Competitors have raced under many flags at
The Coastal Challenge
2008 Competitors
Kristi Battalini
Manuel Lopez Becerra
Steve Bremner
Gideon Burke
Luc English
Walt Esser
Chris Hacker
Greg Hardesty
Steve Hodges
Stefan Hofinger
Jose Romero Iglesias
Dave James
Genevieve Leclerc
Kurt Lindermuller
Thea Lipinkski
Connie Lutkevich
Nicola MacLeod
Adam Mensies
John Mensies
Jordan Mensies
Tim Meyer
Hoyt Michener
Javiar Montero
Manuel Alonzo Morales
Holly Motes
Jay Norman
Jose Olivera
Thomas Payne
Emelio Jose Martinez Quijada
Markus Rossmann
Ingrid Rossmann
Jan von Saalfeld
Clara von Saalfeld
Javier Hernandez Sansalvador
Mike Schell
Luciana Smania
Mary Snyder
Iris Tremblay
Rachel Tufunga
Stuart Wasilowski
Brigid Weifenburg
Name: Ronald Torres
Age: 36
Country: Coasta Rica
Runner Extraordinaire
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2006, 1st place , Men's Division
Age: 29
Country: London, UK
Roadshow/Event/Conference Coordinator
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2006, 1st place, Woman's Division
What is your running/race/life philosophy?
Life’s too short, and you have to try everything once.
Name: Juan Carlos Zuniga
Age: 42
Country: Costa Rica
Pig Farmer/Gentleman
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005 & 2006, 2nd place, Men's Division
Name: Ligia Madrigal
Country:
Costa Rica
Graphic Designer/Professional AR athlete
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2006, 2nd place, Women's Division and 6th overall, also competed as part of a team of 3 in 2005.
"It was the toughest thing I've ever done," said, Ligia Madrigal, a regular adventure racer from San Jose, Costa Rica, with 6 years of experience competing in similar events. "I think everyone that is in this race is so tough. From the ones going fast and finishing first to the ones in the back spending much more time on the course."
-Ligia Madrigal
Name: Charles Bedley
Age: 31
Country: Toronto, Canada
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005, 1st place, Men's Division
Name: Beverly Abbs
Age: 40
Country: Red Bluff, CA, USA
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005, 1st place, Women's Division
Name: Stefani Jackenthal
Age: 38
Country: New York City, USA
Journalist
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005, 2nd place, Women's Division
Name: Stefani Jackenthal
After Stage 4 in 2005
"Visually, this was the most beautiful stage and it was such a cool opportunity to get into the jungle. While we were in there we even heard howler monkeys. I was with people on the descent who are really good downhill runners, which I am not, so it was great to see them in action. I fell a number of times on this section – and earlier – so I was caked in mud. You know, I’m from New York so footing-wise, I prefer to be on a flat surface. I was absolutely relieved when we hit road towards the end. When you get done with a day like this you just feel so fulfilled."
Click on each of these links for more of Stefani's accounts from published articles in Runner's World 2005 and Hers Muscle and Fitness 2006.
Other articles written by Stephanie:
- The Trip That Will Change Your Life - written by Stefani Jackenthal, Oxygen Magazine
- Devine Caroline - written by Stefani Jackenthal
- Go Outside Magazine - Costa quente - written by Stefani Jackenthal, 2006 Coastal Challenge Participant
- Trail Magazine - Vamos a la playa, The Coastal Challenge - written by Stefani Jackenthal, 2006 Coastal Challenge Participant
Name: Ann Hall
Age: 37
Country: Solana Beach, CA, USA
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005, 3rd place, Women's Division
Name: Charlie Engle
Age: 42
Country: Greensboro, NC, USA
Television Producer
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 2005, 3rd place, Men's Division
Name: Jay Norman
Age: 67
Country: Dallas Texas USA
Businessman/Elder Statesman and friend to The Coastal Challenge
Age: 41
Country: Irvine, CA, USA
Sales of Wholesale Nutritional Products (Probiotics, etc).
Winner: The Coastal Challenge 3rd place 2006, Men's Division
Best and worst race experiences?
Worst: Catalina marathon, the year they had record rain and low temps. Slipped and injured hip, so had to limp last 25 miles in cold, driving rain in extreme mud. Horrible.
Best: 4:26 persosnal record half Ironman race.
When do you struggle most during a race/training and what motivates you to continue? Something inside telling me not to quit, knowing that I’ve been through worse and I lived and I’ll get through this as well.
Do you have any unusual training/racing rituals? Yes and they are secret.
Read all about Mark’s Amazing account at The Coastal Challenge 2006 Expedition Run, Southern Route
Age: 62
Country: St. Augustine, FL, USA
Executive Director of the Caribbean Ship Owners Association
Peter could be found on course telling anyone who stopped long enough to listen that he could proudly claim the coveted last place of those who finished in 2005 and that he now planned to “fiercely defend his title” in 2006 by not letting anybody fall behind me.
What motivates you to continue? I’m gravity impaired, i.e. too heavy for this type of thing which creates a struggle. I like adventures that test.
Do you have any unusual training/racing rituals? Besides running around with another woman, you mean ?
What are your favorite race foods/drinks? Mixed salted nuts/water. Won’t turn down a good Scotch whiskey or barrel aged rum after a race.
What is your running/race/life philosophy? Your goals, minus your doubts equal your reality. - Ralph Marston.
Life shrinks or expands in proportion to ones courage.
- Anais Nin (stolen from TH)
What is your life ambition? Grow old.
Why “take on the challenge” at TCC? Needed a focus.
Tell us anything else interesting about yourself. Just got a letter saying I’m a finalist in the Publishers Clearinghouse.
Age: 57
Country: Palo Alto, CA, USA
Senior Software Engineer -- no effect on training
What is your running and/or athletic background? I started running in 1974 at the age of 27 and ran 50 marathons and many shorter races, winning 6. At age 50, I started running ultramarathons with my first 50 miler and have run well over 100 ultras since, including 25 in the past year.
What is your life ambition? To be active to the end.
Why did you choose to “take on the challenge” at TCC? I wasn’t planning on running the TCC again, as there are too many other things to do in life without repeating the things you have already done, but the course was changed enough that I saw it as a new and exciting experience.
Age: 48
Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Best and worst race experiences? Running in China and listening to thousands of Chinese chanting “Canada, Canada” as I ran by was the best, the worst was in an adventure race in Canada which I was doing solo and had to quit – the first time I hadn’t been able to finish an event
What motivates you to continue? My dog is the best motivator in the world – she is always keen on a run and makes me feel guilty if I don’t take her out. The combination of cold, dark, lousy footing and early mornings are my biggest struggle – at least 5 months of each year living in Alberta!
"Doesn't really matter what happens - it will be an incredible experience. I have run races in China, Saudi, the Barbados and Jamaica as well as Canada and the US but nothing has been as seductive as this race."
Age: 26
Country: Riga, Latvia
Manager of franchise chain of 50 shops and manager of factory.
Running/race/life philosophy?
I think that all the people have possibility to spend the life in a lot of interesting ways. But a lot of persons do nothing to have an interesting life.
I think that every day is special event and you have to make it as interesting as you can.
Name: Dave Greenslade
Age:
47
Name: Sue Greenslade
Age: 44
Country: Auckland, New Zealand
Dave & I are very much social runners. We like to keep active and love a
challenge which this is. I found TCC on the internet. We both thought it sounded great & decided it would be our next challenge. We have a 15yr son & twin daughters aged 12. My challenge for TCC is to just finish it. Dave's I think is to finish it in a reasonable time with out suffering any injuries.
We are fairly relaxed about the whole thing & are participating to have fun & enjoy it. We have never been to Costa Rica so we look forward to exploring this wonderful part of the world.
Name: Alvaro (Natural) Farias
Country:
Costa Rica
Naturalist/Mystic/Old Soul
Name: Felipe Guardia
Age:
29
Country:
Costa Rica
Marketing Director
Name: Lisa De Speville
Age: 29
Country: Johannesburg, South Africa
After Stage 4 in 2005
"Today’s route had everything – jungle, jeep track, single track, dirt road, steep ascents and descents and a final 3km on tarred road to the finish area. I think that our total ascent was around 7000ft."
Susie’s heart rate monitor recorded 2750-calorie energy expenditure over the 6h 49min it took her to run the stage.
Well, the scenery on the boat trip was incredible. Down the wide river we saw mangroves and on the ocean, the Pacific coast was just spectacular. Isolated beaches with white sand embraced by the azure ocean and emerald jungle. Picture perfect!
Age: 40
Country: Boqueron, Puerto Rico
Professional Athlete
Name: Jen Garretson
Age: 26
Country: Boise Idaho, USA
We were adolescents amongst the elders of endurance racing, ignorant of what we were about to get ourselves into, but open to learning as much as possible from these amazing athletes who surrounded us. At times, it felt as if we had tapped into some secret fraternity or brotherhood of physical pain. Little did I know we were about to get the hazing of a lifetime.
We ended today in the dark, taking about 10 hours and 40 minutes to complete the course. We had traversed back and forth from beach to jungle for the last few hours, making our own path to escape the sun. We had forgotten to bring headlamps and as the jungle trail got darker, we found a strange urgency welling up inside us: jungle motivation - that compelling need to get away from areas where you can't see things, but things can see you. We were back on the beach as soon as the sun was down. We arrived at camp exhausted, and starving.
Click HERE to read more on Jen Garretson's Coastal Challenge experience.
Name: R. Mark Hartinger
Age: 49
Country: Seattle, Washington, USA
Software Engineer
What is your life ambition?
To be healthy to the end, enjoying my family along the way, and see as much of the world by human-powered means as possible without being in a hurry. I always have specific goals to look forward to at some time, like bicycling around Iceland and kayaking the Inside Passage.
Why “take on the challenge” at TCC?
I wanted a vacation that mixed running, relaxing, spending time with friends, and seeing a new place. One of the best measures of something like The Coastal Challenge might be how one answers the question "Would you return?" I can tell you that my answer is an unequivocal YES! I very much appreciated all the work that the staff and all the volunteers put forth in creating this memorable event. I really had a great time, enjoyed everyone I met, and have many new lifelong friends.
Tell us anything else interesting about yourself.
My nickname is “Guide Dog”.
Country: Costa Rica
Man in the Straw Hat
Age: 29
Country: Bentonville, AR, USA
Account Manager – I sell video games to retailers.
I have been running a majority of my life, mostly from the authorities, but I only started entering races within the past 5 years. I have ran hundreds of 5Ks, two 10Ks, one 15K, two half marathons, and five full marathons. I am athletically handicapped…I have no hand-eye coordination; therefore I was a cheerleader and dancer while in school. I have taught aerobics for 11 years and I am also the leader of a fine group of running individuals.
Best and worst race experiences?
Best – having my family cheer for me throughout a marathon.
Worst – Nearly fertilizing a race course once…I won’t elaborate!
What motivates you to continue?
I struggle doing long runs solo during my training. During races, it is hard for me to pace myself at the beginning. I am an expert bonker – I have bonking down to an art because I go out way too fast. A lot of things motivate me: Fear of failure, the mirror, the scale, my skinny jeans, other runners, and the desire to constantly get better and more like the people I admire and envy.
Any unusual training/racing rituals?
If wearing the same clothes and socks for every run, without washing them, while training for a marathon (typically a 5 month training program) is an unusual ritual, then yes, I have one. I’m only kidding…the program is typically 4 months. No, I do not think I have any unusual rituals. Wait, does running / training naked count? Also, if I’m feeling really spunky, on warm days I like to run topless past the local prison.
What is your running/race/life philosophy?
Running Philosophy – Life is short, running makes it seem longer.
Race Philosophy – "The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self improvement, about being better than you were the day before." ~Steve Young
Life Philosophy - Goals are the mile markers by which reality finds its way to your dreams. And, "Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it."
~ Irving Berlin
Name: Adam Chase
Country: Boulder, CO, USA
Tax Attorney
Read Adam’s great account first Published in the June ‘06 Issue of Running Times.
Age: 54
Country: Montpelier, VT, USA
Attorney
We were on the Osa Peninsula in the Corcovado National Park, an area tough to reach and closed to the public except by permit. The beaches are unspoiled and remote. The jungle was alive and is the last region in the world where jaguar run free. One runner saw a jaguar track! It was hot and we had to cross many crocodile and shark infested rivers with the assistance of volunteer river boats.
Read about Dot’s experience in The Coastal Challenge 2005 Expedition Run, North to South Route.
Name: Ben Nachtrieb
Age: 32
Country: Golden, CO, USA
Real Estate Broker
Running and/or athletic background? The most applicable background is Adventure racing since 2000 on sponsored teams such as North Face, Sunsweet Plum, Leatherman Legendary Blades, NachtriebRealEstate.com and more. I am currently ranked 8th in the USA on team DART (ASM). I have competed in Eco-Challenge, Primal Quest, Eco-motion, Beat of the East, Raid Extreme, Raid, Balance Bar, and many more. I have competed all over the USA as well as all over the world in places like Fiji, Brazil, New Foundland, and New Zealand. Below is my AR resume:
Running/race/life philosophy? Work hard, play hard.
What is your life ambition? To be a World champion and to have a highly successful engineering company.
Why “take on the challenge” at TCC?
Because my girlfriend and I could do it together. Also, because it’s a great off season training race for me since it’s a stage race.
For more from Ben, read his race report at boulderdirt.com
Name: Dave James
Age: 27
Country: Trumbull, CT, USA
Director of Security & Dining Room/Bar Manager at a private
beach club outside of New York City.
Running and/or athletic background?
I started running when I stopped drinking cold turkey in the fall of
2000 in an effort to get in shape mentally & physically. I ran a
little in high school & college but after I lost 60 pounds and got
sober I kind of got hooked. Since that time I have moved from running
competitively in the local road races to road marathons, but now I just
run to clear my head & mainly try to stay on the trails with the dog
whenever possible.
Why "take on the challenge" at TCC? To see a new and beautiful part of the world, to experience nature, and a new culture, to challenge my body, but most of all to continue my "running therapy" to work through the loss of my wife. I find myself going to places that we visited together, but having that be painful, but when I go to new places it is also painful because I think that it is a shame that I can't share the beauty and the new experiences with Jen. But I am afraid to stay around home for my time off because I don't want to curl up in a ball. I figure if I am moving, traveling, running, working I am living.
Tell us anything else interesting about yourself. I realize that
people will want to feel sorry for me because I lost my wife at such a
young age before we were able to share in our future together. But I
don't want sympathy or sorrow anymore. I want to talk about my
feelings and continue to grow as a person while always remembering the
love that we had. Feel sorrow for the people that did not get to
travel, live, love, and experience life the way me and Jen did
together. I'll get through the tough moments and what ever else life
has in store for me because my wife is now an angel up in heaven
looking down after me and guiding my steps as I run.
Age: 49
Country: Lake Bay, WA, USA
Firefighter
Name: Anne L. Ver Hoef
Age: 45
Country: Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Speech-language pathologist
Running/race/life philosophy? Life can bring very unexpected changes so one should take advantage of good health and opportunities and do those things that give great pleasure. For me that is combining travel and mountain running/hiking adventures.
What is your life ambition? Do my best in all endeavors – help people and make a difference in their lives.
Why “take on the challenge” at TCC? It sounded like a lot of fun and something I would enjoy doing. Again – it combines travel and running adventures.
Tell us anything else interesting about yourself. I have traveled to over 60 countries; I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth; my husband flies our small plane to remote places in Alaska so I can go running in interesting and unusual places!
Name: Mark Chamley
Age: 52
Country: Laguna Niguel, CA, USA
Landscape Contractor
Running and/or athletic background?
75 Ultras (+/-), and 9 (1-2 day) Adventure Races
Best and worst race experiences?
They are all good, even when my performance sucks.
What motivates you to continue?
There is no quitting!
It was an absolutely fantastic experience! The racecourse was great, jungles, beaches, ridges, mountains, farmlands, jeep roads, rugged trails, mud. It was all great! For me, the race was really challenging; the amount of running every day, day after day, was really tough, but hey I made it. This was one of those unforgettable life experiencesŠ this was to be an adventure, and indeed it was.
Age: 57
Country: Seattle, Washington, USA
Director of Engineering
Running and/or athletic background? Ultra marathoner. 20+ years running races from 26.2 miles to 150 miles. 25 marathons + 81 ultras = 106. I have run almost 50,000 miles since 1982 when I started to run.
Best and worst race experiences? Too numerous to mention.
Running/race/life philosophy? Fail as often as necessary to move forward in everything you do. Be a life long learner. Be prepared to throw away what you learned today for something better tomorrow.
What is your life ambition? I am living my ambitions today. To run an ultra at 80.
Tell us anything else interesting about yourself. I walked on crutches for three years as a child. I could not read when I graduated from high school. I have taught engineering at the college level. I once weighed 240 pounds, smoked and drank. Today I weigh 168 pounds. I have worked as a laborer in a lead smelt, construction, steel warehouse and others. Today I own an engineering and real estate company. I had a brain tumor and surgery 1994. I ran two ultras that year.
Age: 44
Country: Leeds, UK
Age: 33
Country: Golden, CO, USA
Age: 54
Country: Unionville, Ontario Canada
Age: 51
Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Surgeon
Name: Mark & Ben Tamminga
3k in I glance back and there's brother Ben! Running along as comfortably as can be and closing in on me. Well how cool is that? We ran the next 7-8 (or 10-15k it seemed like an enormously long 10k to everybody), talking about a host of brotherly things, running, races, big life events and what a privilege it is to be able to do wondrous things like this with such good people. 5k in Ben just hands his full water bottle over to a struggling runner without any regard to his own thirst. Such is the way of Ben. Fortunately, I had enough water for both of us, but he didn¹t know that. We finished in a blur of emotion, accomplishment, satisfaction and warmth, arm in arm. A superb feeling made all the sweeter by the arrival of Joany a few minutes later to complete the picture.
~excerpt from Mark Tamminga's Race Report
Click here for his 7 day report on The Coastal Challenge 2005
“It’s my cup of tea. The more challenging and the worse the terrain the more I enjoy it. You know, this type of race brings out the best in people. You’ve got to dig deep to finish.” – Bob Cowdrey
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