| News Updates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Press Release 11/05/07 date: 11/05/07 ATHLETES PREPARING FOR TROPICAL POWER COAST 2 COAST! This is the second year that Tropical Power Limited will be sponsoring the Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport Race, after pledging its support of $1,000,000 over three years. This year’s race will take place on October 6 and 7 and athletes are already preparing their minds and bodies for the tough two-day stage race that comprises trail running, cycling and paddling. The race attracts athletes from all disciplines, including triathlon and swimming. Last year, there was an increase in the number of cyclists and marathoners who participated in the event. The event course begins at the Toco Lighthouse on Trinidad’s East Coast and ends at Williams Bay Chaguaramas, in the West. Local participants are expected to test their mettle against regional and international racers – participants have the choice of entering either as an Individual or Relay Team. There is also a Corporate Relay category through which the race organizers, ECO Adventures Limited, which also handles the race management for the BG T&T Energy Challenge, are hoping to involve teams from Trinidad and Tobago’s business sector. This is the third year that the event is being held – top local triathlete Jason Gooding won the 2005 event, while last year’s race title was taken by then-reigning Multi-Sport World Champion, New Zealander Richard Ussher. PRIZE STRUCTURE
date: 08/10/06 USSHER WINS TROPICAL POWER COAST 2 COAST IN TRINIDAD October 8, 2006; Chaguaramas, Trinidad – Heavy rains persisted on Day 2 of the Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport Race, but could not stop New Zealander Richard Ussher from dominating the event, crossing the Finish Line at Williams Bay, Chaguaramas in a new course time of 11 hours and 17 minutes. “The course looks simple enough on paper,” he told the crowd, “but it’s a really challenging one – and a beautiful one too.” Stage 3 of the two-day event began at 5:30 am yesterday morning with a 58 km ride to Diego Martin’s North Post, followed by an 8 km run to Macqueripe. The final stage of the course was the toughest because of the inclement weather. Choppy seas and large swells in the First Boca made the 30 km paddle to Williams Bay so challenging that several athletes opted to drop out of the race. The first female to finish was Elina Maki-Rautila of Finland, who, though she had some trouble on the kayak leg, toughed it out and crossed the line in just about 13 hours. The first relay team was the trio of Guy Costa, who did the cycle leg, Cantius Thomas, who again made good time on the run and Andrew Blackburn, who paddled a double kayak with Costa. A large crowd of multi-sport enthusiasts were on hand to cheer on the competitors, who received commemorative medals, trophies and cash prizes worth over US $10,500. TROPICAL POWER COAST 2 COAST 2006 WINNERS
date: 07/10/06 TROPICAL POWER COAST 2 COAST OFF TO AN EXCITING START! October 7, 2006; Toco, Trinidad – The rainy season
made its presence known on the first day of the Tropical
Power Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport Race, with heavily overcast
conditions creating a cool but humid climate for racers.
A record field of about 40 competitors left the start line
at the Toco Lighthouse at 6:00 am with a demanding course
of cycling and running ahead of them.
Press Release date: 06/10/06
October 6, 2006; Port of Spain, Trinidad – The Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport Race will kick off tomorrow. Entrants include last year’s winner from Trinidad and Tobago, Jason Gooding, who will be trying to defend his title from an impressive field of competitors, including the reigning World Multi-Sport Champion, New Zealander Richard Ussher. Other athletes include Nina Chaves, winner of the 2005 Female Category; top local cyclists Erle Rahaman-Noronha and Guy Costa; marathoner Bryan Minard and runner Cantius Thomas. Frank Fifils, a leading paddler from Guadeloupe, is the sole entrant from the wider Caribbean, while international racers include Elina Maki-Rautila from Finland and top-ranked South African paddler Andrew Blackburn.
Press Release date: 18/08/06 NINA CHAVES SAYS WOMEN CAN CONQUER COAST 2 COAST! As an avid runner, Multi-Sport Racing was a natural step for Nina Chaves, who won the inaugural Coast 2 Coast two-day stage race last year in an average time of 14 hours. Nina also holds the 2002 female Duathlon Champion title and was the tenth local female to finish the Marathon the following year. She has represented Trinidad and Tobago at several international Multi-Sport events.
On the Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast: I love this race for the fun of it, for the physical endurance challenge, and the opportunity to better my times. I want to race faster and become stronger – not that I have to win all the time; I get satisfaction in knowing that I’ve improved my race and succeeded in my goal. On Physical Training: I’m training six days a week in the different disciplines, with one long training session on the weekends. And I’m eating plenty food! Some people say it’s cheaper to clothe me than to feed me! On Mind Training: Weeks in advance, I go through the race not just physically, but also mentally. That way, I get accustomed to the ups and downs of the different areas – I know which parts are harder and I prepare my mind from the outset that I’m going to finish. I’m continually looking forward to the race! The Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast will take place on October 7 and 8, 2006. Log on to www.ecoadventurestt.com for more information or pick up entry forms at Geronimo’s and Corkie’s Cycle Centres. Price Structure
Press Release date: 10/08/06 TRIATHLETE JASON GOODING GETS READY FOR COAST 2 COAST! Jason Gooding is perhaps the best triathlete this country has ever seen. Racing for the last 14 years, he is a 9-time Trinidad and Tobago National Triathlon Champion, also winning most regional triathlon events in territories like Grenada, Barbados and Puerto Rico. Jason won the inaugural Coast 2 Coast Multi-Sport event last year in an impressive time of 12 hours (about 6 hours per day) on a course that took competitors from East to West Trinidad.
On the Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast: I love the challenge and the prize money is a great incentive. This sport attracts people that really like to push themselves – you have to be fit, but not any great athlete – to do this race. But you do have to be up for a challenge. On Physical Training: I’m training for Coast 2 Coast by eating green veggies and watching as much TV as possible! No, seriously…last year, I gained a lot of time on the cycle and running legs of the race, and I realize that I could lose that lead on the kayak leg. So I’m doing a lot of paddling in preparation for this year’s event. I’m also trying to get a Surf Ski kayak that’s thinner, longer, lighter and faster – which also makes it more unstable, but it’s so sleek in the water it’s like upgrading your engine for the Great Race! On Mind Training: This is as much a mental race as it is a physical one. I try to stay focused and relaxed, pace myself and stay positive. This is an endurance event. I can’t wait to defend my title! The Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast will take place on October 7 and 8, 2006. Log on to www.ecoadventurestt.com for more information or pick up entry forms at Geronimo’s and Corkie’s Cycle Centres. Price Structure
Press Release date: 27/07/06 TROPICAL POWER PUTS $1,000,000 BEHIND COAST 2 COAST! July 27, 2006; Port of Spain, Trinidad – Tropical Power Limited’s Managing Director Stephen Cadiz launched the Coast 2 Coast 2006 Multi-Sport race to media and race participants with an announcement that the company will be supporting the sport with an investment of $1,000,000 over three years.
The race is being hosted by ECO Adventures Limited, which has extensive experience in designing and managing Multi-Sport courses and events, including the annual BG Energy Challenge. The prizes for this year’s event are impressive – over $10,500 US in cash for the winners in various categories and these, along with the high quality of the course, have been attracting both regional and international interest in this year’s race.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
The route begins with a short 1.4 km run along Trinidad’s picturesque north-east coast, followed by a 40 km cycle to Matelot. Athletes then transition to Stage 2: a 32 km run to Blanchisseuse, which marks the end of Day 1. Stage 3 begins on Sunday at 5:00 am with a 58 km ride to Diego Martin’s North Post, followed by a hilly 8 km run to Macqueripe. The final stage of the course is the 30 km paddle to Williams Bay, Chaguaramas, through the swells of Trinidad’s First Boca. 
On being a Woman in Multi-Sport: Women
don’t realize how competitive we can be – especially
with men! We may be socialized to feel that we’re
not strong enough, but we can be just as effective as men
in the disciplines this race requires – running,
cycling and paddling. And a lot of the time, we probably
have more mental fortitude. A woman who is fit and puts
in the time to train for this race can certainly do it,
but it takes discipline and commitment. 
On Multi-Sport Racing: I got into
Multi-Sport Racing when I met Ryan Mendes on the Terry
Fox Run around the Savannah about 10 years ago. We
started training together, doing triathlons in Barbados
and multi-sport races in the U.S. I remember we entered
a 3-part series – we won the first two races, couldn’t
make it up to Florida for the third installment and still
won the overall title because our times were so good. 
The Tropical Power Coast 2 Coast will take place on October 7 and 8, 2006. It is a two-day stage race comprising trail running, cycling and paddling that starts at the Toco Lighthouse on Trinidad’s East Coast and ends at Chaguaramas in the West, which participants can enter either as an Individual or Relay Team. This is the second year that the race is being held – top triathlete Jason Gooding won the 2005 event and spoke at the launch about his bid to defend his title and break his own record.
