With Warrior Dash being one of the larger race venues in OCR, I thought I would see how it stands up. With impending rough weather a good possibility on the forecast, I arrived at the event. The parking ($10) was well executed and very orderly. Creating lines of vehicles as we arrived, it was kept very organized. From there through the entrance gate to the event under the giant signage emblazoned with the Warrior Dash logo.
At this location for the Merrell Down & Dirty series I will have to say that the 5k distance was pretty easy for me and the obstacles were semi-challenging. Everything ran smoothly, I liked their setup, location, vendors, announcers, volunteers and how organized everything was. Also just the enthusiasm from everyone I encountered was superb and I will definitely do this race series again and recommend it to my friends.
Upon leaving my hotel for Battlefrog’s Greater DC event the receptionist said to keep an eye out for deer in the road while driving to the venue. To me, nothing else can better explain just how “out there” this venue was. And it made for an excellent race. From the race, to the festival, to the volunteers and workers, this was one very well executed event. Despite being new to the OCR scene, Battlefrog has set a very high bar.
It’s a beautiful sunny day and the breeze is gently cooling us as it sweeps across Lake Ontario and down the hill to meet us. Nervous racers are gathered at the base of the Fort Henry hill awaiting the final instructions before the first annual military Cannonball Rush 5K begins.
Urban RAID does a nice job handling the unique challenges that a city obstacle course race represents. The course was well organized and the obstacles, while not overly challenging, were solidly built and fun. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for something a little different than the typical obstacle course race.
A quick thunder storm came in Friday night at Carolina Adventure World to set the tone for the race weekend in which Battle Frog held its second event ever. The storm cooled the air for a little while that night, but it wasn't enough to save anybody from the blistering heat to come during the race. The sun was already shining bright by the time the elite heat racers took the start line. For anybody who hasn't been to an OCR at Carolina Adventure World, it is one of the most underrated and unexpected terrains for a course in the Southeast.
When I first identified this event, I became interested to see what it was all about. I had reviewed the information on a few examples of this event in other areas, so I thought I would give it a run. I was very happy that I entered this event, as it turned out to be a quality outing.
Being from Colorado, we were great with the elevation at Utah as they are basically the same. No worries there, we just had to wrap our heads around the 12 miles that were facing us. We had privy to the course as one of our COR members volunteered on Friday night and had all the obstacles that we would be facing.
BattleFrog’s second event picked right up where the Atlanta event left off last month. There was no chance of them experiencing a Sophomore Slump in Carolina this Saturday. A 15k Obstacle Course Race that is designed by and operated by US Navy Seals, this is a world class OCR that offers Cash Payouts for the 15k Elite Heat Runners, a 5k event, and a 1k Fun Run OCR for children. With fitness competitions in the Festival Area, inflatable bouncy play zones, great music blaring from the PA’s, and Seal Team demonstrations throughout the day along with helicopter fly-overs, even when you weren't running you were having fun and staying fully entertained.
The course this year was an additional 2.5 km. At each obstacle the volunteers clearly explained the obstacles, how they worked and what the penalty was for failing to complete them. It was also clearly stated this year that you could get help if you needed some. I liked the course this year more as it was longer, and you were able to go higher up the mountain and down it.
