With less than 6 weeks before the start of the 5th annual Coast to
Coast Challenge the excitement is starting to build. At the moment we
have a small field of 8 local teams and 2 international teams so
there is plenty of room left for any team that would be interested in
escaping the winter for a 5 day expedition race in tropical Costa
Rica. More info on the race can be found at the following link:
http://adventureracingcostarica.com/ctoc_race_page.html
The route design team has completed the route and is excited to see
how racers will fare. They have done an amazing job in keeping the
route top secret. To help teams prepare for the race they have come
up with the following info:
- The route is approximately 400 km in length
- Teams can expect an incredible variety of terrain and
temperatures (high 100F / low 40F)
- Teams will travel through tropical rainforest, cloud forest,
farmland, and typical Costa Rican communities. The highest altitude
along the route will be over 10,000 feet.
- The time breakdown on the disciplines are as follows: Approx.
35% MTB, 25% paddling, 35% trekking and 5% ropes and other
disciplines.
- There is a dark zone for the whitewater section but teams
will have an option of an alternative route – this should keep the
race moving.
- The top team should be able to finish the route in about 3 ˝
days while a less experienced team will take the full 5 days. The
final cut off is at 6am on the 6th of March (6 hrs more than the
full 5 days)
- Basic navigation skills will be essential – nothing
complicated but never ending. Sloppy navigation will really slow
teams down. Expect a variety of different types of maps and ways for
the organization to present the route. 1:50,000 topo maps will be the
most common.
- For the most part teams can expect the stages to be long and
sometimes in very remote areas - especially during the trekking. The
mountain biking will be less remote
- The route is definitely challenging but at the same time
accessible for less experienced teams
The official race info will be sent out to registered teams at the
end of the month.
There are several Costa Rican racers that are looking for team mates
so if you don't have a team but would like to race let us know.
Remember a 10 day Race Package is $2,500 but if time is tight, Race
Only Price is $1,800.
One last thing – no international team has ever won the race so the
local teams think they are pretty hot stuff – they need some
competition.
Pablo Brenes D.
Events Coordinator - Coast to Coast Adventures
www.adventureracingcostarica.com
Tel.(506)280-8054 Fax (506)225-6055
P.O. Box 2135-1002 San José, Costa Rica