What the heck is going on with adult obstacle racs? In SoCal, we have had the Pendleton Mud Run (10k) and the Boot Camp Challenge (5k military training course).
In the past 18 months, there have been about a lot other races that emulate this theme. They are fun. I like them. But it seems like things are getting a little crazy.
Everybody wants to be “extreme”. Same reason all the “boot camp” classes are so popular (A bunch of smiling people being told how awesome they are is like nothing I ever saw in boot camp).Races like marathons, obstacle courses, and even a lot of triathlons are seen by the lay person as so extreme that simply finishing them is a worthy goal.
That’s why Joe Bob Smith sees more value in a 4:30 marathon time than he would value an 18:00 5k, for example. A really fast 5k is a much bigger accomplishment than simply limping your ass to the finish in a marathon, but when you brag about your new 5k PR to all your non-athlete friends they’ll all think “Meh, it was just a 5k.” Same as Susie the soccer mom siging up for a HIM before she knows what aerobars are, because bragging to her friends about how she finally kept up with the A group on a Saturday morning shop ride isn’t going to sound impressive to the girls at Bunko, so why bother with that goal? It’s the same with these obstacle courses. All you have to do is finish and you get your 15 minutes of office fame at the water cooler Monday morning.
On the other hand, anything that gets more people active is a good thing.
That pretty much sums it up.
Plus, it’s the kindof event that I can do with my best friend, who could never keep up with me in a “real” event.
We get to do the thing together, who cares about time. And drink beer at the end.
I’m just trying to figure out how to bring my camera along without ruining it.
What the heck is going on with adult obstacle racs? In SoCal, we have had the Pendleton Mud Run (10k) and the Boot Camp Challenge (5k military training course).
In the past 18 months, there have been about a lot other races that emulate this theme. They are fun. I like them. But it seems like things are getting a little crazy.
What the heck is going on with triathlons? In , we have had the , the and the .
In the past 18 months, there have been about a lot other races that emulate this theme. They are fun. I like them. But it seems like things are getting a little crazy.
Aside from the reasons listed, these races have proliferated because they are very profitable from a race director standpoint. You can charge a lot more than for a 5K race without increasing costs significantly. Plus races typically are in a self-contained park – no need for traffic control. And unlike triathlons and half marathons, where you’re expected to have some decent post-race refreshment and a tech shirt, you can get away with minimal food, cotton shirt, and light beer since, well, people are just there for the mud and fun. Shrewd business model.
What the heck is going on with adult obstacle racs? In SoCal, we have had the Pendleton Mud Run (10k) and the Boot Camp Challenge (5k military training course).
In the past 18 months, there have been about a lot other races that emulate this theme. They are fun. I like them. But it seems like things are getting a little crazy.
Wouldn’t this be a good thing? Non-believers move from the novelty of Ironman to playing in the mudd? Although the counter to that is it will reduce the number of once raced bikes on ebay
