Ten km trail, half marathon, marathon, ultra, the next logical step seems to be stage racing. But what’s after that? 

Looking for a deeper meaning? For many trail runners, the “deeper meaning” lies somewhere on the trail. But of recent there has been a surge in participation for the “racing for a cause” variety. The Ride to Conquer Cancer in Toronto, Canada, a staged bike event that requires competitors to bring sponsorship dollars, has grown to epic proportions. La Boliviana, an adventure race in one of the poorest countries in the world, brings aid to those most in need and sees an international crowd of competitors. And now, La Transtica, a 5 day, staged foot race across Costa Rica, has a goal of brining aid to those areas of Coast Rica that are not so fortunate.

La Transtica, will traverse Costa Rica from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean coast, through the mountains and jungle of the Central valley. With its inaugural running last year the event organization peppered areas with much needed supplies while still managing to run a strong, well-coordinated event amidst torrential downpours. Thankfully the downpours are not anticipated for this year’s event, taking place from November 20 to 26. 

“We propose to share an adventure where the surpassing of ourselves as well as the aid and the solidarity will be the soul of this challenge,” explains Bernard Marchal, event organizer. “The race defines itself by a unique crossing of a natural, amazing paradise between two oceans, in the discovery of a new culture and way of life, Pura Vida,” he adds.

 

{rokbox title=|Bernard Marchal La Transtica 2009| thumb=|images/stories/audio.png|}images/stories/content/2009-10-20_Latranstica/audio/on_costa_rica.mp3{/rokbox} Bernard Marchal on Costa Rica.

 

200 km from the beach of Manuel Antonio up to Puerto Viejo de Limon is the general point A to B for La Transtica. The change of scene during this traverse is surreal - runners are plunged into the deep Costa Rican country side, far from tourist standards. 

Last year La Transtica saw an international gathering of 23 competitors, of which five countries were represented: France, Spain, Denmark, Canada, Costa Rica and Martinique. This year’s event promises to host a wider spectrum of competitors.

As for the event itself, Marchal believes that the toughest part to this year’s edition will be stage 2 and 3: a good distance and single track in the jungle, rainforest, mountain forest, and coffee plantations.

 

 

Marchal, hailing from the South of France has been involved with event-oriented humanitarian efforts since 2000. In particular was La Boliviana, put on by the same organizers of the Transmarocaine. He worked with La Boliviana until 2007. “Since 2007, we (Marchal and his team) decided to focus on Trail runners and we have set up three trails in the South of France: Le Trail des Balcons d’Azur in April (which garners nearly 1000 participants) as well as La Free Ride Classic Mandelieu, and Le Trail des Illuminés (night trail). The benefits we receive from these events are used to finance our humanitarian actions in Costa Rica.”

Last year La Transtica managed to supply 600 kg of school supplies and medical equipment to Costa Rica. Each stage of the race competitors helped to hand out the donations from France. “(This year) we will finance locally the medical equipment, school kits and furniture’s, classroom refection, Zentel pills for treating 150 children affected by intestinal parasites. We will also bring from France, 23 hearing aids for children in addition to various other necessities,” adds Marchal.

 

{rokbox title=|Bernard Marchal La Transtica 2009| thumb=|images/stories/audio.png|}images/stories/content/2009-10-20_Latranstica/audio/humanitarian.mp3{/rokbox} Bernard Marchal on humanitarian efforts. 

 

Organizing such an event, which takes roughly four months of full time work spread throughout the year, does have it benefits. “To be out in the field, finding out the race course, imagining the pleasure and the difficulties for the runners, and meeting the local communities and setting up aid projects,” lists Marchal. 

So it seems that La Transtica is supplying the demand for those looking to get something more than personal bests out of there multi-day race portfolio; a transcendence to something more – the top level of Maslow’s Hierarchy for the trail running world. The overall goal for La Transtica: to discover the country and its way of life and to share this experience with the locals through competition with humanitarian efforts.