#northfacechallenge

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For its fourth year, the intense ultra-trail running endurance race The North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica returns to the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. On Saturday, May 28, 2016, hundreds of runners from all over the world will challenge themselves and each other in four endurance trail-running races of 10 km, 21 km, 50 km and 80 km on the slopes of Rincón de la Vieja Volcano. All North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica 2016 races are individual, with no teams. Demanding trails cover difficult yet beautiful terrain around Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, one of six active volcanoes in Costa Rica, spanning altitudes between 850 feet and 3,280 feet (260-1,000 meters). There will be aid stations along the routes.

Rincón de la Vieja is the largest volcano in the northwest province of Guanacaste. The towering ridge-shaped colossus holds several craters, and peaks at 6,286 feet (1,916m). Surrounding the volcano is Rincón de la Vieja National Park, filled with wild dry tropical forest, rivers, waterfalls and hot springs. The Rincón de la Vieja Volcano and National Park are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Organized by The North Face outdoor gear and clothing company in the USA, The North Face Endurance Challenge is North America’s premier ultra-trail running series of endurance races. Launched in 2007, the races test experienced runners in beautiful scenic locations, while promoting a minimum impact philosophy. Part of the Latin America series, Costa Rica – a big destination for endurance races – held its first North Face Endurance Challenge in 2013. Base camp for the race, and the start and finish lines, are at eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin – a major center for adventure tours in Guanacaste, Costa Rica: zip lining, mountain biking, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, nature trails, and natural volcanic hot springs. Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is a top Costa Rica travel destination for adventure and nature lovers. The award-winning hotel next to the Rincón de la Vieja National Park is located 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia, with easy access from the Liberia International Airport.

More Adventure Races at Rincon de la Vieja

The newest Costa Rica adventure race – 160K Rincon de la Vieja Mountain Bike Race – happens Aug. 20, 2016 at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. Racers will compete in three distances: 160 km (100 miles), 100 km (62 miles), and 50 km (31 miles) by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The fourth annual Rincon de la Vieja Challenge extreme mountain bike race will test elite mountain bikers on a 100-mile (160 km) circumnavigation of the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano on Sept. 3, 2016. The Rincon de la Vieja Challenge is the first international chapter of the National Ultra Endurance Series (NUE) of the USA.

Article by Shannon Farley

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When: May 2 2015

Where: Bear Mountain - NY 

Distance: 50 miles (80 KM)

Type: Trail running

Cutoff time: 14 hours

Official website: http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/endurance-challenge/bear-mountain-ny/races/?stop_mobi=yes

This is my new challenge. I don’t feel my body ready and trained to run 50 miles in trails but I really need it. I need to feel the rush of adrenaline getting into my bloodstream. I need to feel the excitement while I pack things. I need to feel the hype while I’m standing at the start line listening the music and focusing in each mile I have to run. I need to feel each inch of the ground I’ll run. I need to feel the pain, the cramps, the pain, the pain, the pain. I need to feel that wall, look at it, and seconds before hitting it, jump over it and continue the race. I need not to think in anything else but run and move my legs. I need to feel the pain (I already said it but I really need to feel it). I need to feel the excitement each time I arrive to a water station and the volunteers cheer you up and help you move forward, help you to finish. I need to cross the finish line, or at least try to cross it. I need to feel thankful for each moment of this race.

Some people will understand those feelings, other won’t, but I really feel and mean all this.

After the race I’ll post the video, the details and my feelings. For now, I post the video of the last year’s race, just to motivate myself, just to increase the willing to go there and feel all the feelings I described before.