Recently, Shale Hill owners announced they would be selling their beloved permanent obstacle racing course and training facility in Benson, Vermont on Facebook. Since the announcement the OCR community has buzzed with theories as to why both Rob and Jill Butler are selling their critically acclaimed course.
Today, Tough Mudder a global OCR leader announced its 2016 obstacle line-up, including the debut of The Block Ness Monster, the most highly-anticipated new obstacle in the company’s six-year history. After months of lab and field-testing, Tough Mudder will bring new obstacles, harder courses, top-tier partnerships, and the world’s most popular team challenge to more than 60 cities across the globe.
Both in training and in racing, I think of three categories of pain that are important to learn how to distinguish. I call them 1) expected pain, 2) manageable pain and 3) injury. These types of pain are your friends because they tell you what’s going on with your body, so you can know what to do. I say “learn” because initially it can be hard to distinguish between them.
It's the second week of January which means it's time for bold, uninhibited predictions for the coming year in obstacle course racing (OCR)! Of course as a matter of courtesy, due to the very nature of bold predictions, you are naturally expected to forget everything I say by the beginning of next year!
Hardcore Mudd Run kicks off the new series highlighting small and regional race series throughout North America. Hardcore Mudd Run is an event that raises money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and was created by current and former firefighters. Gideon Schwartz, one of the founders of Hardcore Mudd Run, talked to us about the race series that began in September of 2011 at Tussey Mountain Ski Area in State College, Pennsylvania.
What happens when you have been in obstacle course racing for a couple of years? You have achieved Legionnaire status, you have a dinner plate sized trifecta medal, and have more Warrior Dash bottle openers than you know what to do with. For many reaching those initial goals was the driving factor for racing. After those goals are achieved, what is next?
New Year’s Resolutions are deeply ingrained in our culture, and each year millions around the world proudly declare how this year will be different. Unfortunately, the statistics on these resolutions are anything but encouraging: 45% of Americans regularly make New Year’s Resolutions; of these, nearly 2/3 involve fitness oriented goals as part of their resolutions.
Spartan Race recently announced the new Trifecta Delta. On the heels of that announcement is the revamping of the Spartan Race Hurricane Heats as well as the Agoge for 2016. Learn more about the new and revamped Spartan Race offerings for 2016.
New Years Day marked the first time in obstacle racing history a race company in the OCR industry sponsored a college football game. The Fiesta Bowl was now the BattleFrog Fiesta bowl. Many people in the general sporting world had their first taste of the sport through the advertisements, on-site mini course, and of course, internet searches during commercial breaks.
One of the midwestern United States obstacle course stables, Fugitive Run, announced on New Year’s Eve it would be closing its doors for good. Local events like Fugitive Run further emphasize the fragility of our sport.
