Obstacle course racing is becoming more and more popular in the Philippines. A few years back, only the hardcore athletes would dare try it. Now, people from all ages and fitness levels are participating in various obstacle course races around the country. This is made possible because of the following races that sparked the interest of the Filipinos to try this new and challenging sport:
Guerilla Race, ToughxRough, Spartan Race, 1st Asian OCR Championships, Conquer Challenge PH, and Tough Mudder. Events that made Filipinos fall in love with OCR.
Although basketball and boxing often take center stage in the Philippine sports scene, obstacle course racing (“OCR”) was bound to catch up at some point – and it certainly has. Playing outdoors was a big part of many Filipinos' childhoods, whether this meant chasing our playmates around or jumping over and through a garter made of tied-up rubber bands. In many ways, the obstacles they will encounter in their first race are a throwback reminder to these childhood games.
The OCR hype in the Philippines started in 2014 when a handful of cities started to host local obstacle course races. The steady growth in popularity has secured a place for OCR in more competitions, team building activities, and charity events.
Guerilla Race
Photo Credits: Guerilla Race Facebook Page
When and Where
The Philippines’ first-ever obstacle course race was held in Southern Luzon, in Santa Rosa, Laguna, in 2014
A Race Made for Fighters
The Guerilla Race Series was designed by a former Philippine Army Scout Ranger, inspired by the frequent training drills from his military career. Due to this military training heritage and inspiration, the races were specifically marketed to past and current ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) cadets. Despite the tightly targeted marketing, everyone was welcome to join, from students to professionals, and expatriates or foreigners.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Participants could choose from four separate levels of difficulty: the five-kilometer GR Sprint with 12 obstacles, the 10-kilometer GR Warrior with 18 obstacles, or the 21-kilometer GR Panther with 25 obstacles. The supreme challenge level, GR Ultimate, included mixed obstacles with no set distance.
ToughxRough
Photo Credits: Rappler.com
When and Where
The ToughxRough series of 2015 was previewed in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila. After the previews, the official races were launched in Santa Rosa, Laguna and Subic, Zambales, among other locations. The ToughxRough preview race was the first OCR event to be held in the nation's capital.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Since ToughxRough was conducted in an elimination-style format, it featured progressive challenges as the number of contestants grew smaller. In each round, the distance and difficulty were uniform for all runners. This format promoted fair competition that was easy for audiences to follow, and paved the way to International OCR Events for Filipinos
Participants overcame assault walls, cargo net barriers, 10,000 volt electric shocks, and carried 20-kilogram sandbags while sprinting, all to reach the finish line and snag a spot in the OCR World Championships in Ontario, Canada. The Philippine event was the only World Championship qualifying event in Asia. As if achieving that didn't grant them enough bragging rights, contestants were also featured on TV in a 32-episode reality show hosted by actor and fellow fitness buff Derek Ramsay. In an interview promoting the show, Derek said the course looked like so much fun that he considered asking if he could join the competition instead of hosting it.
Spartan Race
When and Where
The Philippines' first Spartan Race took place in Porac, Pampanga in 2017. The province of Pampanga is a hotspot for adventurous folks, having featured facilities for hiking, mountain biking, archery, and swimming long before it hosted the Spartan Race.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Runners could register to join the five-kilometer Sprint with over 25 obstacles, the 13-kilometer Super with over 25 obstacles, or the aptly named Beast, a 21-kilometer track featuring more than 30 obstacles to challenge the bravest and most determined racers.
Three Times the Pain, Three Times the Glory
The Spartan Race attracted over 3,300 racers, and an additional 800 spectators excited to watch the race. One unique feature of the Spartan Race is the opportunity to apply your intense training and discipline toward joining the exalted Spartan Race Trifecta Tribe, earned by successfully completing all three difficulty levels - Sprint, Super Spartan, and Spartan Beast - within the span of one calendar year. This means that after completing your first race, you have twelve months to complete the other two. Timing is also an important key to success, as the failure to complete any one of the levels will count against you.
Excitement about the Spartan Race in the Philippines was so great and so widespread that an obstacle course camp specially designed for Spartan Race training opened in Bonifacio Global City in April 2018. Runners went to the facility to prepare for obstacles like monkey bars, the Hercules hoist, rope climbing, the Olympus, and sand bag carrying. Racers with higher aspirations used the facility to prepare for the Trifecta Finale of the Southeast Asian Championship Series. Top Qualifiers were eligible for the 2018 World Championships at Lake Tahoe, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of the United States.
1st Asian OCR Championships
When and Where
Participants for the 1st Asian OCR Championships gathered in Parañaque, Manila in January 2018.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Since this was the final stage of the series, there was a single race, in which all participants ran a distance of over five kilometers and faced more than 20 obstacles.
Making It Official
The Big Battle in the Asian OCR games brought together the toughest of the tough. Their playground was a five-hectare lot in Aseana City filled with obstacles that only true survivors could endure. Because the event was such a big deal, it garnered support from local businesses providing a wide range of obstacles for OCR enthusiasts to hone their skills. Even more notable, these high-profile races were officially sanctioned by both the International Obstacle Sports Federation and the Obstacle Sports Federation Asia.
Conquer Challenge PH
When and Where
The first of many Conquer Challenge races in the Philippines happened in May 2018, in the City of Imus, Cavite.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Distances ranged from 1.5 kilometers to three kilometers to seven kilometers, including nine obstacles, 13 obstacles, and 20 obstacles respectively. The longest and hardest race was called the Power Race.
An Event for All Ages
The Conquer Challenge PH was a family event at heart. The 1.5-kilometer race was designed for kids who wanted to give OCR a try. Modified versions of Through the Wire, Hurdle Hops, Just Keep Swimming, the Bear Trap and the Human Bridge were set up for them. They were also given a shot at the Great Wall of Bridgestone, the Charlie, the Alliance Conquer Wall, and the "Go Go Go", an obstacle where contestants first jump over one wall, then crawl or roll under a 2nd wall, finally passing through a hole in the 3rd wall. Most contestants will use a feet-first approach for the 3rd wall, while others with more confidence, will dive through the opening.
Another Conquer Challenge took place in Mabalacat, Pampanga in August 2018. This event featured an especially challenging element: it being a night obstacle race. Runners were required to simultaneously conquer the course and face their fear of the dark as they faced unseen obstacles in the late evening. Variations of this race by other organizers were called "Night Shift" and "Night Attack." Truly, some events raise the theatrical bar on nighttime OCR, sending racers into the course with a grand fireworks display.
Tough Mudder
When and Where
The Tough Mudder series first came to the Philippines in July 2018. The races were held in Alabang, a large commercial center in Metro Manila that was once a humble farming district.
Distances and Difficulty Levels
Runners who wanted to take it easy could opt for the five-kilometer run with ten obstacles. For those who were up for a slightly bigger challenge, the eight-kilometer Tough Mudder Half featured 13 obstacles. The stiffest challenge was the 16-kilometer Tough Mudder Full with more than 20 obstacles.
Getting Down and Dirty
The starting point for the Tough Mudder race was at Amore, Vista Land, on Daang Hari Road. From there, the suffering only escalated for the participants. The course proceeded from a relatively tame bike trail to rolling hills to a farmland area where racers had to push and splash their way through different varieties of mud. It's a course that really took advantage of the natural landscape. In true Tough Mudder tradition, runners who completed the race received wild applause and an ice-cold congratulatory drink – a well-deserved reward, no matter what place they finished in.
As more Filipinos embrace obstacle course racing, OCR events are expected to grow in both number and scope, possibly eclipsing the popularity of “fun run” events in the near future.