From the starting line, you could see almost every obstacle on the 1.6 mile winding motocross-like course, sans the dirt and mud. At 9:00 sharp the first of the 19 male teams took off, with the next team leaving each minute after. The longest stretch of running without a true “man-made” obstacle was right out the gate, with maybe 250 yards before the fight began.

By the nature of its definition, a race typically has a defined start and finish. What you do in the race is usually a clear individual activity or series of activities. In a triathlon, you know you’ll be swimming, cycling, and running. Even most mud runs and obstacle races present their participants with a map and/or a listing of everything they’ll encounter along the way. The Death Race is different because racers participate for an undetermined amount of time and have no idea what activities they must complete.