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- Obstacle course racing is gaining popularity worldwide, with its major events spreading across US, Europe and Asia.
- Many OCR events include races for beginners as well as races for advanced OCR enthusiasts like those aiming to complete the Spartan Trifecta.
- The Philippines is jam-packed with OCR events this 2019, including the OCR portion of the 30th SEA Games.
The obstacle course racing community is so big and diverse that you can find OCR events all over the world — even in The Philippines. This year, are several OCR events for every skill level in the works locally.
Local OCR events
Allianz OCR Sunday
Allianz closes the month of March with the Conquer Challenge X Ninja OCR. It will also serve as the first National Pool Qualifier Event. Participants will gather at the Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang on March 31 to take on 1.5-5 kilometers of grueling obstacles, depending on which race they sign up for.
Who can join?
Allianz OCR Sunday consists of a handful of events for different OCR enthusiasts. Newbies may register for the Conquer Challenge Open which spans five kilometers and includes 20 obstacles. On the other hand, those with more experience may opt for either the Conquer Challenge Sprint, a speed challenge that packs eight obstacles into 1.5 kilometers, or one of the Ninja OCR events. The latter is split into individual and pair races.
Guerilla Race Up North Baguio
Experience OCR at a high altitude in the Guerilla Race Up North Baguio on April 7. This Guerilla Race will present runners with almost 40 obstacles over a course of 21 kilometers. Since it is set to take place in Baguio, there will be an added challenge of tackling on uphill areas. You'll need a good amount of vigor and stamina to keep up and make it to the finish line without cramping or tiring yourself out completely.
Who can join?
Anyone can sign up for Guerilla Race Up North Baguio. Since there are several obstacles, the ones you can join will be determined by your goals and the kind of preparation you do before the race proper. If you're aiming for something fun and casual, you can try the Sprint, a five-kilometer course with 12 obstacles. If you have done enough conditioning, you might prefer to join either the Warrior race or the Panther race. The Warrior includes 18 obstacles and is 10 kilometers long. The Panther, the most challenging of the three, goes on for 21 kilometers and throws 30 different obstacles at you.
Lima Beast/Sprint 2019
OCR fans in Southern Luzon and those who wish to appreciate this area's beauty can register for the Lima Beast/Sprint 2019 and get their fill on May 3 and 4. The venue will be at the Lima Technology Center in Malvar, Batangas. The organizers offer three intense race categories: the Beast, the Spartan Sprint, and the Hurricane Heat.
Who can join?
The Lima Beast/Sprint 2019 is open to everybody, but it is recommended that beginners register for the Sprint. It's six kilometers long, with 20-23 obstacles. Although it's the easiest of all the categories, it's still quite thrilling — and exhausting. The organizers estimate that the Sprint can be finished in as little as 40 minutes if you know how to manage your time well.
The Spartan Beast is for experienced OCR enthusiasts who have already completed the Spartan Sprint and Spartan Super. If you're aiming for the glory of the Spartan Trifecta, the Beast is the final hurdle. Keep in mind that you need to have successfully done all three within the span of one calendar year for it to be considered a Trifecta.
The Hurricane Heat offers a fun twist on your typical OCR event. Instead of signing up with a team, you sign up as an individual and get assigned a team on the day of the race. In order to complete the event, you will have to move on and off of the Spartan Race Course, with your teammates in tow all the way until the finish line.
Cebu Super/Sprint 2019
The Cebu Super/Sprint 2019 is on July 6 and will take place in Cebu City. The actual venue has not been announced yet. Registration is open to anyone; however, the whole country is anticipating rain showers during this month, so expect the possibility of braving a slippery and wet obstacle course.
Who can join?
Like the Lima Beast/Sprint, the Cebu Super/Sprint offers a Sprint race and a Hurricane Heat race for athletes of all levels. However, instead of the Beast, Cebu will be the setting for the Spartan Super. In the journey to Spartan Trifecta, the Super is the second step. At 13 kilometers, it's longer than the Sprint but not as intense as the Super. Expect 25 obstacles on some extremely tough, rugged terrain.
International OCR Events
Iron Viking
Europe is one of the famous destinations for OCR events. The Iron Viking is scheduled to take place on March 30 in the Netherlands, in its oldest and cultural rich city of Nijmegen. The Iron Viking extends a whole 42 muddy kilometers. You can expect to encounter over a hundred obstacles on this monster of a course. Organizers need to enforce a maximum running time of seven and a half hours because of how long the race is.
Who can join?
Because of the difficulty of the Iron Viking, it's not recommended for beginners. It's considered one of the toughest obstacle course races in the world. Even experienced participants will need a copious amount of training and conditioning before conquering the Iron Viking.
Green Beret Challenge: Austin Commando
The Austin Commando, so named because it will take place in Austin, Texas, USA, welcomes both casual and competitive OCR enthusiasts. Contestants will have to push, pull, carry, climb, and crawl their way through more than eight miles of obstacles. The Green Beret Challenge boasts a unique experience that test participants' physical prowess, as well as their ability to communicate and work with a team. Race day is on April 6.
Who can join?
Anybody interested in this sufferfest can join. If you plan to train and compete with a team, you can sign up for the Competitive Wave. If you're just in it for fun, bring some friends and register as a non-competitive team to the Competitive & Open Wave.
Strong Viking: Water Edition
For a day of OCR in the summer sun, check out the Strong Viking: Water Edition in Ghent, Belgium. The event runs from August 31 to September 1. Similar events will take place at the same time in Belgium. This event gets its name from the wealth of water obstacles that are part of the race.
Who can join?
The Strong Viking: Water Edition is open to all, regardless of skill level or past experience. However, the organizers do encourage those interested to start training early. Even though it is not required to have any number of OCR events under your belt before registering, it's also not the kind of race you can spontaneously join without any preparation. Get in good shape before the end of August and you'll be well on your way to becoming a "real Viking brother".
SEA Games
The Southeast Asian Games brings together 11 countries to compete in a variety of sports. This year's SEA Games will be hosted by the Philippines, and it will include the highest number of sports in one of the SEA Games so far with 56 sports in total. One of the newly added events is obstacle course racing. David Lim, the World OCR Central Board member for Asia, says, "Selection of OCR for the 2019 Philippine edition of the SEA Games as a medal sport is great news for the development of the sport in this region."
Who can join?
Athletes who wish to become delegates will be screened by officials from the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee. As with other countries, it is not required for the Philippines to have delegates for each sport. Athletes with potential are screened and evaluated before officially making them representatives of the country.