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Sometimes I catch myself staring off into space thinking about previous races and different obstacles I've completed. Sometimes I remember lots of details about a specific obstacle at a specific events, and other times I'll see photos from a past race think, "Oh, yeah, that was there."
Below are my Top 5 Race Obstacles! This is very much my opinion, so please, feel free to disagree (you will anyway). BUT! Leave a comment below with your top 5 or top 10 obstacles! Let's see if there is any general consensus about which obstacles people like the most.
This scale is 5-1. 5 being lowest, 1 being my absolute favorite.
#5: Monkey, Twister, Monkey - Spartan Race
Monkey bars have been fun since I was 4 years old. The combination of the Monkey Bars with the switch to, and back from, Twister, makes it even more fun! It's a very rewarding bell ring at the end when you finish it. Some people do Twister forward, some do it backwards. Some do it one grip at a time, and some skip grips. No matter what, I love the combination of the two on a single "rig".
Monkey bars have been fun since I was 4 years old. The combination of the Monkey Bars with the switch to, and back from, Twister, makes it even more fun! It's a very rewarding bell ring at the end when you finish it.
Some people do Twister forward, some do it backwards. Some do it one grip at a time, and some skip grips. No matter what, I love the combination of the two on a single "rig".
#4: Dragon's Back - Toughest (at OCR World Championships)
Jump, grab, duck, reach, pull. Yeah, it has it all! It feels gutsy jumping from one platform on to a slick, slanted, muddy platform on the other side. I'll admit, when I did it for the first time at the 2017 OCR World Championships, I hesitated for a second before starting. But it was oh-so-fun!
(Photo is of Luke Hayes - no photos of me from this obstacle sadly)
#3: The Chopper - Bone Frog Challenge
No doubt the name is intended as a nod to good ol' Arnold's, "Get to the chopper!" Or maybe it's because a bunch of Ex-Navy Seals put Bone Frog together...either way, this obstacle is awesome! It has a very similar feel to Savage Race's Wheel World, but I think I like this one better. It was longer (harder) than Wheel World and there was much less room to get a grip since there are such large breaks between handles. The grip angle is also more awkward on The Chopper, which again, makes it harder. Anyway, the spinning, focus, and grip strength required for completion make this a really fun obstacle in my book.
#2: Colossus - Savage Race
Colossus is just as its name suggests! A BEAST! It's so fun though. Not only do you have to get speed to run up the "warped wall" on the backside, but you need grip strength for the rope and to pull yourself up on top.
The best part though, is the slide on the back side. That's how you make an OCR fun: put in a big water slide! Also, Savage brilliantly positions Colossus at the end of the race which allows you to "wash up" from the mud on the course. Honestly, it saves a TON of cleanup time afterwards. I assume they do it on purpose, and if they don't, well, brilliant either way.
#1: Floating Walls 2.0 - Indian Mud Run (at OCR World Championships)
I'm not sure there is anything to say here. It has it all. Rock grips, ropes, balance, upper and lower body strength, and it's huge. This was without doubt the most fun obstacle I have ever done on a course!
(Photos of Luke Hayes - no photos of me from this obstacle sadly)
Hate it or love it, this is my list! Like I said before, feel free to leave a comment and tell me which obstacles you'd rank as your top 5 and why I'm crazy for choosing the ones I did.
For custom OCR coaching, click HERE. Coaches Joel and Luke Hayes design custom programs to get you through each obstacle and across the finish line.