The Coastal Challenge: Stages Four and Five

The overall winner was Javier Montero, finishing in 5:16:00, while Ligia Madrigal and Irene Hale rounded out the women’s field in 6:41:27 and 7:10:21, respectively.

Stage 5: Junquilla to Punta Descartes (32 kilometers) Following an hour-long bus ride to Junquilla, a quaint town near the Pacific coast, fifty-eight racers trotted out of town at 7:00 a.m. under sunny skies, following a pocked, sandy road. The course followed an undulating course on dirt, for the fifth, 32-kilometer stage, highlighting the toasty, desert-like dryness of Costa Rica’s northwest region. “It was hot in there and I lost track of my electrolytes,” said Anderson-Abbs, who reported feeling a bit spacey. “I popped some Sunsweet Plums and felt a lot better.” Again, she won the women’s division, placing fourth overall in a speedy 3:06:23.

Back in the field, runners moving at a slower clip saw white-faced monkeys and green parrots screeching from treetops, much-needed distractions from the day’s “stifling heat” and their “aching quads.” The 500-meter beach run to the finish was a welcome treat for all—many of the racers peeled off their sand-covered shoes and socks, and dove right in the refreshing, cool water.

Overall positions remained the same, with Anderson-Abbs now leading the women’s field by nearly two hours. She plans to “walk-jog and have fun hanging out with people,” for the last stage.

Photo: Doone Watson, forty-nine, from Calgary, Canada, races in the 2007 Coastal Challenge