The Mule Trail is approximately 630 kilometers long across the length of Costa Rica, from its southern border in Panama to the northern one with Nicaragua…
In 1601 during the Spanish colonization a narrow, commercial route, barely capable of handling horse and mule traffic was officially completed. Once opened, the route connected Costa Rica to the neighboring ports of Portobelo, Colombia and Panama in the south and by doing that creating a commercial artery all the way north to Mexico.
The Mule Trail Race loosely follows what is left of that trail and with some creative licenses uses mostly rustic, gravel and dirt roads instead of portions of the original trail that evolved into major roadways in the evolution of Costa Rica as an independent republic.
Almost 14,000 meters of climbing, around 630 kilometers in length, dozens of river crossings, four micro-climates, two international borders, one race.
Like the 2020 event, the 2021 Mule Trail will have three different route options: full route (630km), mid route (450km), and short (280km).
Follow along live below: