This article is organised as follows:

• Part 01: Introduction to Obstacle Course Races (OCR).
• Part 02: OCR Industry.
• Part 03: Advantages & Disadvantages of OCR.
• Part 04: OCR Event Management.
• Part 05: Preparing for an OCR.
• Part 06: Governing Bodies, Associations & Championships.
• Part 07: Obstacle Courses in other Areas.
• Part 08: Useful Publications/Links and References.

PART EIGHT: MISCELLANEOUS

8.0     Summary

At the time of writing this article the OCR market is still a nascent but maturing part of the exercise and fitness industry. It is now less of a fad and more of a sport.

Many OCR providers have come and some have gone, the industry has had its ups and down, but is now taking its (safety) responsibilities more seriously.

The OCR market caters for a wide variety of ability levels, and as well as providing competitive and non-competitive races. There is also a growing pool of professional OCR athletes who can earn prizes, varying levels of prize money, and even sponsorship.

The OCR market has a lot going for it: It is fun; exciting; and widely available. However, participants should exercise due care and attention when attending an OCR. Although statistically injuries are rare, they can be more serious than in other more conventional races. Participants also need to understand, notwithstanding OCR providers statutory duties, that they have responsibility for their own safety.

For those new to OCR’s it may be advisable to participate in one of the more family friendly, non-competitive races first before progressing to the more competitive versions. Of course, more seasoned athletes may delve straight into a ‘full on’ Death Race!

The aim of this article was to provide the reader with a broad outline of the OCR market.

8.1     Useful Publications and Links

• Keiper, M.C., Young, S., Fried, G. & Seidler, T. (2014) Legal Implications of Obstacle Racing & Suggested Risk Management Strategies. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport. 24, pp.78-95. Available from World Wide Web: https://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/jlas/article/download/22203/21350/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Case Alert – No General Liability Coverage for an Obstacle Course Race Injury. (SDV Law, 2017).
• Libin, R.F. (2015) Lessons From the Mud Run: What It Takes to Win the Race. The American Salesman. 60(12), pp.3-6. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.apb.cc/docs/Lessons_From_the_Mud_Run.pdf. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Discount School Supply (2010) Obstacle Course Activity Guide. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.excelligence.com/Obstacle_Course_Guide.pdf. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• State Government of Michigan (2014) Obstacle Course Fun. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/activities_Obstacle_Course_490708_7.pdf. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Rosenblum, R. (2017) Obstacle Course Racing – Trends, Physiology & Injuries. NSCA Manuscript Final Masters Project. Montclair State University. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318781361_Obstacle_Course_Racing_Trends_Physiology_and_Injuries_NSCA_Manuscript_final_masters_project. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Hawley, A., Mercun, M., Hogg, K. & Hanel, E. (2016) Obstacle Course Runs – Review of Acquired Injuries & Illnesses at a Series of Canadian Events (RACE). Available from World Wide Web: https://emj.bmj.com/content/early/2016/09/15/emermed-2016-206012. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Nikolova, V.A. (2018) Fun in the Mud – Trends in Obstacle Course Racing. Available from World Wide Web: https://runrepeat.com/state-of-obstacle-course-racing-in-the-usa. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Hildebrandt, J. & Henk, M.A. (2017) Obstacles for Insurers of Obstacle Course Racing. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.milliman.com/insight/2017/Obstacles-for-insurers-of-obstacle-course-racing/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Rodriguez, A. (2015) Psychosocial Motivators for Obstacle Course Racing – A Qualitative Case Study. Master’s Thesis. California Polytechnic State University. Available from World Wide Web: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2585&context=theses. [Accessed: 24 July, 2018].
• Opala, E. (2016) The Influence of Running Extreme Obstacle Courses on Positive Affect, Character Strengths, & Well-Being. Master’s Thesis. City University of New York. Available from World Wide Web: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1590&context=cc_etds_theses. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Kronenberg, S.S. (2012) Who Participates in Extreme Obstacle Courses & Why. Master’s Thesis. City University of New York. Available from World Wide Web: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=cc_etds_theses. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Weedon, G. (2016) The Will to Overcome: Experiments in Mud Running, Modernism & More than Human Kinetics. PhD Thesis. The University of British Columbia. Available from World Wide Web: https://open.library.ubc.ca/media/download/pdf/24/1.0223906/2. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].
• Event Management Plan – Spartan Race Perth 2017.

8.2     References

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Associated Press (2011) 2nd Man Dies After KC Extreme Obstacle Race. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/2nd-man-dies-after-kc-extreme-obstacle-race/. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Bachman, R. & Helliker, K. (2016) Obstacle Racing Finds Itself Stuck in the Mud. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.wsj.com/articles/obstacle-racing-findsitself-stuck-in-the-mud-1463007512. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

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Baghurst, T. & Wu, C. (2015) Mud University as an Outdoor Playground. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2015/april/mud-university-as-an-outdoor-playground/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Bailey, M. (2017) How Tough Mudder and its ‘adult obstacle courses’ became a £100m business. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/tough-mudder-adult-obstacle-courses-became-100m-business/. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Barbuti, A. (2016) Rugged Races After ‘Shark Tank’: Interview With Owner. Available from World Wide Web: https://heavy.com/news/2016/01/rugged-races-shark-tank-obstacle-course-products-episodes-deals-mark/. [Accessed: 30 July, 2018].

Beresini, E. (2016) Tough Mudder Settles Wrongful-Death Complaint. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.outsideonline.com/2095061/tough-mudder-settles-wrongful-death-complaint. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Bernstein, L. (2014) The Latest Obstacle in Obstacle Racing is Bloody Diarrhea. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/05/01/the-latest-obstacle-in-obstacle-racing-is-bloody-diarrhea/?utm_term=.759dd3a226d3. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Bond, S. (2012) The Start-up Facing its own Obstacle Course. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.ft.com/content/f92d57c4-1ded-11e2-8e1d-00144feabdc0. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Brennan, N. (2017) Mark Cuban’s a big fan of Obstacle Course. Here’s Why. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/02/shark-tank-mark-cuban-update-rugged-races-obstacle-course-company.html. [Accessed: 30 July, 2018].

Davis, M.B. (2014) Does Battlefrog Now Make It “The Big Four”? Available from World Wide Web: https://obstacleracingmedia.com/ocr-news/does-battlefrog-now-make-it-the-big-four/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Davis, M.B. (2015) State of the Industry. Available from World Wide Web: https://obstacleracingmedia.com/editorial/stateoftheindustry/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Davis, M.B. (2016) Battlefrog Cancels All Races. Available from World Wide Web: https://obstacleracingmedia.com/ocr-news/battlefrog-cancels-races/. [Accessed: 08 August, 2018].

Encyclopaedia Britannica (2018) Steeplechase. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.britannica.com/sports/steeplechase-athletics. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Fischer, B. (2015) Clearing the Next Obstacle. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2015/10/26/In-Depth/Obstacle.aspx. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Foulkes, R. (2015) Obstacle Course Racing Association Launch UK Champs. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.muddyrace.co.uk/news/obstacle-course-racing-association-launch-uk-champs/. [Accessed: 10 August, 2018].

Franchising.com (2018) Tough Mudder Bootcamp Flexes Franchising Strength in First Year of Growth Strategy. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.franchising.com/news/20180724_tough_mudder_bootcamp_flexes_franchising_strength_.html. [Accessed: 25 July, 2018].

Griffin, M. (2015) Tough Mudder is Finding its Stride, and it has No Plans to Slow Down. Available from World Wide Web: http://smartceo.com/tough-mudder-finding-stride-no-plans-slow/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Health Club Management (2015) To The Extreme. Health Club Management. October 2015. No.229, pp.39-44.

Heil, N. (2011) American Gladiators. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.outsideonline.com/1892576/american-gladiators. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Hennessy-Fiske, M. (2012) Texas Man Dies During Forth Worth ‘Mud Run’. Available from World Wide Web: http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/17/nation/la-na-nn-texas-mudrun-20120417. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Hildebrandt, J. & Henk, M.A. (2017) Obstacles for Insurers of Obstacle Course Racing. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.milliman.com/insight/2017/Obstacles-for-insurers-of-obstacle-course-racing/. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Hi-Tec (2018) Heritage. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.hi-tec.co.uk/heritage/. [Accessed: 30 July, 2018].

http://riseofthesufferfests.com/.

Humphreys, P. (2018) LinkedIn Profile. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-humphreys-73bb0b4b/. [Accessed: 30 July, 2018].

IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) (2018) 3000 Metres Steeplechase. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.iaaf.org/disciplines/middlelong/3000-metres-steeplechase. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Knowlton, E. (2016) Here’s How Steeplechase – the Wackiest Event in Track and Field – Came to Get Its Name and Water Jumps. Available from World Wide Web: http://uk.businessinsider.com/olympic-steeplechase-history-explainer-2016-8. [Accessed: 26 July, 2018].

Kompan (2017) Obstacle Course. Available from World Wide Web: http://www.kompan.co.uk/media/1712924/OBSTACLE%20COURSE_UK_ZMAG.pdf. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Kronenberg, S.S. (2012) Who Participates in Extreme Obstacle Courses and Why. Master’s Thesis. City University of New York. Available from World Wide Web: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1127&context=cc_etds_theses. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Laporte, N. (2017a) It’s A Mud Mud Mud Mud World. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.fastcompany.com/40427201/its-a-mud-mud-mud-mud-world. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Laporte, N. (2017b) How “Rise Of The Sufferfests” Became An Obstacle Race Of Its Own. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.fastcompany.com/40427087/how-the-documentary-rise-of-the-sufferfests-became-an-obstacle-race-of-its-own. [Accessed: 06 August, 2018].

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Moffat, V. (2019) PR: New OCR Federation for the UK. [Email].

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Murphy, A. (2017) Obstacle Course Racing Moves One Step Closer to Becoming an Olympic Sport. Available from World Wide Web: https://www.si.com/edge/2017/03/10/obstacle-course-racing-olympics-sport-modern-pentathlon. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

Nikolova, V.A. (2018) Fun in the Mud – Trends in Obstacle Course Racing. Available from World Wide Web: https://runrepeat.com/state-of-obstacle-course-racing-in-the-usa. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

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Opala, E. (2016) The Influence of Running Extreme Obstacle Courses on Positive Affect, Character Strengths, and Well-Being. Master’s Thesis. City University of New York. Available from World Wide Web: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1590&context=cc_etds_theses. [Accessed: 27 July, 2018].

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Rodriguez, A. (2015) Psychosocial Motivators for Obstacle Course Racing: A Qualitative Case Study. Master’s Thesis. California Polytechnic State University. Available from World Wide Web: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2585&context=theses. [Accessed: 24 July, 2018].

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