---
title: "Don't mind the pier!"
published: 2016-04-14
updated: 2026-08-04
source: "https://dev-abp.massivoai.com/en/articles/no-le-haga-caso-al-muelle"
---

# Don't mind the pier!

**Ask anyone who has run Sol y Arena multiple times and they'll all tell you the same thing: the worst thing you can do is focus on the pier**.

As soon as you enter the beach and turn toward the finish line you'll be able to see it. It's there, in the distance, waiting for you with open arms. Mathematically it's about 9200 meters away, but visually it seems much closer. And that's the trick. Everyone knows that when you reach the pier the race is over, since the finish line is just 200 meters away. So you just have to reach the pier, that's all.

The problem is that due to a strange optical illusion the pier looks much closer than it actually is, and it doesn't move as we run. In other words, it deceives us in two ways:

- When it's 10k away it looks like it's 5k away. That's when we tell ourselves "oh no, this is right here, I'll be there in a moment". Big mistake.
- Then—and this is perhaps the most lethal deception for the mind—what happens is that as the kilometers pass we look back at the pier and it hasn't gotten any closer, it's just as far away as it was at the start, and this is a tremendous emotional blow around the midpoint of the race when your legs don't want to go anymore, the water runs out and it feels like air won't enter your lungs. At that moment all we want is to know that we're at least a little bit closer to the finish line… and we make the huge mistake of looking at the pier once more, just as far away as it was at the start… and everything falls apart.

Well, well, maybe we're being a bit dramatic, but don't be overconfident. It really happens. The "Pier Effect" really exists. And it really can hit our spirits hard. So now you know, if it seems like the pier isn't getting any closer, know that it's just a visual effect, physics tells us we're at least a little bit closer than before.

Other tips that might be useful for Sol y Arena are:

- Run on the inside (close to the water) but without getting your feet wet. First because the sand is firmer and second because mathematically you run less distance. Of course 4000 people can't all run right next to the water, someone will have to deal with soft sand, just try to make sure it's not you.
- The finish is the hardest part of all. It's on soft sand and you feel like with each stride you only advance an inch. More than one person ends up falling out of desperation seeing the finish line so close and not being able to reach it. Go easy, one step at a time.
- Follow the tips for [**running in hot climates and surviving the attempt**](https://www.abuenpaso.cr/New/detail/18/como-correr-en-calor-y-no-morir-en-el-intento).
- Be patient leaving Puntarenas after the race. There will be traffic and it will be long. Take it easy, talk with your family, stop to watch the sunset, grab a slushie.

Beyond this, know that running Sol y Arena is a very satisfying experience, even more so if you go with family or friends and they're waiting for you at the finish line. It's tremendously hard to get there, but when we finally do there are hundreds of enthusiastic supporters cheering for each and every runner and giving them strength to finish. A moment that's worth the effort.

\* Edited in April 2024.

A Buen Paso uses [Massivo](https://massivoai.com), the event-registration platform that powers this article.