Your body is screaming. Your covered in mud and scratches. Obstacle, after obstacle, after obstacle. But you just don’t know how to stop. You can’t stop. Your body pushes you to your limit. The pain is unbearable.Welcome to the world of obstacle racing. Exciting and terrifying at the same time, it offers a physically and mentally challenge too all those who dare try this sport.
Obstacle courses were first formed as a training device used for building the physical fitness of sailors, soldiers, and marines preparing for defending their country. During the 19th century, nations such as Britain and Germany saw the effect of fit soldiers because of the frequent wars. They started installing primary obstacles such as hurdles and monkey bars into military schools to increase the strength of their soldiers. They wanted to raise the level of proficiency in running, jumping, and climbing. During the 20th century, Frenchman Georges Hebert thought of combining some of these different exercises into a set obstacle course. Soon these ideas spread across the world. In 1917 Army Field Physical Training of the Soldier, recommended that it should be one-hundred yards long, with the following obstacles spaced every twelve yards;
Five-foot shallow ditch.
A row of two and a half foot tall hurdles.
Five-foot shallow ditch.
Bar fence with adjustable height from three to four and a half feet.
Sandbag barrier four and a half feet tall.
A shallow ditch, eight feet wide.
Seven-foot wall.
Above ground balance beam, forty-eight feet long.
A row of two and a half foot tall hurdles.
Over the years they became different and harder, such as adding grenade throws, or rope climbs. Obstacle racing became a competitive sport in the mid nineteen hundreds. (https://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/09/10/the-history-of-obstacle-courses/)
Nowadays obstacle courses are much different. Sure, they still use them for training soldiers, but it’s more of a worldwide known sport. Helping grow teamwork, and strength, of course, it is an essential part of many people’s lives. For example, my second uncle is a professional Spartan racer. It’s who he is. Without obstacle racing in his life, he wouldn’t be who he is now. His kids are way more fit than average, and they have fun racing as a family! My brother, Joseph, was also a fantastic racer and he once told me something along these lines; “Just think about it, McKay! Unbearable torture! Your body is mentally screaming, ripped guys are sprinting past you, and you get this feeling of excitement you don’t feel anywhere else. It felt like where I belong. I looked at the people running beside me, and I realized that we are all in this together. It brings people together, and you have an amazing time doing it!” Obstacle racing brings people together. It’s what it does.
When you think of racing today, almost everyone asks the same question; “which race is for me?” After much research, I narrowed it down to three races. Number one, The Spartan Race. Held all over the world, and voted the number one obstacle course, this race will give anyone a challenge. Named after the ripped Greece warriors, you are going to need to be just as strong to conquer the Spartan. Giving you a variety of five different races ranging from difficulty, there is a race for everyone. If you choose to conquer a Spartan, bring your kid along! The first race option is the Spartan Kid. Ranging from one half to two miles, this race will surely challenge any child. The second option is the Spartan Sprint. With three miles and twenty obstacles, it’s a perfect start for the beginner and an amazing work out for the veteran. The next race in line is the Super. A large step up from the Sprint, the Super has eight miles with twenty-five obstacles, it’s an hour of torture and pain. Only the brave can conquer. Step up if you dare, a new Beast is in town! With 12 miles and thirty obstacles, the Beast is, “ An animal on its own.” Known as the toughest of the toughest, it challenges even the professionals. The final step to getting your Trifecta medal, meaning you finish all three primary races, is too finish the Beast. Now, for the best of the best, the Ultra Beast. Only for the best of the best, people have died on this more than intense course. With twenty-six miles and sixty obstacles, it’s a deadly race. There are even more races than these, but they are so intense and dangerous, I don’t even want to talk about them.(https://www.spartan.com/en) (Larsen, Joseph David. “Spartan Race.”)
Number two, the Tough Mudder. It’s all in the name. You have to be mentally and physically tough, and you can’t be afraid to get muddy. To give you an idea of this incredible race, I will talk about their most famous four races. Number one, the Tough Mudder 5K. Your beginning Tough Mudder, it’s a race of three miles and ten obstacles. Moving up a notch is the Tough Mudder half. With five miles of torture and thirteen obstacles of pain, It’s a great race for your average competitor. Now I think it’s time for a challenge. Bring out the Tough Mudder full! With ten miles and twenty obstacles, this race is not for the faint of heart! This race is definitely for the more serious competitors. And now, the hardest mudder of them all, the World’s Toughest Mudder! A crazy twenty-four-hour race that even goes through the night! This race is a highly competitive, highly dangerous race, and not for anyone who is not a professional. (https://toughmudder.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiA8vPUBRAyEiwA8F1oDEHtmzwQCcM9PiOWkwuqHg45fRZx7GOYtTKtVKh7T0ziHkcRWP38BhoCMg8QAvD_BwE)
Moving on to my last race I will be sharing about, number three, Conquer the Gauntlet. Another highly intense race, but only held in the United States, Conquer the Gauntlet is a unique family owned race, that challenges even the fittest. Only offering one race, CTG is an said to be even more intense than the Tough Mudder. A fantastic race with many obstacles, CTG is one of the best races to do with a group. With four miles and twenty-five obstacles, they throw everything your way, including a harsh terrain. (https://conquerthegauntlet.com/obstacles/)
All in all, I think obstacle racing is a sport for everyone. It brings people together, and you meet friends that friendships can last far past the finish line. It strengthens your upper, lower, and mental body. When you cross the finish line, it changes you. You become one of them. You become a racer. You become an obstacle racer.