The Costa Rica Coast to Coast Challenge Race
Back in contact, all race reports posted here now
Jacqueline Windh / 18.03.2007
Apologies to all who were trying to follow this year’s Costa Rica Coast to Coast. Last year the course passed through the occasional tiny town that did have internet access. (Whether it actually worked or not was another question). In contrast, this year I managed to wangle only one stop mid-race for twenty minutes, and I uploaded as much info as I could at that point.
My lack of internet access was because of the spectacularly remote locations that we passed through. We did pass through many “villages� – but those villages really just consist mainly of a handful of houses and a “restaurant� operated out of someone’s house, with no telephone landlines and no cell coverage... don’t even ask them about internet!
The racers are still talking about the absolutely incredible remoteness of this year’s course – especially on the long trekking section. As race director Mike Lapcevic had warned us all, navigation would be the big challenge on this year’s race, and it truly was. While many were frustrated by the navigational challenges while on-course, now that they are finished they are mostly saying that that is just one of the things that is so fantastic about the Coast to Coast. It is a real challenge that requires the appropriate physical and mental skills. As Dark Horse’s Bill Butcher puts it, “It’s not one of those cookie-cutter races.�
We got back into town last night barely in time to shower and get to the awards ceremony – and the really warm atmosphere that has existed throughout the race between both organizers and teams continued to prevail. Team Bones received their US$2500 prize, and immediately donated $500 of it straight back to the little one-room school that was a PC at Bajo del Tigre, saying that they wanted to give something back to the communities that they had passed through. Great spirit, Bones!! That money will go a long way in this country.
SleepMonsters
