Grueling Terrain, Lovely Views Await Adventure Athletes in Costa Rica
By Ty Stevens, Citizen-Times.com

Given it was my first visit to Costa Rica, I did my best to keep my expectations at bay. I had seen pictures of beautiful beaches, waterfalls, howler monkeys and tree frogs, but was it truly “paradise?” And what kind of place was it for an adventure athlete?

I awoke at dawn for a quick breakfast before lacing up my trail shoes, strapping on my hydration pack and finding my place in line. There was a sense of calm among the group. It was evident everyone looked forward to a shorter run stage following two grueling days of hills and heat, typical February weather in Central America.

I had set my goal for the day: to complete, on foot, an 18.5K section of Costa Rican backcountry, reminiscent of a Scottish countryside on this particular day. The pace was moderate and the mood was light as the lead runners pulled away into the distance.

It was day three of the Coastal Challenge a six-day, 230K expedition run across the northwest region of Costa Rica, known as the “World’s Expedition Run.”

During the event, we traveled across the 142.6 miles of exotic Costa Rican mountains, countryside and coastline. For six days, runners pushed themselves to the brink of exhaustion daily on varied terrain. While evenings were spent at local bullfights … Costa Rican-style (let’s just say windsprints, in the bullring, running for your life!), nestled up in hammocks “beachside” and under forest canopy, or lying prone with legs vertical and an ice cold cerveza in hand to numb the pain.

We took solace in new discoveries and the spirit of adventure awaiting us each morning as we pushed the pace for hours. Our rewards were glimpses of the Pacific from high vantage points, majestic volcano backdrops and lush rain-forest sections to cool us from the scorching heat. The sweeping beauty of this place was at times humbling and a tip of the hat from local rancheros, providing the added inspiration as runners carried on each day.
Adventure paradise

In the last decade Costa Rica has become an endurance Mecca for adventure athletes from a variety of sports such as mountain biking, trail running and adventure racing.

Its lush terrain and varied landscape, combined with miles of unspoiled trails have helped establish it as the ultimate adventure playground to the local residents, commonly referred to as “Ticos,” and adventure travelers globally.

Though not much larger than West Virginia, Costa Rica contains about 5 percent of the Earth’s biodiversity. Thus it provides an eco-friendly environment and an array of plant and animal life.
What’s next?

My next adventure takes place in September, returning to the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica, for the inaugural Duel in the Sun, a three-day duathlon (170K mountain bike/60K run) “duel.”

This is the opinion of Ty Stevens, an Asheville adventure athlete who also works independently in public relations and marketing.