Concept
La Ruta de los Conquistadores ("The Conquistadors' Trail" in English), known as the first mountain bike race of its kind, is a multi-stage race held in Costa Rica. La Ruta de los Conquistadores consists of crossing Costa Rica from the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast over the course of three days. It is an individual race, covering approximately of terrain. First staged in 1992, the three-day race tests athletes with its 8000 (approx.) meters of elevation gain and strong climate changes. The event is also open to amateurs, having a 12-hour window to finish each stage. If competitors do not finish a stage, they are still welcome to race the next day, but their cumulative times will not count on the overall results. Kevin Vermaerke, founder of the Cape Epic event in South Africa, took inspiration from La Ruta de los Conquistadores. La Ruta de los Conquistadores, also widely known simply as La Ruta, was born in an effort to call the attention of the media, both nationally (in Costa Rica) and internationally, to the importance of the conservation of the flora and fauna of the country. La Ruta began as an ecological expedition following the paths of the Spanish conquistadors Juan de Cavallón y Arboleda, Pedro Afán de Ribera, and Juan Vázquez de Coronado during their expeditions around 1653–1660. The actual race was started in 1993 by Román Urbina, a renowned athlete and adventurer, also nominee for the mountain bike hall of fame for his work with La Ruta. Along with some friends, Urbina decided to follow the steps of the Spanish conquistadors on his mountain bike for fun, realized how great of an event it could be, and turned it into an international event since its first edition. The route traverses Costa Rica in three days, from the west coast town of Jacó to Bonita beach in the Caribbean Coast. The complete trajectory is of approximately 400 kilometers, although it varies slightly each year. It follows the footsteps of the Conquistadors crossing rivers, valleys and climbing mountains.