La Ruta de los Conquistadores is considered the most important mountain bike competition in Costa Rica and one of the hardest athletic events in the planet. This multi-stage race will take place this year from November 3rd to November 5th.

Created in 1993 by Costa Rican Roman Urbina, this event is considered the first and original multi-stage mountain bike competition in the world, this gender has since grown in popularity in different parts of the globe. However, “La Ruta” as its commonly referred to, is the only event that takes athletes across Costa Rica, from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast. La Ruta takes competitors through 5 mountain ranges, 9 of the country’s microclimates, along 250 km (155 miles) and in total they have to climb a cumulative 29,000 feet. The competition takes this name because it follows almost the same trails that Spanish conquistadores used to cross the country in their horses’ centuries back.

This will be the 24th edition of La Ruta, which is divided in three different stages: Day 1- Juan de Cavallón (Jacó to Atenas); Day 2-Perafán de Rivera (Atenas to Santa Ana); Day 3: Cristopher Columbus (Siquirres to Moin). The organizers expect 400 participants, the majority of them Costa Rican, in past editions foreigners have represented a 32% of the total. Around half of the competitors drop out before the end.

The weather and the difficult characteristics of the route make this a big challenge for many professional and recreational athletes, who are faced with many different riding surfaces: gravel, hard-packed dirt, pavement, thigh-deep mud, single track and fire road trails.

Roman Urbina says he first created the event thinking on raising awareness on the importance of nature conservation, the expedition takes competitors through some of the most beautiful areas of Costa Rica.

This year’s edition has been dedicated to former Costa Rican goalkeeper Erick Lonis, and it will have the participation of triathlon runner Leonardo Chacón.

The cost to register in this one of a kind event is of $680.00 and inscriptions close October 28th

La Ruta, says Urbina, “is much more than a competition, is a journey of personal growth”.

Chris Case, managing directo of VeloNews who completed the course in 2013 said it was “soul-sappingly hard”, taking you across “laughably steep inclines” and “hysterically steeper descents”.