All about Obstacle Races

Maybe if I say Spartan Race, The Judgement Day, or Tough Guy, you have no clue what I’m talking about. But I bet if I connect those words to that friend who, every now and then, posts photos on Facebook covered in mud and grinning from ear to ear, it starts to sound a lot more familiar

Obstacle races are a wild, adrenaline-packed discipline where participants have to compete on a course full of challenges. From crawling through mud to climbing a vertical wall. It’s a total challenge that pushes body and mind to their limits. The runner goes head-to-head with nature.

Like other conventional urban races, obstacle races stand out for their straightforward setup. The only goal is to reach the finish line. The difference here is that you’re constantly battling obstacles and natural elements. Trail runners or marathoners will see this as a super fun and complete alternative where they definitely won’t miss a thing. It perfectly blends nature with a solid dose of physical exercise.

What makes these races so popular is how they bring excitement to both spectators and athletes. There are usually races with different distances – from 5 km to 20 km – and all kinds of categories so anyone itching to get started in this sport can jump in.

To join one of these races, you need total body prep. Physical endurance isn’t the only thing that matters. You also need mental preparation to handle the pressure your body faces and be able to plan your race: analyze the environment and pace your energy to nail every obstacle.

Proper muscle strength and precise technical training are key to overcoming as many obstacles as possible without getting penalized. Obstacle races can be an awesome challenge to conquer and a great excuse to train thoroughly outdoors, while also achieving balanced and well-developed body toning.

The 5 Main Obstacle Race Challenges

1. Cliff

The best obstacles are always those provided by Mother Nature. That’s why jumping off a cliff and landing in the water feels like an almost divine feat. The two main challenges here are the jumping technique and the vertigo caused by the gorge. When you jump, make sure to keep your eyes forward, cross your arms, and keep your legs straight.

2. Mud

Without a doubt, the star of obstacle races. Mud plays a special role in almost every race. The main issue is that it slows you down and makes you feel heavier. Whether crawling, running, or climbing, mud is a handicap only true warriors can handle. Just like with the cliff, the only way to train for mud is to practice in real conditions.

3. Sandbags

This obstacle involves carrying a heavy burlap sack for part of the course. Depending on the race and athlete category, the sack can be heavier or lighter. Usually, they weigh around 20 kg, and sometimes instead of a burlap sack, you have to lift a truck tire or throw a weight as far as you can. As you might imagine, the only way to train for this is hiking up a mountain with a load on your back.

4. Monkey Bars

This is a calisthenics exercise that demands insane body control. You have to hold your body weight by gripping the rungs of a horizontal ladder with your hands. Again, depending on the race and category, the ladder’s length and size vary. To succeed, the trick is to find the right body swing to propel yourself from bar to bar.

5. Walls over 2 meters

Sounds manageable at first, but when you stand in front of the wall, you realize how tough this challenge really is. For many runners, this is the hardest obstacle because it requires precision and technique. Plus, if you don’t make it after several tries, the mental block and demotivation hit hard. While height is a key factor, any runner can get over the wall if they know how. You need a good hand grip, back muscles, coordination between upper and lower body, and, of course, explosive jumping power.

6 Obstacle Races in Spain

Although obstacle races aren’t yet hugely popular in Spain, fans of this sport are growing fast, and the trend shows it’ll be a real boom in the coming years, comparable to the current craze for triathlons. If you want to give it a shot, here are the most popular obstacle races in our country:

• Eternal Running: (10 km with 80 obstacles) Definitely the most intimidating of all. Held all over the country.
• Farinato Race: (7 km with 27 obstacles) You can sign up solo or in teams, and it’s organized all across Spain.
• Bestial Race: (12 km with 24 obstacles) Started in Gran Canaria, this race features wild obstacles like jumping hay bales or lifting tractor tires.
• Spartan Race: (Sprint is 5 km with 23 obstacles) Without a doubt, the most popular one. It’s had over 130 editions worldwide and thousands of fans who give their all every year for Spartan glory.
• The Mud Race: (13 km with 22 obstacles) The mud race – need we say more? The challenges are inspired by US military training.
• Legion Race (1 km with 20+ obstacles) offers explosive obstacle battles under 1 km. A different category that also serves as training ground for professional OCR runners.
  

How about adding one more big challenge to all that…? The weather!

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