Obstacle Races and Events
We’ve put together a list of the best obstacle races and mud runs as well as tips on what to wear, team name ideas, costume ideas, and of course training.
Why Obstacle Races
Lots of us live pretty boring sedentary lifestyles. We don’t want to be out of shape but we sit on our asses at work and our lack of motivation and lack of goals at home just adds to our guts.
Obstacle races do a few things. They give you an obtainable goal to shoot for that is actually fun. You get out on a weekend and bust your ass and accomplish something with your friends, or you meet new friends along the way. You find the motivation to do a little bit of training beforehand. And hopefully once you’ve tackled one event and see how much fun it is you set your sites on another and another.
Obtainable is the important thing. If you do no exercise currently you an get yourself in reasonable shape in 5 weeks or so, to do one of the easier events. Get in a little better shape and tackle the next one, and so on.
Getting in shape and losing weight is the biproduct of having fun, not the end goal. Most of us have trouble losing weight because diets are not fun, they suck. Running on the treadmill isn’t all that much fun either. But when you have goals you care about you might be a little more inclined to pass on that piece of cake or turn the television off and get outside for a bit.
Doing obstacle events is about improving your health and happiness and less about getting six-pack abs or the other shit that doesn’t really matter in life.
Events List
Looking to see how tough you are and really push yourself. Check out all the major obstacle events listed below.
Tough Mudder
Get training tips, gear advice, find out what to expect at the event and what it takes to complete it. Check it out »
Warrior Dash
A 5k sprint testing your physical limits over obstacles and through mud. Check it out »
Goruck Challenge
A military training team event spaning most of a day over many miles and intense challenges. Check it out »
Muddy Buddy
Find a friend or family member and take on the Muddy Buddy by foot and on your bike. Check it out »
Tough Guy
The original obstacle race across the pond. Happens twice a year, so if you’re over there try to make it. Check it out »
Spartan Race
Get training tips, gear advice, find out what to expect at the event and what it takes to complete it. Check it out »
5k Foam Fest
A fun run obstacle event for all ages with both mud to get you dirty and foam to… you’ll still be dirty. Check it out »
Mud Runs
Also, get info on some of the many mud runs happening across the country. Mud runs can be great fun and a stepping stone to bigger things or something you can focus on to stay in shape and have fun doing it. Many of the mud runs are very similar to a lot of the obstacle races. Some even have some pretty tough obstacles thrown in along with the muddy mess.
Photo by Jason Meredith.
Check out our mud run info and list of big mud runs here.
