Track Jason in the 6-day Coastal Challenge trail race

Heading out on the "Route of Fire", the new course for the six-day off-road adventure race in Costa Rica, is a mate of mine -- Jason Rita. Jason, a regular at our drills sessions, has swopped snow and ice for a 200km jungle race.

I'm going to be tracking his progress through the race website and tracking site. See how he gets on -- or pick your own favorite.

PRESS RELEASE February 3, 2007

2007 COASTAL CHALLENGE RACE STARTS TOMORROW

Six-Day Race Begins Sunday at Base of Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

SAN JOSE , COSTA RICA -- The Coastal Challenge, the World's Expedition Run TM, starts tomorrow, Sunday, February 4, at approximately 10 a.m. in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Following today's registration in San Jose, competitors, volunteers and staff will be transported before sunrise Sunday morning to the base of Arenal Volcano for the race start. The 2007 race will follow 200 kilometers of rugged terrain to remote areas of the country that will test both the mental and physical limitations of each competitor, according to Tim Holmstrom, founder and race director.

"This year's race will prove to be the most difficult and rewarding in terms of toughness and terrain," says Holmstrom. "While epic scenery will provide an unparalleled backdrop for competitors, they will need to dig deep to push their competitive limits in order to finish."

The 2007 Coastal Challenge, the third annual, has been dubbed the "Route of Fire" as much for its start at the base of Arenal Volcano, one of the world's most active, as for the scorching temperatures and heated competition. More than 75 runners and adventurers from 12 countries will compete for $3,000 in prize money. Countries represented include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Latvia, Germany, Malaysia, India, and Australia.

Regular race updates will be available at www.thecoastalchallenge.com, and a new information center including a leader board and race blog will also be online at the race's designated Checkpoint Tracker site. Additionally, a variety of sports and adventure web sites will carry race updates and feature stories throughout the competition, including:

www.CheckpointZero.com
www.AdventureTaxi.com
www.multidays.com
www.Sleepmonsters.com
www.ecosportaventura.com

The new course will follow a tough northwestern route from Costa Rica's volcanic region, along one of the last tropical dry forests in existence, through jungle terrain and lush rain forests, up to the Pacific Coast near the Nicaraguan boarder. Runners and guests will camp each night at a variety of locations starting with Rancho Margot at Lake Arenal and finishing at Bolanos Bay Hotel on the Pacific Coast, with a mix of remote sites along the way.

Additionally, this year's race will include a number of enhancements that will further establish the event as one of the world's most exciting and challenging multi-day, off-road running competitions. For the first time, The Coastal Challenge is offering three categories of participation in the six-day event: the Expedition Run (230-km course), Adventure Run (115-km course), and the Guest Adventure Tours (six-day, packaged adventure tours such as hiking and rafting). Previous competitions only featured the Expedition Run.

About The Coastal Challenge

Set on Costa Rica's Northwest Coast, The Coastal Challenge is the "World's Expedition Run™," releasing runners over approximately 230 kilometers of exotic and wild Costa Rican mountainous regions and 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.