Here's a quick question for you – what are the rules of OCR?
A. Sign Up. Show Up. Don't Ever Give Up.
B. No beer allowed in your CamelBak.
C. No flips off Walk the Plank.
D. STFU.
E. Chest to deck, Feet off the ground = 1 Burpee.
F. All of the Above.
Ok, “F” was pretty easy. (other write-in answers included “doing a Messner”, “whatever Joe De Sena says”, and the ever-popular “it's not fair, the ^&#$ spear bounced off the target – I stuck it right in the middle!”
Now, let's try one that's just a little bit harder.
What is the appropriate radii and kerb height of a standard 200m track?
A. 1:1000
B. 0.1%
C. 50mm
D. All of the Above
E. WTH is a Radii? I just want to run!
According to the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) 2014-2015 Competition Rules, the answer is:
“The inside of the track shall be bordered either with a kerb of suitable material, approximately 50mm in height and width, or with a white line 50mm wide. The outside edge of this kerb or line forms the inside of lane 1. The inside edge of the kerb or line shall be horizontal throughout the length of the track with a maximum slope of 1:1000 (0.1%). The kerb on the two straights may be omitted, and a white line 50mm wide substituted.”
Duh, of course. Right? (OK, you might've missed it because it's in rule 213 of the IAAF Competition Rules on page 234 of 302.)
You're probably asking what the heck this has to do with Obstacle Racing, right? Well, if one of the 3 groups fighting for different forms of sanctioning have their way, there will be at least one branch of OCR (or OR) that will strictly adhere to a rule book with hundreds of pages of guidelines about every bit of minutiae that could possibly affect an athlete's time on the course.
So, will these exhaustive new rules affect YOU, or just the elite athletes? Well, that depends on who you are, and who you're listening to.
The Players
There are (3) parties that are in the forefront, and all have their own different version of what “sanctioning” means to them, and essentially what it may mean to all of us. Through some digging and phone/email interviews (on and off the record) here's what we've been able to come up with so far.
(Here's a little primer on the differences between Event Sanctioning and Course Certification from The United States Track & Field (USATF).)
NOTE: Like any developing story about startup organizations, expect plenty of twists, turns, changes, and even complete 180-degree switches. The information contained below is as accurate as possible at release, and will be updated as new information becomes available.
(IORF) International Obstacle Race Federation (Note: There has been no official press release as of 3pm ET on 4/21/14)
- Who: Founded/backed Spartan Race, currently creating an athletic committee.
- Goal: Creating an international federation with 42 member countries actively representing the sport of Obstacle Racing in the Olympic Games.
- Progress (4/21): Launching website and social media within days, solidifying guidelines for athletes and courses and developing a comprehensive rule book, athletic committee/council. In talks with NBC (the network with Olympic broadcasting rights int eh US through 2020) to “broaden the platform.”
- Differentiating Factor: The Reebok Spartan Race Invitational (4/26, Canton, MA) will debut an “Olympic Distance” 1.5-mile obstacle course with very specific (read as: measurable, qualifiable, quantifiable, repeatable) obstacles and terrain. If this course type and distance proves to be amenable with athletes, it should be developed as the OR Olympic Standard.
- Sanctioning/Certification: Editor's note: This appears to be their current direction: Applies to course and obstacle design and appears to be more aligned with course certification versus event sanctioning. See USATF examples above.
(IORF) International Obstacle Racing Federation (Press release 4/20/14)
- Who: Mike Greer, former president of USA Triathlon (USAT).
- Goal: The mission of IORF will be to unite the various organizations, events, and communities within obstacle racing and further expand the sport’s global reach. As the international organization representing the sport of obstacle racing, IORF will also complete the membership requirements needed for recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
- Progress: Non-profit status attained, 501(c) (3), guidelines developed with consultation from United States Olympic Committee (USOC), beginning creation of an International Board of Directors to include representatives in Bern, Switzerland and Noosa, Australia. Website & facebook pages still pending.
- Differentiating Factor: Non-profit 501(c) (3), Membership in IORF will allow organizations from each country to be established as their country’s National Association or National Governing Body. The primary requirement for these organizations is that they are recognized non-profit 501 (c) (3) organizations in their respective countries.
- Sanctioning/Certification: Editor's note: Not a lot of details yet on what they actually will be providing in terms of leadership. The IORF will serve as a gateway to the Olympic games and offer global leadership support across all other aspects of the growing sport of obstacle racing.
(USOCR) US Obstacle Course Racing
- Who: Sam Mansfield & Mark Ballas (Owner of Green Beret Challenge)
- Goal: To Offer Safety Standards Program, National Ranking System and Industry-Leading Insurance Program for Sanctioned Races and Participants.
- Progress: (2) Industry summits in Atlanta with varios members to the obstacle racing community; writers, gear producers, athletes, and event directors, as well as traditional media outlets and insurance underwriters. Website landing page is live, as well as Facebook & Twitter feeds.
- Differentiating Factor: As a member-based organization, USOCR will offer a wide range of benefits including insurance solutions designed specifically for the OCR industry, discounts on race entry fees, travel assistance, discounts from product and apparel partners along with a racer profile on the USOCR website.
- Sanctioning/Certification: USOCR appears poised to capture the sanctioning model similar to that of USATF (see examples above) and provide insurance coverage for events while also featuring member benefits including additional insurance coverage and OCR-specific discounts.
What it Means to You
That's great and all, but how will this affect the sport we all love?
Right now? Probably not at all. This should not in any way affect the races you participate in now – if anything, you may be better insured at your next race! If IORF (no, not that one, the other one. Seriously, this is going to get confusing… Let's call it Spartan's IORF for now) is successful, then there should be a whole new type of OR for us all to participate in, with the ultimate goal of the elite athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games someday. This may end up being the 1.5 mile Olympic distance, with a specific set of obstacles at a measurable level of quality – and should be a boon for athletes and spectators worldwide. If the other IORF were to take off, then hopefully they will provide a little bit of a clearer gameplan for how they will “unite the various organizations, events, and communities within obstacle racing and further expand the sport’s global reach.”
USOCR is not diametrically opposed to either IORF, and their path to adoption seems to be a little more clear-cut; existing races (in theory) will be able to get their events sanctioned and potentially get better insurance coverage at lower rates while also benefitting from some member economies of scale. Racers should be able to sign up as members (akin to USA Triathlon) and get discounts on gear, race entry, and other services while also having a national point system and registry. If they deliver on those items related to races and athletes, they appear to have a solid offering with positive potential for the sport of OCR.
My Take
At Mud Run Guide, we clearly have a deep passion for the sport of OCR. It's who we are, it's what we do, and it's surely something we look to take an active part in growing. With 2 of the 3 players we mentioned above, we have been an active source of dialogue and providing as much input as possible. Without sharing ANY inside information that would compromise our arrangements with any organizations, here's our “wish list” for development of a International “federation” for the sport of OCR in just a few bullet points.
- Sanctioning for insurance and certification of courses similar to USATF and USAT. This is a no-brainer, it's amazing that OCR has grown thus far without it.
- Why? Because exponentially increasing insurance rates are squeezing the entire OCR industry, that's why. Many races lack all the comprehensive coverage an athlete needs because it is cost prohibitive. Some races don't even know the exact limitations of their insurance until there is an audit or a claim. This is a much bigger problem than the racing public knows about. 'nuff said.
- No, it will NOT ruin the sport. Having a licensed representative check obstacles is an extremely good idea; even the best race director working with unlimited time and budget (of which they always have neither) will still not be able to check every single bolt. YOUR safety is worth it, that's why you no longer jump off the roof of your garage with your BMX bike… you've grown up and realized it's no longer fun to be severely injured.
- Membership of an “outside” organization is also a pretty keen idea, but unless it provides worthwhile member benefits, there won't be adoption. In USAT's case, forcing triathletes to sign up for yearly or one-day memberships in order to participate in an USAT-sanctioned event is a model that seems to work, albeit a little like them holding you hostage at race sign up.
- OCR in the Olympics is extremely intriguing, if I were one to succomb to hyperbole I'd say it. sounds. awesome. (luckily, I'm not.)
- As a triathlete and marathoner, I totally dig watching those sports in the Olympics, and absolutely, positively would be watching (or DVR'ing depending where in the world the Olympics are happening) Team USA take on teh world in OR. Yeah, totally.
- Standardized “Olympic Distance” courses are a great first step to legitimizing the sport – without necessarily affecting the events we have now. Just imagine if Spartan Race, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Savage Race, and some of the other big names put on events of the same distance all over the world? Then, you'd have the ability to rank your performance against others, apples-to-apples just like you would in a 10k road race or an Olympic distance triathlon.
- Hold on for a second, before you go nuts – I'm all for keeping the “other” distances too, just like road racing and triathlon do as well. Have you ever run an 8k road race or a 30k trail run? Just because USATF certifies 5k's, it didn't affect those events at all. Have you ever completed an “international” distance triathlon? That just means it's somewhere between a “sprint” and a “half iron/70.3.” No one's taking your fun away. Take a deep breath, count to 10, it's all OK.
You love this sport. I love this sport. No one wants to screw a good thing up with 300+ page rule books, right? I sure as hell don't. OCR has grown to a point where there will start to be a split between the pro athletes and everyone else like you & me – it's only natural. Professionals cannot exist in this sport without the funding that it takes to train full-time like other world-class athletes. Do you think Michael Phelps bagged groceries while he was training for the Games? Of course not. Sean White blending a Blizzard at your local DQ? notachance. A professional circuit, similar to the ITU (International Triathlon Union) will absolutely exist, and bring along sponsor money that will make the proliferation of the elites in this sport possible. That growth will fuel the fire for the future athletes to want to compete in this sport – the next Michael Phelps or Sean White started as a kid watching the Olympics. The future Hobie Call may get their start the same way.
What's your take? Share your thoughts in the Comments!
—
Brett Stewart is a fitness author, OCR junkie, and proud hubby & daddy.
Excellent explanations, Brett! And thanks for clearing all of that up, at least as much as possible. And great points about the fact that growing the sport through standardization, or even professionalization, of certain events doesn’t change it for the 99.9% of those of us out there who will never be at that level. It’s just like any other sport – basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball – recreational leagues exist everywhere for the general populace to participate in, yet we still have the opportunity to watch the most competitive athletes compete at the highest level on a course that is not impacted by whether or not the sandbag they chose may have been filled more than their competitors’. Exciting times to be at the start!
1.5 miles is shorter than most of the recreational ones, so I am perplexed as to why it would not be longer. One aspect of this activity seemed to be testing one’s endurance, and while I am sure a very difficult 1.5 mile course could be developed, making it longer only adds to the challenge of completing it at all, much less doing so quickly. On whatever length course, one decision that might need to be make is whether to start the competitors all at once or in groups like is done in most of these events, or starting them individually in increments like is done in the Tour de France time trials.
I, also, don’t know why it has to be done on identical courses. Golf is certainly played on a variety of courses, the route of the Tour de France varies each year, every marathon and triathlon has its unique topography, although in the triathlons the swimming is usually flat but it could have current variations, ski runs in the Olympics and probably bobsled/luge runs have their variations and there are probably many other athletic endeavors that are not done on uniform fields/courts. And even if the fields were uniform, there could be temperature, humidity, wind, elevation, and other variations that could affect the results.
It’s one thing in the World Cup for soccer where teams all over the world are competing in the same tournament, but in the Olympics, each country gets to send so many competitors, so there is no need for the various country’s qualifying events to be uniform. I know in some sports the quantity of competitors a country gets varies depending upon the strength of the country in that sport, but I think, over time, a way could be found to deal with that.
I thought one of the purposes of this was to get folks outside, and to make it more interesting by taking advantage of each location’s unique attributes.
While identical courses would make it easier to compare finishing times or interim times along the course, I think it would be much more interesting if there were variations. To surprise the competitors, perhaps they would have to go out on the course without knowing what obstacles they would encounter. If this were done, especially if they didn’t all start at the same time, one might want to find a way to make sure that racer’s aren’t able to communicate with those ahead of or behind them. One way to do this would be to make these point to point races instead of races that finish at the starting point unless it’s a big enough loop that the path doesn’t cross itself.
Respectfully Submitted,
Burt Ray Simpson
Obstacally Obsessed
HIOC-RAF
Honourable International Obstacle Course Runners Associated Federation
Honourable Obstacle Runners Association UK
The Announced Launch of IORF on May 1st 2014 sponsored by Spartan
This was preceded by the launch of Honourable IOC-RAF on January 1st 2014 on Tough Guy® Website by Mr Mouse, the undisputed innovator o f Obstacle Running, from an earlier Creation of The Movement© 01.01.01. Revised 01.01.05; 01.01.10; 01.01.14. http://www.facebook.com/horauk –
Joe Desena was notified personally December 2013.
Mr Mouse has an impeccable record of being all things to all people and promoting harmony in the Sport of Running.
Especially the New Sport of Obstacle Running which Mr Mouse created in 1987 with the launch of Tough Guy®.
Trademarked and copyrighted by designer rights in 1993, of all signature obstacles as used by all events world wide.
Mr Mouse’s pedigree goes back to 1981 when a Friendship meeting of Mr Mouse The Jogger was fused with 2 Olympic Athletes, Chris Brasher and John Disley. In their Vision of London Marathon bringing The Family of Man together.
In 1987, British Amateur Athletics Association and The Sports Council appointed Chris Brasher and Billy Wilson, aka Mr Mouse, to design and build a registration scheme to finance the sport by providing cash for Athletic Clubs to ‘Get Kids Safely Off The Streets’.
Mr Mouse has held diligently to the cause of bringing the whole of sport together under IAAF for the absolute benefit of the Runner. To give every child who is born the opportunity to develop whatever talent they have in Sport whether participating, organising, officiating or administering.
Thus Mr Mouse believes the world can be saved from Obesity (Greed) the deadly sins. Anger, bitterness, cussedness, drudgery, envy, frenzy, GREED, and hate.
Mr Mouse believes that his pledge to Chris Brasher who passed over to a higher place, of adventure on Feb 28th 2003, has given him the power of the pen to have written down every word that is needed to build this International Federation, strongly robustly and unbreakable bonding of The Sport which can bring Peace to the world.
In the Spirit of the Greats. Mr Mouse has written to Joe Desena and others emerging and offered to share the World with Spartan Leading the USA.
Mr Mouse Wisdom says: “Your Bloggers are correct an International Federation cannot start at the Top and work down it is doomed. It must start with each Country following the lead and guidance from Britain to consolidate ALL of their Nation of Obstacle Events.
BRITISH INNOVATION LEADS THE WORLD – UNDISPUTEDLY.
Mr Mouse has welcomed all “Copiers/Pass-off” who have The Gentleman Behaviour to Salute the Leadership.
VINTAGE Mr. Mouse, AKA Billy Wilson. If you find yourself scratching your head mid-sentence, you know it’s straight from his stream of consciousness. #OCRCHARACTER