Tara Skinner heads back to Raceway Park for the 2017 Terrain Race held there this past weekend. She breaks down the good, bad, and not so fun parts about the event. But explains why she will still have it on her schedule for 2018.
Pulling up to Malibu Dude Ranch in Milford Pennsylvania for Muckstock I saw smiling, bearded men in motorcycle gear. I soon realized these were members of Vetstock and they were there to help with parking.
We piled into the car and headed a short drive to 5K Foam Fest in Belleville Ontario at Zwicks Centennial Park. It is conveniently located on the shores of Lake Ontario and offered some great views and parkland settings
Savage Race returned to the Chicago area over the weekend for another strong showing for the series. The race took place a little over an hour north of the Chicago metro, close to the Wisconsin border, an area not particularly known for rough terrain or hills so participants knew they were in for one blistering fast race
Lebanon’s first OCR World Championships Qualifying event, the Puma Hannibal Race, took place last weekend in Le Plateau de Bakish in the mountains east of Beirut. My Conquer The Gauntlet Pro Teammate Brenna Calvert and I had the pleasure of attending the event to see what OCR looks like in the Middle East.
I stayed a little closer to home and ran Rugged Maniac. And I’m glad I did. I have nothing against a more challenging race and I do those as well but I don’t feel the need to beat up my body every time I step onto a course. Sometimes It’s just about having a good time and being with amazing people and that’s what I found at Rugged.
Tough Mudder asks, “When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?” I am going to take it a step further and add, “When was the last time you TRULY felt like part of a team?”
Even though Savage Race is a big-name company in the industry, the event in Barre, MA didn’t feel corporate at all. The old school printouts posted on plywood boards before registration with everyone’s name, bib number and start time made it seem very informal and less technical. The OCR community is always very welcoming and inviting, and everything from this Savage Race at Carter & Stevens Farm delivered. I look forward to running this event again next year in 2018.
The 2017 Spartan U.S. Championship Series made a return to Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton, Pa. Last year, this Super course received raved reviews from everyone as a very difficult race with a tremendous focus on the difficult inclines the mountain possesses. This year, I heard nothing but strong remarks from the many athletes I spoke to.
In a world where OCR events have become a dime a dozen, it’s hard to take a new race series seriously. A lot of us have fallen victim to events fresh to the market that fell extremely short of their claims, or were downright dangerous due to lack of experience or foresight, or both. Let me be clear when I say that Frontline OCR is NOT one of those events.
