Caribbean Coast to Coast
Rob Howard / 02.09.2005
Trinidad’s first Adventure Race, the Lucozade Sport North Cross, was organized by Ryan Mendes, Jason Gooding and Bruce Hay on April 14, 2002. The race, which was held in the Chaguaramas area, attracted over a hundred competitors keen to try out a new sport.
Since that first race race company ECO Adventures has been formed by Mendes and Hay with a vision to promote the sport of Adventure Racing in Trinidad & Tobago and ultimately to the rest of the Caribbean. Local adventure races have grown in the number of disciplines (paddling was introduced to island raid 2003), their duration and the overall challenge.
This year ECO Adventures have already put on 3 one-day races which comprised the Lucozade Sport Adventure Series and now they are planning their multi-sport coast to coast for October 15-16th. The course will traverse the Northern Range of Trinidad from Toco on the Atlantic Ocean to Chaguramas on the Caribbean Sea over 2 days, with a good night’s rest in between, and is open to individuals and 2 or 3 person relay teams.
Day one starts with a 2km road run from Toco Lighthouse to Salybia Bay, followed by a 40Km cycle from Salybia Bay to Matelot for the overnight stop. This will be on tarmac, but it may be a rough ride in place, with many ‘pot holes’. The day ends with 32km Tail run from Matelot to Blanchisseuse.
Then on day 2 there is a further 30km road cycle, a 10km trail run and the final stage is a 30km paddle Macqueripe to Port of Spain. The trail runs are hilly with some sections on isolated beaches and the paddle follows the coast line, but does require caution in some areas known for rough conditions and strong currents.
The entry fee is TTD$ 600 for Individuals and TTD$1,200 for relay teams, and there is a USD$2,000 prize for the overall winner. Full details are on their website here.
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