Adventure category runners dashed north before winding along country roads and across treacherous coasteering sections that finished on the beach below Bolanos Bay Resort. After a heated five days of back-and-forth finishes, Costa Rican Javier Montero outlasted France’s Jean Pommier to win the Men’s Expedition category.
Nicola MacLeod of Great Britain ran away with the Women’s Expedition category, and Chris Hacker of California won the Adventure category. Team Costa Rica overtook Spain to win the Team Expedition competition.
Montero, who finished second in last year’s Coastal Challenge, dug deep to overtake Pommier on Friday, passing the Frenchman on the road and distancing himself on the slippery coasteering section to win the sixth and final stage, and the overall competition. Montero, who wins $1,500, finished in 22:50:49, with Pommier coming in second (23:00:05). American David James placed third (23:23:47).
Great Britain’s Nicola MacLeod dominated the Women’s Expedition field, tearing up the course in 29:44:52 to take first place and $1,500. Connie Lutkevich from Minnesota finished second (33:40:14), and Austria’s Ingrid Rossmann took third (36:43:09).
Chris Hacker won the Adventure category, finishing with a total time of 21:45:00. Hacker, a computer engineer from California, struggled early in the competition with an ankle injury and the flu only to bounce back the last two days. Kristi Battalini took second in the Adventure group (23:08:03) while Tim Meyer finished third (23:17:21). See All Event Posts
