Thule Adventure Team Claims First Place at 2013 Adventure Race World Championship in Costa Rica
San Jose, Costa Rica – January 9, 2013 – After traveling coast to coast and border to border through Costa Rica the Thule Adventure Team, representing Sweden, crossed the finish line of the Adventure Race World Championship (ARWC) 2013.
On December 2, 60 international teams gathered at the Panama border to begin the grueling competition that would take them on an 850-km. trek across both the northern and southern borders of Costa Rica, to the highest mountain in the country (Cerro Chirripo 3,800 m.), to both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts and much more. Throughout the race competitors utilized both their physical and mental strength as they navigated and competed in a series of disciplines including rafting, kayaking, mountain biking and trekking. The race concluded in Costa Rica’s northern lowlands in Sarapiquí.
The winning team, which was comprised of Mimi Guillot and Jacky Boisset (France), Stuart Lynch (New Zealand) and Albert Roca (Spain), completed the race in 168 hours and 23 minutes.
“It was a long race, and we pushed very hard. There were no easy legs,” team member Stuart Lynch said. “I think that is the longest race I have ever done.”
Three hours and seven minutes after the Thule Adventure Team crossed the finish line, Columbia Vidaraid, representing Spain, took home second place with a time of 171 hours and 30 minutes. Third place was shared by Team Adidas TERREX Prunesco from the United Kingdom and Team Tecnu from the United States. Each team that competed consisted of four athletes representing a total of 27 countries.
The AR World Series unites in competition the world’s best endurance athletes at premier qualifier events around the globe. The 2013 Adventure Race World Series consists of eight qualifier events, leading to the final ARWC. Costa Rica has hosted qualifier events for three consecutive years, one of the requirements to host a final championship event. The ARWC prize consists of $75,000, which will be shared between the first five teams to finish. The ARWC will take place in Ecuador in 2014.
For more information on the ARWC, please visit www.arcostarica.com or for more information on Costa Rica, visit www.visitcostarica.com.
About Costa Rica
Costa Rica is located in Central America, nestled between Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south; it is bordered on the east by the Caribbean Sea and the west by the Pacific Ocean. With an abundance of unique wildlife, landscapes and climates this small country proudly shelters approximately five percent of the known biodiversity in the world. In order to protect and preserve its wealth of natural resources Costa Rica has become a global leader in sustainable practices with protected areas comprising 26 percent of its land mass. With a peaceful spirit, emphasis on education and an economy based on tourism, technology and exportation, Costa Ricans and visitors alike enjoy one of the highest standards of living and organized tourism infrastructure in Latin America among a tropical paradise of lush rainforests, mystical volcanoes and cloud forests and beaches that meet mountains filled with monkeys and macaws. Offering a broad terrain of activities and accommodations, visitors to Costa Rica will find a range of hotel options ranging from small beachside bed & breakfasts, to authentic intimate boutique mountain lodges, to major international business hotel brands and everything in between; Costa Rica’s accommodations offer something appealing for everyone’s desires. The phrase “Pura Vida” can be heard echoing throughout Costa Rica from coast to coast. Used as a greeting or expression of happiness, the phrase literally translates to “pure life,” however its true meaning is “full of life,” which accurately describes the adventure and wonder that await visitors.
About Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT)
Established in 1955, the Costa Rica Tourism Board spearheads the vital task of regulating and promoting Costa Rica’s extensive of tourism offerings. The ICT and its partners in the private sector work tirelessly to garner recognition, standardize practices, provide insightful research data and foster cultural development for the country’s coast to coast one-of a kind tourism products and resources.