The Coastal Challenge, Expedition Run |
PRESS RELEASE
January 24, 2008
THE COASTAL CHALLENGE, EXPEDITION RUN 2008 STARTS NEXT WEEK
Fourth Edition of The World's Expedition Run Returns to Costa Rica Jan. 27- Feb. 2 with a Renewed Emphasis On Team Running and International Participation
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA - The Coastal Challenge, the World's Expedition RunTM, kicks off Sunday, January 27 in Costa Rica and includes several enhancements that will further establish the event as one of the world's most exciting and challenging multi-day, off-road running competitions. Set in Costa Rica's wild Northwest region, the 2008 race follows more nearly 200-km of rugged terrain along remote areas of the country. The event includes a number of new features, including a team running component, a larger percentage of International participants, and an additional category for guests. Regular race updates will be available at www.thecoastalchallenge.com and www.sleepmonsters.com.
The race, dubbed the "Route of Fire" as much for the volcanic region from which it starts as its heated competition, will once again follow a Northwestern route from Costa Rica's volcanic region near Arenal Volcano to the Pacific Ocean at Bahia Salinas. This year's race course – which offers daily routes full of enhanced trail and technical sections, plus far more rugged and remote terrain – will serve as a test of strength and endurance for top runners and adventurers from more than nine countries, including the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Central America, among other locations. To maintain communication with family and friends, www.thecoastalchallenge.com now features a message board to give participants added encouragement.
The event continues to offer four unique and exciting categories of participation:
• Team Expedition Run – Team running, which features groups of three to six participants, is one of the focal aspects of the 2008 race. Teams from Sweden to Spain will compete against the field while leaning on one another for strength and support. Of particular interest is Team Quebec, a veteran ensemble of all-female members, who will run to raise money for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.
• Solo Expedition Run – The cornerstone of the event, the nearly 200 kilometer Expedition Run is the ultimate test of will and determination. While the field contains participants of all ages and nationalities, TCC staple Jay Norman - who will celebrate his 70th birthday on Day 2 of the race – will be one of the key competitors to watch.
• Solo Adventure Run – The Adventure Run offers a shortened, yet extremely challenging 125-kilometer route along the same terrain and landscape of the Expedition Run.
• Guest Adventure Tours – Unique to adventure racing, The Coastal Challenge offers Guest Adventure Tour Packages featuring activities like hiking, horseback riding and rafting. Competitors can now include their family and friends who can participate in some of Costa Rica's most exciting adventure tours during racing days, and then reconvene with the runners back at the camp each evening. New for 2008 is a "Soft Adventure" option, which gives guests the opportunity to come to the main racer's camp everyday, go on our Adventure Tours, and then return to nearby haciendas, hotels or bungalows for the evening.
The Coastal Challenge, as in previous years, considered a wealth of runner feedback when deciding on this year's route. The Route of Fire, which culminated the three-year strategy of spanning Costa Rica's entire West coast, will start a new three-year cycle in reverse. Much of the runner feedback came from a post-race survey that showed 90 percent of competitors rated the event as "excellent" or "good," the two highest marks on a five-point scale. Other highlights were the relationships built among runners and requests for "more trails," which are two points the 2008 race focuses on heavily.
Runners can find more information about the event, including an updated Photo Gallery, 2008 Introduction and FAQ at http://thecoastalchallenge.com/.
About The Coastal Challenge
Set on Costa Rica's Northwest Coast, The 2008 Coastal Challenge is the "World's Expedition Run™," releasing runners over approximately 200 kilometers of exotic and wild Costa Rican mountainous regions and rugged coastline. For six days, runners embrace the spirit of adventure, discovery and camaraderie within a long distance running competition while navigating volcanic regions, wide river crossings, rainforests, jungles, windswept highlands, beaches, and rock outcroppings. It is an expedition run of epic proportions introducing competitors to the hospitality of the local Tico culture while pushing the limits of their will and endurance. For more information visit www.thecoastalchallenge.com.
|
ROUTE
OF
FIRE
|
Take on the Challenge
| |
