The 21 kilometers of the Esencial Media Maratón San José will be run between San Pedro and La Sabana, but will pass through Limón, Puntarenas, Heredia, Cartago, Alajuela, and Guanacaste before reaching the finish line.
"The idea is to represent the other provinces in the capital, since the name Esencial Costa Rica represents the entire country," explains Mario Reyes, event director. So at kilometer three, when you can still feel the early morning chill (the race will start at 5:10 a.m.), the atmosphere will begin to heat up with a display of Limón calypso, dance, and music.
At kilometer six, runners will be energized by the rhythm of a Puntarenas mini-carnival and will enjoy the Heredia masquerades at kilometer nine. The route continues with representations from Cartago, Alajuela, and Guanacaste at kilometers 12, 15, and 18 respectively. To finish, at kilometer 21 there will be a representation of San José with schoolchildren welcoming the athletes and cheering them on as they enter the finish line.
"It will be a very fun race because every three kilometers there will be things to see," concludes Reyes, who adds that they will have excellent control of the streets thanks to good planning and the collaboration of traffic police and event staff.
The Esencial Media Maratón San José will be next June 19, but registrations will close tomorrow Saturday; currently fewer than 300 registrations remain. The route, which starts in San Pedro and passes through Curridabat, San Francisco de Dos Ríos, Desamparados, and San José, constantly alternates between slight climbs and descents, as is characteristic of this area, but is considered favorable for the athlete since descents predominate (see detailed mapHERE).
Another novelty is that the 21 kilometers can be run in relays of two people (each runs 10.5 kilometers). The first athlete will start from San Pedro and run until San Francisco de Dos Ríos, where the second athlete will be waiting to finish the route to La Sabana.
You can still register at the AMPM, on the event page, or onlineHERE (relay registration modeHERE).
