I’m a big fan of adventure races. Many of you know I did the Mudathlon back in June and it was a blast. Adventure races have been growing in popularity in recent years and for good reason – they’re awesome While there are countless reasons why your next race [or first race] shoudl be an adventure race, here are 5 of them:
There’s no pressure
Adventure races are pressure-free. No one is there to win. Well, okay, there are about 5 people, who really, really want to win, but everyone else is just there for the fun of it. It’s hard to worry about PRs and final times when you’re climbing over tires, slopping through mud and completing all the other obstacles on the course. The races are more about the experience & sharing and finishing it with friends than winning outright and beating everyone else.
Anyone can do it
Young, old, fat, skinny. You can do an adventure race There’s no pressure, remember? Since these races aren’t all about the time, all you need in order to finish the race is the determination that you will. You might need to slow down or even walk at some points, but trust me, there will be plenty of people walking right along with you. You’re able to do an adventure race…if you want to.
They’re unpredicatable
As a contrast to a 5k, the Mudathlon didn’t even tell us how far we were going, they just said we were going to run “between 3 and 4 miles” and sent us off on the course. That unpredicatbility, of course, is part of the fun. By not knowing every single detail beforehand you have not react mid-race not only to your own body needs, but also the things happening around you [i.e you getting shot at by paintballers]. It’s a much, much different experience than a traditional race, but that’s part of the fun.
They’re something for everyone
The Mudathlon slogan was Mud, Obstacles, Beer! If you can’t get excited about one of those options, than you need to check your pulse. Even if running through a mud pit, climbing a bunch of obstacles or sliding down a 30ft mud slide don’t sound fun, you can at least look forward to the beer at the end of the race. Most races usually will have food and drink and some sort of after-party so you’re bound to find something you enjoy at the race.
There are lots of them
Adventure Races are skyrocketing in popularity. There are several series of races that are being held in multiple cities around the U.S. Chances are there’s one near you. Here are just some of the races out there:
There are tons of races with tons of themes. Pick your favorite. Do it.
Have you ever done an adventure race? What did you think of it?
Yep, did the Warrior Dash version in Southern California. It was awesome, they give out free war helmets!
War Helmets? Dang. I just got a dumb little medal a the Mudathlon…
Now to see when the Warrior Dash is going to be in the midwest =)
Can you imagine ppl wearing war helmets running down Michigan Ave. and Lakeshore Drive in Chicago? That’d be hilarious! And oh so fun!
Think I can substitute one in for my helmet during the Chi Tri?
That sounds really fun, and I’m definitely in for the beer as long it doesn’t say ‘lite’ at the end. Maybe I’ll see what races will be near me and scavenge some time from classes to go do them.
They’re definitely fun. Grab a few friends to go with while you’re at it. That always makes things more fun!
The best one I have heard of are the zombie races. Half of the runners are selected to be zombies and chase the “humans” If you are caught by a zombie, you turn into one (hopefully not literally…) I’m sure you would have a faster time with someone chasing you and if you like zombie movies, it would most likely be fun.