Why You Should Run in Costa Rica

When most people think of Costa Rica, they picture relaxing on a beach with a cocktail. But if you are a runner, you see the world differently. You don’t just want to see a place; you want to traverse it. Running in Costa Rica is not about staying fit; it is about using your legs as a primitive means of transportation to answer the question: “What is on the other side?”.

Here is why you should leave the tour bus behind and run through the jungle instead.

1. It Is the “Real” Costa Rica (No Tourists Allowed)

There is a version of Costa Rica that 99% of tourists never see. They get on their buses, go to specific spots, and might as well be wearing Google Glasses at home . When you run, you access the remote heart of the country.

We travel to the South Pacific, the most biodiverse and prestigious forest in the country [4]. By running, we reach places where you cannot go with a Land Rover or a 4×4. We visit indigenous trails, cross river deltas, and run through mangroves and reefs. You aren’t just looking at the landscape; you are becoming part of the ecosystem.

2. The Terrain is a Jungle Gym

Running here is “functional fitness” in its purest form. You aren’t just jogging on a road; you are jumping over fallen trees, crawling under branches, and navigating slippery slopes [7, 8].

• The “Scuba Diving” Rule: Running in the jungle is like scuba diving—the first rule is “don’t touch anything.” Everything in the jungle scratches, bites, or can injure you. You have to be hyper-aware of every step [9, 10].
• Diverse Ground: You will run on single tracks, gravel roads, sand, and through rivers without bridges [5, 11].
• The Elements: It is wet, humid, and muddy. You will be sweating more than you ever have in your life, but that is part of the experience [12, 13].

3. A Culture of Peace and “Pura Vida”

Costa Rica is special not just because of the nature, but because of its history. It is a country that abolished its army over 60 years ago to invest in education and health [14, 15]. Because of this, the people—the Ticos—have a unique warmth.

When you run through these remote villages, you are not a tourist; you are a guest. You will meet families like the Chinchilla family, share a cup of coffee, and look people in the eye [16, 17]. As we like to say, “If you haven’t met the people, you haven’t seen Costa Rica” [16].

4. The Ultimate Challenge: From the Mountain of Death to the Sea

If you need a specific reason to run here, it is the challenge of the Dantas Trail. We do something that many locals thought was impossible: we run from Cerro de la Muerte (The Mountain of Death) all the way to the Pacific Ocean [18, 19].

We start at 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) where it is freezing cold, and descend into the heat of the jungle [19, 20]. One of our toughest days involves waking up at 4:00 AM to beat the sun, running 40 kilometers, crossing rivers without bridges, and bushwhacking with machetes until we hit the beach [21-23].

“We’re just using our legs to travel like our ancestors did, without all this bullshit… We’re just another animal going through the jungle.” [24, 25]

5. It Will Transform You

This is not a vacation, and it is not a race. There are no medals at the end. It is an expedition designed to test your limits and build camaraderie [26, 27]. You will come back with scratched legs, wet shoes, and total exhaustion, but you will also come back changed.

If you are ready to stop being a tourist and start being a traveler, Costa Rica is waiting for you.