Goliath Gauntlet obstacle races, mud run, and OCR information, distance, cost, dates, calendar, discounts, obstacles, reviews, and more

This was my first mud run and it was absolutely amazing. Everything was well organized, the obstacles were extremely fun, the staff and volunteers were so nice encouraging everyone all the way through. The obstacles were a perfect balance between challenging but doable and fun. I was worried about not being in good enough shape/not being able to complete obstacles but you go at your own pace the entire time and you'll actually be surprised at what you can do! Also, if you want a mud run that actually incorporates MUD this is definitely the one for you! But there were plenty of water obstacles to clean you off. Cannot wait for the next one I really hope there will be another one this year!!!

The Goliath Gauntlet is an annual race put on by Sheridan House Family Ministries, a local faith-based community organization. They may not be a professional OCR race outfit, but they put on a professional level event.

Check-in was simple, and bag check was free. Once the race started, it was evident that they've put a lot of thought into the course, from the obstacles named for religious themes (e.g., Saul's Walls, Walking on Water, and Crown of Thorns, just to name a few), to the layout and how they relate to the terrain.

They were especially devilish (sorry guys) in the start of the course, putting an ice bath in the first half-mile. Beyond that, they did an amazing job integrating the water on the course, especially the Purge - a climb up to a slide that shot you into a river to swim across.

Probably the most unique obstacle was Walking on Water, a series of planks across a river that required you to dig deep and keep up your momentum to make it across. They offered the obstacle in 3 different lengths, to give people a chance at making it across.

There were plenty of volunteers throughout the course, including several at every water obstacle to ensure safety.

If I had one gripe, it was the warped wall at the very end. I'm personally not a fan of having that as an obstacle in outdoor races, because the elements and muddy racers makes it nearly impossible to climb at the end for those of us attempting it without the assistance of any ropes. I also heard complaints about elites using the rope to make it over, passing competitors attempting the wall straight up as intended.

With that being said, this was a professionally-done event, and they did a fantastic job from start to finish. I will be back next year.