That's a Wrap

Rob Howard / 12.12.2013

The final prize giving and closing ceremony for the Adventure Racing World Championships in Costa Rica was forced inside by heavy rain, but luckily the Bambu Hotel had a large covered area that was suitable. It was more of a problem getting the teams in there as many were still scurrying about in the car park packing up sodden gear and bike boxes in the heavy rain. (The lean-to many of the boxes had been stored  in was flooded and so were parts of the car park.)

In the end everything came together and the top 5 teams were introduced, applauded and given their prizes, before the all the teams came up to get some keepsakes from the race and from Costa Rica.

Merrell Adventure Addicts were first to come forward for 5^th place, then Tecnu and adidas TERREX came to front together as joint 3^rd finishers and posed with their country flags for photos. Sadly there were only 3 from second placed Columbia Vidaraid as Barbara Bomfim was missing.

Then it was time for the winners, and Thule Adventure picked a way through the crowd sat on the floor to take the applause of their competitors and friends, who knew exactly what they had gone through to win the race.  There were no embarrassed speeches from the racers this time, for which they were grateful I’m sure, and the winners were asked to stay at the front while Santiago Lopez, the Race Director of Huairasinchi, the next World Championships, spoke.

He promised an exceptional race in Ecuador and encouraged all the teams to come to his country to race, giving the Thule team some Ecuadorian straw hats and coffee table books showing places they might get to visit. He also gave the winners an invited entry to the race then called up all the top 5 teams and gave them the same invitations. It’s clear the organisation in Ecuador want be sure the best of the best will be at their race.

And that is exactly what the last 10 days have determined, the top 5 teams are the best expedition adventure racers in the world and having travelled the length and breadth of Costa Rica, and explored its coasts, mountains and rivers, they have proved so in one of the hardest and longest World Championships races ever. 

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