Last weekend, Battlefrog Series made it's second stop in the Great White North with the Trois-Rivières BattleFrog about two hours outside of Montreal, Quebec. Longtime obstacle racer and Olympian turned race director Marco Bedard created a truly unique course and experience for all in attendance.
After years of running around Haspin Acres in Laurel, IN for the Indianapolis Sprint, Spartan pulled a fast one on us all and changed the venue to Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, IN. The initial reactions were negative, there was no way they found a venue that would be more challenging than Haspin which was often regarded as one of the toughest sprints and also, what was the deal with moving the event to a site that is actually far closer to Cincinnati, OH than it is to Indianapolis as the name implies?
That was an interesting way of looking at the event for the day; the Indian Mud Run in Coshocton, Ohio. Held at the Coshocton City and County Park, today was the setting for an epic OCR event. Located east of Columbus and south of Cleveland; this venue allowed for competitors to attend from multiple directions. The drive-in was as much as a challenge as the course was. Rally racers dream as the windy country roads twisted and turned all the way to the park.
What could be a better venue for and OCR event than a swamp? Many might argue a mountain or ski resort, but each utilizes its own unique terrain. The aforementioned “swamp” was the Black Swamp of Oak Harbor, OH; site of this year’s Black Swamp Dash. The event, now in its 3rd season, is a quality event put on by an amazing pair of OCR enthusiasts: Troy and Sandy Anthony.
This past weekend, the Gladiator Rock'NRun returned to the Barona Motocross Park in San Diego for the first time since 2014 (they were unable to secure this venue last year for some reason). Put on by Dan "Nitro" Clark of American Gladiators fame, the Gladiator Rock'NRun is a solid fan favorite for smaller race series. It sits solidly in the middle of the spectrum, easy and fun enough for first timers looking to get muddy, and enough of a challenge to keep more serious racers interested.
Indian Mud Run is the epitome of the term “Home-grown race.” Founded in 2012 in an effort to raise funds for the local levy that had recently failed, it has seen steady growth in each subsequent year. This year the race boasted 700+ participants, sure that’s far cry from the numbers that Spartan Race pulls week after week, but when you dig a little deeper you find that 20 different states were represented among the runners. What in the world could be bringing in racers from all across the country in what otherwise seems to be a small and obscure event?
Mount Snow, Vermont has been the location of Tough Mudder New England for the past several years and this year showcased perfect weather and a beautiful backdrop for the event. The setup for mudder village was at the base of the mountain and drew a large crowd for the weekend. Along the course, there were more than a handful of rainbow flags carried by mudders in support and recognition of the victims of the recent Orlando shooting.
The race is located in beautiful Tweed, Ontario located 2.5 hours between Ottawa and Toronto, just north of Napanee. A few details from the Trudeau Park website…” was established in 1973 and has been responsible for providing the most exciting indoor and outdoor events in Ontario ever since.
These haunting words linger in my mind in the aftermath of one of the toughest and most interesting events I've participated in; the 60h Spartan Agoge Class 002 which took place this weekend in Pittsfield, Vermont.
Mad River Mountain: Zanesville OH was the sight for this year’s Savage Race Ohio. The event has been held at this location for some years, and the success of the Savage series would not disappoint. A hot morning brought the competitors to the Mad River Mountain ski facility in Zanesfield, OH (a short distance Northwest of Columbus). Serene farmlands entailed the drive up to the location in the rural area; with its unassuming lack of hills? Rounding the last turn unveiled where they were hiding, and Savage Race found them.
