Obstacle Course Racing combines the challenges of long-distance running with a variety of fun and intense obstacles such as monkey bars, mud pits, and the like. Each event may be an individual competition or a team competition, depending on what kind of race you're running. One factor, however, is consistent: all obstacle course races put your strength and endurance to the test. From the very start, you'll be pushing your limits and using your body in ways you've probably never tried before.
Why are Obstacle Course Races Called "Sufferfests"?
Playing just about any sport under the sun puts you at a risk of injury. That's why it's important to play safely, use appropriate protective gear, and know some first aid, even if you're not playing professionally. With obstacle course racing, it's not really a risk - more of a guarantee.
If nothing else, you will definitely finish an obstacle course race dirty, sweaty, and sore. Not all victories are glamorous, right? Minor injuries are also not unusual: Racers report (and show off) bruises, cuts, scrapes, infections, burns, and sometimes even broken bones. Race organizers may require liability waivers to ensure racers are aware of the risks and have properly prepared for the race.
When it gets to be too much, some participants need to call it quits and attend to their wellbeing instead of pushing on. The Reebok Spartan race, for example, has a completion rate of typically less than 25%. Suffice it to say that OCR is not for the weak-willed.
OCR’s Humble Beginnings
Running competitively is an idea that dates back to Ancient Greece, with simple obstacles like hurdles added to the races in the 1800s. Militaries from around the world have also used obstacles courses to train their people - think hopping through a field of tires or climbing up and over a wall.
Obstacle courses for military training can be traced back to one George Hebert, a member of the French Navy. He traveled to Africa and had his mind blown by how fit the locals were even though none of them practiced any formal exercise routines. This was because they had developed their agility on the natural landscape of their home.
He went back to France and made the first ever obstacle course by trying to recreate this environment. He put up an area where soldiers could run, crawl, carry, climb, and throw all in one long stretch. The idea quickly took off and was improved upon for other training exercises as well as for recreation, and eventually, for personal fitness.
The Obstacle Course Race that Started it All
Billy Wilson is credited for organizing the first obstacle course race in 1987. He had already built up a reputation of putting together many other road-running events. He wanted to take his craft to the next level, and he felt he could do this by making a new type of event.
The new race would push participants to their breaking point mentally and physically. It would be designed so that only the most determined racers could finish it. With these goals in mind, he created the Tough Guy Race.
You could say that Wilson pretty much succeeded with his survival-of-the-fittest-style race. To this day, many runners consider the Tough Guy Race the most difficult one on the planet. Usually, only about two-thirds of participants actually finish the race, with the other one-third or so dropping out due to pain, discomfort - or in many cases, hypothermia.
Despite these difficulties, thousands of runners of all skill levels embrace the challenge every year. The thrill of overcoming each trial and the promise of bragging rights are enough to keep them coming back for more.
How Did OCR Get So Popular?
Strong Social Media Buzz
Like cute cats and kids with amazing singing voices, OCR owes a lot of its popularity to the internet. Social media is abuzz with posts of OCR participants of all skill levels training for the big event, they also like to upload photos and stories after the race to share with family and friends. The popularity of these posts is explained by the interesting and amazing activities like crawling in the mud, scrambling over steep 15 foot inclines, or hanging precariously while trying to scale 10 foot walls.
Popularized by Word of Mouth
The buzz doesn’t stop with social media. Family dinners, group meetings and friendly get-togethers are all great opportunities for OCR racers to share their experiences - from the exhausting training to having their physical endurance limits tested in the race. But they’ll also tell everyone about the fun and camaraderie of the OCR community, where the shared experience plays a key role in OCR’s growing popularity.
Stories from OCR training are compelling, even for the couch potatoes. These conversations create excitement for the uninitiated, until they are motivated to join the club and challenge themselves, as evidenced by the growing number of people trying obstacle sports.
Increase in Participation
At first, less than 100,000 participants joined OCR events. The biggest boom in OCR participation happened between 2010 and 2015. Within that five-year span, the number grew by approximately half a million. Since then, participation continues to increase at a steady rate.
The most popular recurring events are the Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, and Rugged Maniac. The Spartan Race is a timed event that features varying distances and obstacles, enhancing its popularity to a broader range of skill and fitness levels. The Tough Mudder and Rugged Maniac de-emphasize the “fastest time” element of the Spartan Race, with the Tough Mudder prioritizing teamwork and the Rugged Maniac focused on balancing fun and physicality.
Crossover from Other Sports
Fun Runs and Marathons
If you're a fitness buff who frequents fun runs and marathons, OCR is a logical progression. You'll still be able to make the most of the stamina you've built up with your running experience, but you'll mix it up by incorporating some crawling and climbing - and experience more pain than you're used to.
OCR is a refreshing change of pace compared to the relative monotony of running long distances. Brace yourself for the added elements of monkey bars, tire walls, and more which will spice up your typical run and test your upper body strength.
Outdoors Activities
OCR is also a great match for outdoor enthusiasts looking for greater challenges and excitement. Fans of nature hikes can enjoy getting down and dirty at a quicker pace. Certainly not as relaxing as a regular hike, but the additional challenges put the focus on fun.
OCR truly has something for everyone. Bouldering fans will love the climbing challenges, some of which will be a cinch after their many artificial rock wall climbs. OCR is attractive to casual and serious mountain climbers, as well. Part of the workout OCR offers is lifting something other than a giant backpack - like your teammates, for example.
Adventure Sports
With swimming elements, climbing elements, and the possibility of electrocution, it's no wonder why thrill seekers who are into adventure sports are attracted to OCR. Depending on your own experience and fitness level, some challenges may seem easy, but the evolving variety of OCR challenges is sure to provide something new for all racers.
Between OCR and adventure sports, which one is more thrilling? The one you have yet to conquer of course, making NOW the right time to challenge yourself with your first OCR race.
The Rise of OCR in the Philippines
Tough X Rough
While the Philippines was a little late to the party, OCR eventually made its way to the archipelago. In 2016, a local broadcast network organized the OCR event Tough X Rough in Manila, with National Championship qualifier rounds in Laguna, Zambales, and other locations.
Even the preview course was intense with assault walls, a cargo-net barrier, and a 15-foot wall. Participants also had to carry a 20-kilogram sandbag while sprinting. Right before the finish line - if they made it that far - racers ran through a puddle of water while being shocked with 10,000 volts of electricity. What an introduction to the sport!
Spartan Race
2017 saw the debut of the Spartan Race in San Mateo, Rizal. Contestants fought their way through mud, fire, and barbed wire to reach the finish line. In the words of the organizers themselves, the physically challenging obstacles would occasionally feel like "Hell on Earth".
1st Asian OCR Championships
With the popularity of OCR on the rise, in January 2018 the Philippines hosted the first ever Asian OCR Championships in Manila The race kicked off with a wire crawl, then taking participants to hurdles, a rope climb, and 16 other obstacles before concluding with a hanging bridge.
Conquer Challenge PH
In May 2018, Filipino OCR enthusiasts came together for Conquer Challenge PH. Participants could choose between 3K and 5K runs in Imus, Cavite. They were greeted by obstacles like a Tarzan swing, hurdles, and the classic wire crawl.
Conquer Challenge PH even featured a kids race for budding athletes. Little runners ran, climbed, and swam their way through the course, though with fewer obstacles than their grown-up counterparts.
Tough Mudder Philippines
True to its name, Tough Mudder PH will be a muddy affair. The course follows a bike trail, rolling hills, and farmland where the single common element of the landscape features will be lots of mud.
The Future of OCR
Training for obstacle course races will soon be much easier for fans in the Philippines. Pretty Huge Obstacles in Bonifacio Global City has over a hundred different obstacles on its sprawling floor. It’s the first obstacle training facility in the country and the biggest in Southeast Asia.
Pretty Huge Obstacles is designated by the Philippine Olympic Committee as the official cross-training venue for the national athletes. Filipinos and foreign visitors alike can work on their speed, flexibility, and agility at the convenient location of SM Aura.