Obstacle Course Races

With popular races reaching more than 3 million Facebook fans combined, the answer is clear: obstacle course races are drawing us in. Races like the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Spartan Race matter to us.

Just how popular have obstacle course races and mud runs become? In a six-month span (July 2011 – December 2011), over 440,000 people signed up for the Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, and Warrior Dash. So far this year, the Warrior Dash has attracted an estimated average of 14,000 contestants for each weekend/two-day event; the Tough Mudder roughly 10,000. The Spartan Race caps their races at 4,000 participants per day, resulting in a potential of 8,000 per weekend.

The success of these three brands have spurred on similar races:

Rugged Maniac: a 5k obstacle course race with 10 events planned this year
Metro Dash: a race consisting of 30 obstacles; 11 events planned this year
Ruckus: a 4-mile obstacle course race with 20+ obstacles; 5 events scheduled this year
Rebel Race: an obstacle course race with 5k sprint & 15k run options; 3 events scheduled this year
Savage Race: a 5k obstacle course event with 12-15 challenges; first event took place August 27 in Orlando
Primal Mud Run: an off-road 3mi+ mud race
Swam Dash & Bash: a local 5k obstacle course race in Gainesville, FL
Bold r Dash: a local 5k obstacle course race based in Rhode Island

Click here for a directory with more information.

For more on obstacle course racing: