The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica 2026 – Stage 6

Posted on February 13, 2026 by talkultra

Stage 6 of The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica was always going to be special. It wasn’t just another race day. It was the closing chapter for the Adventure and Expedition categories. A loop that began and ended in the wild beauty of Corcovado and Bahía Drake. A day of waterfalls, gravel roads, jungle trails, river crossings, single track, beaches, and some of the most stunning light the Pacific coast can offer.

For many runners, this stage wasn’t only about time. It was about finishing what they started days ago. It was about earning the medal. It was about emotion.

The route delivered everything Costa Rica promises. Thick jungle that swallowed sound and forced focus. Gravel roads that tested tired legs. Technical single track winding through roots and rock.

River crossings that cooled sore muscles for a brief moment. Beaches that stretched endlessly under a rising sun. Waterfalls tucked deep in green corridors. Every turn seemed to offer another view, another reason to pause, another reminder of how far everyone had come.

And the light. Early morning gold over the ocean. Sun filtering through canopy leaves. The kind of light that makes even exhausted runners smile.

At the front of the Expedition men’s race, Alejandro Muñoz (#1) delivered a commanding performance, crossing the line in 3:54:46.1 to take the Stage 6 win. He ran with control and strength, managing the varied terrain with precision.

Martin Alonso Mena Jimenez secured second in 4:21:29.0, followed closely by Jon Shield in 4:22:43.9. Both men pushed hard through the jungle and across the beaches, knowing every minute mattered on this final day.

But while Stage 6 had its winners, the greater story in Expedition belonged to Erick Agüero.

After eight participations in The Coastal Challenge, Erick Agüero finally claimed the overall Expedition title. Eight times he stood on the start line. Eight journeys through heat, humidity, hills, rivers, and long lonely stretches of trail. Eight times chasing the dream.

And this year, he did it.

At the finish line there were tears. Real ones. The kind that come from years of effort, setbacks, persistence, and belief. You could see the weight lift from his shoulders as he crossed under the arch. Joy mixed with relief. Pride mixed with exhaustion. Winning after one attempt is impressive. Winning after eight shows something deeper. Commitment. Patience. Heart.It was one of those moments that reminds everyone why this race matters.

Denise Zelaya led the Expedition women home on Stage 6 in 4:24:35.1. She ran strong and steady, handling the technical sections with confidence and finishing her week on a high note.

Janina Beck followed in 5:11:18.6, while Floribeth Pérez (#38) completed the podium in 6:27:05.8. Each of them faced the same rugged loop and found their own way through it.

For the women’s field, the final stage was about resilience. By this point in the week, everyone is carrying fatigue. Legs are heavy. Feet are tender. Yet they kept moving forward. Through river crossings. Along sunlit beaches. Into the final stretch.

There were hugs at the finish. Long embraces. Shared smiles. The understanding that something meaningful had just been completed.

The Adventure category also closed its journey on Stage 6, and the racing at the front was sharp.

Sammy Francis (#35) took the stage win in an impressive 3:49:24.0, the fastest Adventure male time of the day. He attacked the course with confidence and made the most of the gravel roads and flowing single track.

Emerson Ulloa Avila (#61) finished second in 4:25:00.7, with Roberto Solano Rivera (#60) taking third in 4:32:05.3. All three demonstrated how much strength remains even at the end of a multi-day challenge.

But beyond podium places, the Adventure field showed something just as powerful: joy. Runners crossing the final beach stretch with arms raised. Friends waiting at the line. The relief of knowing the journey was complete.

In the Adventure women’s race, Laura Zúñiga Alcázar claimed the Stage 6 win in 4:23:00.4 with a composed and determined effort.

Behind her, Toni Clarke and Kristel Polet (#34) finished in an exact tie at 4:26:27.0. A rare and beautiful result. Two athletes, side by side on the final day, sharing the moment.

That image said a lot about this race. It is competitive, yes. But it is also shared. Shared struggle. Shared laughter. Shared relief.

Stage 6 is always emotional. It marks the end of something intense and rare. Days of running through one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Corcovado’s wild heart. The raw coastline of Bahía Drake. The rhythm of waves and jungle birds.

This final loop captures everything the Coastal Challenge stands for. Variety in terrain. Beauty in every direction. Difficulty that forces growth. Moments that stay with you long after the medal is packed away.

The waterfalls cool the body. The jungle humbles you. The beaches test your patience. The gravel roads demand grit. The single track rewards focus. The water crossings refresh and surprise. And the views remind you why you signed up in the first place.

By the time runners reached the finish line on Stage 6, medals waiting, there was a mix of tears and laughter. Some sat quietly, absorbing it. Some embraced teammates. Some looked back toward the ocean.

Happiness doesn’t always arrive loudly. Sometimes it comes in a deep breath after days of effort. In the simple act of standing still after so much forward motion.

For the Adventure and Expedition categories, the journey is now complete. The miles are done. The jungle has been crossed. The beaches have been run.

And for Erick Agüero, after eight attempts, the dream has finally been realized.

Stage 6 wasn’t just the end of a race. It was the celebration of persistence, community, and the unforgettable experience of running through one of the most beautiful corners of the world. Medals were placed around tired necks. Eyes were wet. Smiles were wide.

The Coastal Challenge once again delivered more than a competition. It delivered a journey.

Expedition Overall Ranking

Erick Aguerro 31:46:30
Jesus Cerdas Padilla 32:58:06
Jon Shield 33:41:20

Denis Zelaya 36:54:34
Janina Beck 41:53:37
Floribeth Perez 47:36:05

Race results https://www.webscorer.com/

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The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica 2026 – Stage 5

Posted on February 12, 2026 by talkultra

The penultimate stage of The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica led runners deep into one of the most biologically intense corners of the planet: the Osa Peninsula. Known locally as “The Paths of Osa,” the day was as much about immersion as it was about competition.

For Expedition runners, the route stretched 41 kilometers with 1,695 meters of climbing. The Adventure field faced 23 kilometers and 1,148 meters of ascent. On paper, those numbers were serious but manageable. On the ground, they unfolded across ferry crossings, fire roads, heavy jungle corridors, remote farms, and one unforgettable speedboat dash. The stage finished in the sweeping calm of Grandito Bay, where the rainforest spills toward the Pacific.

A River Crossing Into Another World, the day began not with a starting horn, but with a ferry ride across the Sierpe River.

Mist hung low over the mangroves. The Sierpe is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in Central America, and at dawn it feels suspended in time. Runners stood quietly, some chatting, some conserving energy. It was a rare still moment in a multi-day race defined by heat, humidity, and relentless terrain.

Once across, the mood shifted. Fire roads opened the stage, dusty and exposed, climbing steadily away from the river basin. The surface was firm but unyielding, a reminder that even “runnable” terrain in Costa Rica comes with a cost.

The route threaded through working farmland before plunging into dense tropical forest.

Out in the open, heat built quickly. Cattle pastures and palm-lined tracks offered little shade. Then, almost abruptly, the jungle swallowed the trail.

Under canopy, the air thickened. Roots twisted across narrow singletrack. The climbs felt steeper than the elevation profile suggested. Every descent demanded attention. It was classic Osa terrain: alive, humid, and unapologetically raw.

For those at the front of the race, though, the pressure was different from earlier in the week. With overall standings largely secure barring mishap, this stage offered a rare mental exhale. Leaders could look up, take in the green walls around them, and run with composure rather than urgency.

Midway through the day came one of the most distinctive features of the event: the iconic speedboat crossing.

After hours of climbing and descending, runners boarded small boats that skimmed along the Pacific edge of the peninsula. Salt air replaced jungle humidity. The coastline unfurled in rocky points and quiet beaches. It was a logistical necessity, but it felt cinematic.

From there, the final approach led toward Grandito Bay, where the forest meets calm blue water. The finish line atmosphere carried a different tone from earlier, harsher stages. Relief mixed with quiet satisfaction. With one day remaining, the race picture was largely set.

In the Adventure men’s race, the day belonged to bib 35, Sammy Francis, who crossed in 4:07:57. He managed the terrain with confidence, balancing effort on the climbs and steady pacing through the jungle sections.

Roberto Solano (bib 60) followed in 4:51:46, while Alberto Gil (bib 48) secured third in 5:00:01. The gaps reflected not just speed, but careful navigation of the heat and elevation.

The women’s podium was tightly contested. Laura Zuñiga (bib 59) claimed the stage in 5:01:22, running a composed and consistent race. Just behind, Kristel Polet (bib 34) and Toni Clarke (bib 9) both stopped the clock at 5:08:01, sharing identical times after nearly five hours on course. On a day shaped by terrain rather than tactics, that symmetry felt fitting.

For Expedition runners, the added distance and climbing sharpened the challenge. Forty-one kilometers in Osa is not simply a long run. It is sustained exposure to gradient, heat, and technical trail.

Alejandro Muñoz set the benchmark, winning in 5:05:44. He held strong through the early climbs and maintained rhythm deep into the jungle sections. Erick Agüero (bib 57) followed in 5:17:22, while Jesus Cerdas (bib 64) completed the men’s podium in 5:34:57.

In the women’s Expedition race, Denise Zelaya (bib 16) led with a time of 6:11:05. Janina Beck (bib 53) finished in 6:53:21, and Floribeth Perez (bib 38) rounded out the podium in 8:00:49. Their performances reflected not only endurance but resilience across a stage that demanded constant adjustment to terrain and conditions.

What defined this stage was not just distance or ascent. It was context.

The Osa Peninsula is often described as one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Macaws arc overhead. Howler monkeys echo through the trees. The forest floor moves with insects and reptiles. Even seasoned trail runners find themselves looking up, momentarily distracted by the sheer density of life.

With overall victories nearly secure, race leaders could afford to ease slightly, to let the environment register. There is something rare about competing hard in a place that feels untouched. On this stage, performance and place were inseparable.

As runners gathered at Grandito Bay, shoes caked in mud and salt drying on their skin, the mood was steady and reflective. One more stage remained. But “The Paths of Osa” had delivered what the Coastal Challenge promises at its best: a demanding route set within a landscape that refuses to be ignored.

Times were recorded. Podiums were shaped. Yet long after the numbers fade, it will be the ferry across the Sierpe, the wall of jungle heat, and the rush of the speedboat toward the Pacific finish that define this penultimate day.

Race results https://www.webscorer.com/

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The Coastal Challenge Costa Rica 2025 – Stage 6

Posted on February 14, 2025 by talkultra

A good nights sleep, no rain, and stage 6 was underway at 0540. Today, 35.9km’s for all racers.

Stage 6 is arguably the Queen stage of the race, it manages to contain every aspect and highlight from all the previous stages and condense them into an incredible and beautiful route.

Early gravel road km’s give way to a stunning waterfall crossing section. A run through farmlands and eventually the coast and beach arrives. The route then weaves its way to Bahía Drake and the finish line.

For many, it’s a day to ease back and enjoy the trails and the views, the reward at the end, a medal.

For much of the day, Pierre Meslet and Sergio Turull ran together, that is, until the final 4km’s when Pierre pulled away to secure the final stage and become TCC 2025 champion.

Sergio was elated to have a good day. As the week has progresses he has acclimated and adapted to the heat, humidity and technical terrain, with victory on stage 5 and 2nd on stage 6, his week has been a huge success.

Katie Young had a steady day running with the other top men, a day to relax and enjoy, confident the overall victory was secure.

Race Results HERE

The finish line is one of emotion and joy, each runner a story to tell, and experience lived and importantly, memories made to last a lifetime. TCC is so much more than a race, it is an adventure into an environment that so few get to see. It may be challenging, tough and difficult, but this is the reward of the journey.