One of the most grueling adventure races in the world is the Coastal Challenge, sometimes known as the Rainforest Run in Costa Rica. The Coastal Challenge is in the category of long-distance trail running, and this Friday the competition wrapped up with an absolute and dominating victory by South African adventure racer Iain Don-Wauchope.

According to Fiorella Masis of national newpaper La Nacion, the South African athlete set a significant record in this race: he completed the rigorous 230 kilometers in 22 hours and 29 minutes, which is more than an hour faster than the record previously held by former champion Mike Wardian.

The Costa Rica Star has reported on past editions of this competition:

In a previous edition of this rugged challenge, the first stage of the race took competitors from Quepos to the Savegre Valley for a distance of nearly 34 kilometers and a total ascent of 850 meters. The next day, runners climbed even higher and later descended to Playa Dominical. From there, they continued to the gorgeous Playa Ventanas, Coronado, Palmar Sur (home of the mysterious Museum of the Stone Spheres), Sierpe, and finally Drake Bay.

Event organizers further describe the trails:

The course is set along Costa Rica’s tropical Pacific coastline but weaves at times into the Talamancas, a coastal mountain range in the Southwest corner of the country. You’ll finish near the border of Panama in a serene fishing village that until recently was only accessible by boat.

Jungle and rainforest trails, mountain trail and single track across ridgelines, highlands and coastal ranges; beaches, rocky outcroppings and reefs, river and estuary crossings, [etc…]

Costa Rican trail runner Ahur Yousseffi came in second in the Coastal Challenge; he trailed Don-Wauchope by about four hours. Notable adventure athlete Veronica Bravo from Chile is the new champion in the Women’s category of the Coastal Challenge, and she is seriously thinking about dedicating herself 100 percent to trail running.