7 Wild Obstacle Races Coming to a City Near You
It’s 2017, and in the fitness world, obstacle races aren’t just a trend—they’re a full-blown phenomenon.
It makes sense. Why run a boring old marathon when you can complement your run with Tarzan-style rope climbing challenges, jumps over flaming piles of logs, bouncy inflatable tunnels…and serious mud puddles? Part next-level grit and exertion, part teamwork bonding exercise, and 100% wonderfully nuts, these seven obstacle races will put your mettle (and cleanliness) to the test—and they’re coming to a city near you.
1. TOUGH MUDDER: The mudder of all obstacle races (couldn’t help ourselves there), the wildly successful Tough Mudder has played a big role in pushing this fitness trend into the mainstream since its founding back in 2010. Billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet,” the classic Tough Mudder comprises a 10-12-mile course with 20+ obstacles…and 500,000 gallons of mud (that name is, clearly, no accident). Prepare to get very dirty as you move through challenges like the slippery Pyramid Scheme—and register for events everywhere from Atlanta and Philly to Sacramento and Chicago.
2. RUGGED MANIAC: Think of Rugged Maniac as elementary school recess on steroids. Instead of a playground, you’ve got water slides. Instead of “the-floor-is-made-of-lava” games, you’ve got a bona fide fire pit to leap over. Instead of a gym, you’ve got trampolines, underground tunnels, and a gauntlet of giant swinging bags. And once you’ve tackled the course with friends in tow, you can let loose at a party complete with DJ and mechanical bull. That’s our kind of fitness craze.
3. SAVAGE RACE: Sure, its name sounds undeniably hardcore. But while Savage Race’s 25-odd obstacles are far from a cakewalk, they’re also plenty of fun. Like the Big Cheese, a wooden climbing wall dotted with Swiss-style holes. Or the Colossus Slide, a near-vertical, 24-foot-tall adrenaline rush of a water slide. Sure, your muscles will be aching for days afterwards—but, you know, in a good way.
4. WARRIOR DASH: As a 5k, the Warrior Dash isn’t as lengthy as many other obstacle races, but that doesn’t mean it’s a breeze. Before you reach the finish line, you’ll have to tackle challenges with names like the Deadman’s Drop, Risky Business, Warrior Roast, and Alcatraz. By the time you reach the end, you’ll have more than earned the frosty beverages, DJ-soundtracked party, and fuzzy novelty helmet that are gifted to members of Warrior Nation.
5. INSANE INFLATABLE 5K: Not all obstacle courses are warrior-grade, though—and they don’t all involve being dunked in a mud bath big enough for a family of hippos, either. Enter the Insane Inflatable 5K, a gentler, lovably bonkers take on the obstacle race format. Made up exclusively of inflatable obstacles, the race’s features go well beyond your standard bouncy castle. Grapple up a 20-foot high wall, slide down a “crash course” on your belly, and dodge enormous wrecking balls. Bonus points if you opt to wear bright colors, a tutu, or other kooky costumes.
6. CITY CHALLENGE OBSTACLE RACE: Based out of the Tri-State Area, the City Challenge Obstacle Race doesn’t haul in elaborate obstacles and muddy apparatuses. Instead, it bills itself as a “clean race” that makes a parkour-like challenge out of everyday elements of the urban landscape. Participants have to slide over the hoods of two parked police cars (don’t worry—all perfectly legal), hoist sandbags over their shoulders, hop over concrete barricades, and go for a swing on a monkey bar set. That’s one way to tackle the urban jungle.
7. COLOR OBSTACLE RUSH: All right, so this one hasn’t hit stateside just yet. But with locations in cities ranging from London and Berlin to Paris and Stockholm, Color Obstacle Rush is expanding faster than you can say “3,2,1…go!” Swapping mud for rainbow paint pigments, this happy-go-lucky take on the obstacle race model includes music zones, foam baths, and a festive vibe. It’s billed as “the most fun 5k on Earth,” and who are we to argue?
1. TOUGH MUDDER: The mudder of all obstacle races (couldn’t help ourselves there), the wildly successful Tough Mudder has played a big role in pushing this fitness trend into the mainstream since its founding back in 2010. Billed as “probably the toughest event on the planet,” the classic Tough Mudder comprises a 10-12-mile course with 20+ obstacles…and 500,000 gallons of mud (that name is, clearly, no accident). Prepare to get very dirty as you move through challenges like the slippery Pyramid Scheme—and register for events everywhere from Atlanta and Philly to Sacramento and Chicago.
2. RUGGED MANIAC: Think of Rugged Maniac as elementary school recess on steroids. Instead of a playground, you’ve got water slides. Instead of “the-floor-is-made-of-lava” games, you’ve got a bona fide fire pit to leap over. Instead of a gym, you’ve got trampolines, underground tunnels, and a gauntlet of giant swinging bags. And once you’ve tackled the course with friends in tow, you can let loose at a party complete with DJ and mechanical bull. That’s our kind of fitness craze.
3. SAVAGE RACE: Sure, its name sounds undeniably hardcore. But while Savage Race’s 25-odd obstacles are far from a cakewalk, they’re also plenty of fun. Like the Big Cheese, a wooden climbing wall dotted with Swiss-style holes. Or the Colossus Slide, a near-vertical, 24-foot-tall adrenaline rush of a water slide. Sure, your muscles will be aching for days afterwards—but, you know, in a good way.
4. WARRIOR DASH: As a 5k, the Warrior Dash isn’t as lengthy as many other obstacle races, but that doesn’t mean it’s a breeze. Before you reach the finish line, you’ll have to tackle challenges with names like the Deadman’s Drop, Risky Business, Warrior Roast, and Alcatraz. By the time you reach the end, you’ll have more than earned the frosty beverages, DJ-soundtracked party, and fuzzy novelty helmet that are gifted to members of Warrior Nation.
5. INSANE INFLATABLE 5K: Not all obstacle courses are warrior-grade, though—and they don’t all involve being dunked in a mud bath big enough for a family of hippos, either. Enter the Insane Inflatable 5K, a gentler, lovably bonkers take on the obstacle race format. Made up exclusively of inflatable obstacles, the race’s features go well beyond your standard bouncy castle. Grapple up a 20-foot high wall, slide down a “crash course” on your belly, and dodge enormous wrecking balls. Bonus points if you opt to wear bright colors, a tutu, or other kooky costumes.
6. CITY CHALLENGE OBSTACLE RACE: Based out of the Tri-State Area, the City Challenge Obstacle Race doesn’t haul in elaborate obstacles and muddy apparatuses. Instead, it bills itself as a “clean race” that makes a parkour-like challenge out of everyday elements of the urban landscape. Participants have to slide over the hoods of two parked police cars (don’t worry—all perfectly legal), hoist sandbags over their shoulders, hop over concrete barricades, and go for a swing on a monkey bar set. That’s one way to tackle the urban jungle.
7. COLOR OBSTACLE RUSH: All right, so this one hasn’t hit stateside just yet. But with locations in cities ranging from London and Berlin to Paris and Stockholm, Color Obstacle Rush is expanding faster than you can say “3,2,1…go!” Swapping mud for rainbow paint pigments, this happy-go-lucky take on the obstacle race model includes music zones, foam baths, and a festive vibe. It’s billed as “the most fun 5k on Earth,” and who are we to argue?
