La Ruta Ultramarathon - Running with the best

After jumping into the ultra marathon running world less than two years ago, I felt an amazing sense of priveledge when I was asked to travel to Costa Rica and compete in the 100km race called La Ruta. That feeling was quickly balanced out with some anxiety when I was told there was also going to be Tarahumara runners coming to race. The Tarahumara gained their reputation as elite ultra runners in the best selling book Born to Run, and they were sending some of their fastest runnerst o represent well at La Ruta. Rather than fear how the race would go, I saw this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from the best.
Arriving in San Jose nearly a week before race day, the amazing race directors picked us up from the airport and told us all about the week they had planned for us. From horseback riding through preserved biological corridors, stopping for lunch at private coffee plantations, to hanging out at the local art and music festivals. The local guides were able to sow us Costa Rica in a way that no main stream touring method would be able to.
The accomodations were comfortable and memorable all throughout the country. To give you a taste of what that means, take Kaps Place, in San Jose. For the racers, this was home base throughout most the trip. This small hotel appeared to have been multiple houses which were connected and converted into a zen like accommodation, with a courtyard, kitchens, water fall, private and shared rooms, and to top it off, friendly and caring staff who always had a fresh breakfast waiting in the morning. Most of the hotels and hostels in the area shared this Costa Rican feel, making it easy to experience a tropical vacation on any budget.
If you're looking for "off the beaten path" style of travel, then getting into the outdoors is the way to do it. Costa Rica offers everything from hiking and bird watching to rafting and zip-lining. I’ll never forget the day I ran the La Ruta Ultramarathon, and experienced the grassroots feel of Costa Rica. Starting in the coastal city of Jaco, we ran through peaks and valley, deep jungle, and finished by climbing high into and above the cloud line. Running along roads and trails rarely found by tourists, only to experience some of the most remote towns and villages you can find. Being welcomed through and cheered on by locals as they rode past on horseback, only added to the true feel of my Costa Rican adventure. I was sad to leave and eager to plan a return trip.