Mud Run, OCR, Obstacle Course Race & Ninja Warrior Guide

6 Steps to Becoming an Obstacle Racer: Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How?

Brett Stewart

Are you new to the sport of OCR (Obstacle Course Racing)? Don't worry, we'll show you there's nothing to fear, and all are welcome in the mud.

Already an OCR athlete? Share this with your friends & family so they can begin to understand “that crazy thing you do on the weekend.” Who knows, they may realize it's about time to join you for some fun of their own!

1. Who?

Let's start out with some quick role-playing, shall we? You'll play the part of Dana in accounting, while I'm Pat from IT. Got it? Good. Here goes:

Pat: Hey Dana, have a good weekend?
Dana: mumble, mumble something about mulch and Daenerys Targaryen
Pat: That's cool, check this out: (FLASHES BLING)
Dana: Woah, that's pretty cool – where'd you get that?
Pat: It's my Warrior Dash finisher's medal, I earned it on Saturday in Pensacola. Warrior Dash is one of those mud runs and it was awesome! It was my first time – you should come out with us next time!
Dana: No way, I can never do that!
Pat: Sure you can, anyone can do it!

 …and cue the “I can't do it” excuses:

  1. I can't run that long, I'll have to stop and walk – and everyone will laugh at me.
  2. I'm going to come in last, and everyone will laugh at me.
  3. I'm going to slip and fall in the mud, look like a fool, and everyone will laugh at me.

Here are the simple answers to shut down the whining (and start the funn-ing):

  1. First off, no one's going to be laughing at ONLY you. For the most part, they'll be laughing at EVERYONE. All participants from the Ms. Washboard Abs to beer-swilling party dude look like fools when they are slipping around and covered in mud. Embrace it, buttercup. It's all in fun – if you can't laugh at yourself a little bit, a mud run is exactly what you need to get over yourself!
  2. There's not really such thing as “last place,” waves of 100-200 athletes go off all day long, and no one has any idea what wave you were in when you cross the finish line. Want to go fast? Feel like taking it easy? It's up to YOU, and no one's going to tell you any differently. On top of it, most events aren't even timed. Just go do your thing.
  3. Walk, skip, trot, run, crawl – whatev. No one's going to laugh at your performance, though they may snicker at your muddy Trump-esque comb-over.
  4. Need more? Check out my interview for TotallyFIT Radio here, where I eat these stupid excuses for breakfast.

2. What?

OCRs and Mud Runs come in all shapes and sizes – or more accurately, different distances and types of obstacles.

We've got a whole slew of FAQs right here that cover a lot of this info, and I actually wrote the first book about this sport (excuse the humblebrag) where I cover the history and origins of Obstacle Course Racing and Mud Runs.

Here's a little excerpt:

“Being submerged in an ice bath, hauling sand bags, lifting & dragging heavy rocks on a rope, balance beams, cargo nets, crawling under barbed wire, jumping fire, braving electric shocks, jumping over, diving under or crawling through barriers, climbing walls, scurrying up or swinging from ropes, throwing spears, jumping or climbing hay bales (some may even be on fire), running through or climbing over tires (lots and lots of tires), scrambling over slippery walls covered in liquid soap, sloshing through streams, lakes, ponds, bogs, brooks or even ditches or shipping containers filled with water, crawling through metric tons of mud, chopping wood, pulling yourself over wrecked cars, running from zombies, swinging across monkey bars, jumping rope, high platform jumps into icy water, swinging from zip lines, crossing parallel bars, gladiators smacking you with pugil sticks, being shot at with paintball guns, being pelted with water balloons and getting sprayed with hoses. By my count, that’s about 50 awesome reasons to start looking to sign up for an OCR or Mud Run race right now!”

3. Where?

In order to keep it simple, here's a quick list of popular races ranging from easy to more difficult:

Perfect for Beginners, Fun for Experienced OCR Athletes

 

 

OK, Ready for Something a Little More Challenging?

 

 

 

Ready to Step Your Game Up? Here You Go!

 

 

 

In a Class By Itself

Want to search the races (and discounts) for yourself and find one close to you?

Discounts to Events | Worldwide Event Map | Event Calendar | Events By State | Events by Cities/Major Metro

4. When?

Are you able to walk 3 miles, crawl a little bit, and climb something – let's say a ladder? If you can, you're ready RIGHT NOW for your first mud run or obstacle race! Refer to “Where” to find the one that's right for you! With 1000's of races all around the globe the good news is you probably won't have to wait that long! While you're waiting, why not prep your mind & body a little bit…

We've also got a Free OCR Training Program right here on Mud Run Guide! Here's a little sample of the Assessment Test:

Round 1: Start your timer—it’ll run for the duration of all three rounds, including any rest breaks you may take. Rest if needed, and make sure you have water to stay hydrated.

Optimal time for completion of Round 1 is under 15:00.
Move as quickly as you can from round to round. Take a sip of water and catch your breath, but don’t forget that you’re on the clock.

You'll perform (3) rounds of the above circuit, each time trying to push a little harder and shave time off the previous round. Add up your total time after completion, to find out what level of our Free OCR Training Program you should start at!

5. Why?

Obstacle Course Racing is ridiculously popular because it's fun and relatively easy. A 5k mud run is technically “easier” than a 5k road race. Why? Because in a road race, you're pretty much exposed out in the open, and you could potentially feel like a fool for walking. (I'm not saying this is right, just being honest. I've had to walk during road races too and felt very disappointed in my performance.) In a mud run, walking between obstacles is close to the norm, and if you feel like taking a break before or after an obstacle – go right ahead – no one will judge you! Barriers to entry in OCR are amazingly low versus any other major sport, all men & women can participate in mud runs ages, body types, fitness, levels, including adaptive athletes!

Obstacle Course Racing is the fastest-growing sport in the history of organized sport! In 2014, more people completed an OCR than all triathlons and marathons – combined!

Why did an estimated 4.2 million people show up to get muddy at OCRs? Because other sports are FAR more difficult, and most (all?) require some specific skills (excerpt from Ultimate Obstacle Race Training):

You should do mud runs because they are fun, get you active & outdoors, can help jumpstarting a fitter and healthier lifestyle, and because YOU CAN.

6. How?

That's the simple part!
Take a peek over to the right of your browser window; do you see beautiful sliding list of logos under the header “Races Near Me?” Yeah, we used some internet magic to determine the major races closest to you by date, you can click right there to find out more about any of those races, or even click “find all nearby mud run and ocr events” to get a complete list of all events around the world!

If that wasn't easy enough, how's this?

Discounts to Events | Worldwide Event Map | Event Calendar | Events By State | Events by Cities/Major Metro

Once you find a race (or as many as you'd like) you can find the exclusive Mud Run Guide discount code right on their page, and then register and save some cash!

Summary

For those of you who weren't catching all the info I was dropping like mad above, here's a checklist:

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