In a sport like obstacle racing, there are many different elements that affect performance during a race. Running speed/pace, recovery, your ability to handle the various terrain, and balance are all important as they are with traditional running races. However, the upper body element in one that sets our sport apart from other forms of racing.
In 2016, the OCR World Championships will continue it’s mission to help push the sport of obstacle racing to the next level. As the sport has grown, not only have the obstacles evolved, but the distances have as well. More and more athletes can now be considered specialists at certain distances throughout the season, yet when it comes to an end of season championship, they are all asked to run one distance - usually, the longest and most difficult.
For Those Who Would, in partnership with Mud Run Guide and Obstacle Course Racing World Championships is proud to announce that Jesse Bruce from Toronto, Ontario is the winner of 2015 For Those Who Would OCR Humanitarian Award. The purpose of this award is to recognize an individual within the obstacle racing community who consistently exhibits humanitarian traits off the course.
I was able to walk around and get a good look at a lot of the obstacles and terrain, and then had the opportunity to practice on the “Platinum Rig”, along with other racers in the dark. The energy even on Friday night was amazing and beyond anything I had experienced to date, including both my Vermont Beast's.
Since earlier in 2014 when OCRWC announced their intentions to develop a world championship that isn't tied to one specific brand of events, there have been a few jabs that have been thrown in their direction from Joe, in conversations and interviews he has used variations of "we only acknowledge one OCR World Championship, and it's held in Vermont each September." This was completely to be expected, Joe and his ever-growing team has sunk millions of dollars into developing and advertising the Spartan brand all over the world, it only makes sense that he would protect his investment when asked about a direct competitor. He's spoken with so much vitrol in the past about his distaste for the tactics of Will Dean and Tough Mudder's when both races were fighting to develop a foothold in the industry. His dismissive comments when asked about OCRWC clearly didn't seem like he was lowering the boom on the fledgeling event. Or did it?
