Recommendations

Recommendations

Volcano Ultra Marathon is a multi-stage running event, in self-sufficiency discipline. With a minimum of 200 km and a maximum of 280 km in 7 days during 6 stages, a tough week managing the mind, physical strength and body recovery. An extreme event that will push you to the limit.

It is held in Costa Rica, crossing forests, rivers, climbing volcanoes and stepping on some of its coasts, Pacific Ocean or Costa Rican Caribbean, with extreme temperatures of heat and humidity, having an average of 30 degrees and 90% humidity. Our race leaders have crossed the planet several times in the most demanding events, with their experience together with that of our medical team we have developed the tips you can never forget.

Food

You must bring food for 7 days of race, with a minimum of 2,000 kcal per day. Freeze-dried food is recommended because it is lightweight, takes up little space and provides calories. Self-sufficiency is in the three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner, do not expect solid assistance. Self-sufficiency starts from the breakfast of the 1st stage. Make a very careful selection.

How to prepare good menus for your diet?

It is difficult to make a good selection, so you have to know the fundamental components to balance the daily diet. Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, fast-absorbing sugars, slow-absorbing sugars, hydration. Recommended food, due to its low weight and preservation day after day: nuts, fruit sweets, and chocolate or energy bars. At the end of the day, good hydration and mineral salts drinks are recommended for physical recovery.

Water

Each athlete will receive an average of 9 liters of water per day. It is distributed at the start, checkpoints and finish. The organization will provide hot water to cook your freeze-dried products in the central assistance canopy.

Drinking water distributed in the morning and at the checkpoints is essential to compensate for the significant water loss generated by extreme temperatures. It is mandatory to carry at all times a capacity for liquid of 2.5 liters as indicated in the mandatory equipment document. It is not necessary to carry them full at all times, but depending on the stage or the weather conditions race direction may require it.

IMPORTANT: ELECTROLYTE SALTS (6 stages) ARE MANDATORY. The salts are essential for good hydration, each athlete has to carry enough for racing an average of 30 km per day during 7 days. These products are recommended to be taken between 45 minutes and 1 hour from the start and until the finish. Flavored tablets are allowed.

Equipment

PLEASE READ THE MANDATORY ITEMS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY. Failure to carry any of the essential items may result in the withdrawal of the race bib.

It is important to place all the equipment in your backpack before the event. Race management is free to check the selected competitor’s backpack without prior notice.

SLEEPING BAG

It is part of the mandatory equipment. In case of not having it, you are exposed to penalties. It is necessary to have a sleeping bag that protects from the cold at night and allows maximum recovery. We recommend a light sleeping bag for temperatures in the range of +13 -0, this will give you comfort and warmth with reduced volume and weight. Remember that we will reach altitudes close to 3,000 meters above sea level.

BACKPACK

The backpack is an essential part of this sport discipline, it is necessary to take care of it and treat it the same as the shoes. Losing it entails penalties, as well as running without it. The backpack must have a minimum capacity of 20 liters, but 25 liters are recommended, these 5 liters remaining for front load. Right now there are several models on the market, with very good results. The ORGANIZATION WILL NOT CARRY ANYTHING for you.

Bib number

The bib delivered is another fundamental and mandatory item. The organization will indicate in the technical talk how and where it should be placed. It is possible that in order to place the bib correctly, brands or sponsors are covered, so the competitors must plan for their space.

  • Nothing should disturb the legibility of the bib in its entirety.
  • It should not be folded.
  • It must not be covered by a drum, etc.

Clothing

Clothes have also the same importance as the backpack and the shoes, a good choice will take your mind off any worries. We recommend clothes already worn and adjusted to each runner, during the day they will suffer a lot from the heat, dust, chafing and the course of the kilometers, so do not forget to make a good selection.

Headwear is a must.

It is recommended to make a good selection of camping clothes. In some points at nightfall temperatures will drop. Keep an eye on this point.

Camp

Competitors stay in individual tents, marked and assigned by the organization. Each runner will find them set up and the camping team will dismantle them about 30 minutes before the start. It is MANDATORY to leave them empty.

Camps will have the same orientation every day, so your assigned tent will be found every day in the same way as on the first day.

Telecoms

During the entire duration of the event it WON’T be possible to communicate with sponsors and family live by the phone or e-mail of the ORGANIZATION due to the remote locations. Each runner will be able to use their personal device under their own responsibility. The organization will set up an area for a civic and orderly recharge at the end of each stage, whose location will be marked by the organization.

The organization has the necessary means to spread the event and will have call devices only for emergency cases.

Our website as well as social networks will be updated in real time with photos, videos, rankings and other information to allow families, friends and sponsors to have access to the rankings and the daily news release.

Each runner will have a SPOT GPS device for safety and tracking. A few days before the race, the tracking website will be made available so that sponsors and family members can follow the runners.

Internet: www.volcanoultramarathon.com

Important

It is highly recommended to visit a physiotherapist, osteopath and podiatrist before the event, this will save you pain during the event.

REMEMBER to send all the requested information to avoid penalties or non-delivery of the bib.

CHECK:

  • Mandatory items document
  • That your vaccinations are up to date (for tetanus vaccine, it is better to verify its validity before the start of the race)
  • Medical check-up by a specialist in sports medicine indicating that the runner does not show any contraindication that could prevent their participation in the race.
  • You should know that during the whole race, the doctors team will guarantee your safety. You will find them all along the route at checkpoints, and in the afternoon at the camp. Do not hesitate to ask them if you have any doubts. Treated at the beginning of the race, a small health problem will not worsen.