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Today kicks off the racing at 2016 OCR World Championships in Blue Mountain, Canada. The racing on Saturday starts at 8:00 am with the Pro Division Men, and Pro Division Women heats starting first followed by the Age Group heats throughout the rest of the day, concluding with the Journeymen division. The 15-Kilometer Course will feature over forty obstacles for racers to climb, crawl, and swing on.
The Pro Division athletes are fighting for the $10,000 grand prize, and Age Group athletes will be vying for the top prize of $1,000 in their category. Follow your favorite athletes on race day on the OCR World Championships Athlete Tracking Page. Today we look at some of the top men to watch in the Pro Division.
Top Women to Watch in the 15-Kilometer Classic Distance
Lindsay Webster – Canada
Lindsay Webster, the 2016 Women's OCR World Champion returns to the race this year to defend her title on her home turf. Webster lives and trains near Blue Mountain and intimately knows the trails and terrain. She has been the most dominant female on the North American obstacle racing circuit this season. She is coming off a second-place finish at the Spartan World Championships two weeks ago in Lake Tahoe, California.
Karin Karlsson – Sweden
Karin Karlsson comes back to the OCR World Championships this year after a dominant season on the European circuit. She continually finishes well in the Toughest Series where she is the top ranked woman in the series. Karlsson finished 4th last year in the 2015 OCRWC Pro Division Race. She is a strong competitor who is used to tackling some of the toughest obstacles in the industry.
Freya Martin – United Kingdom
Freya Martin from the United Kingdom returns to the OCR World Championships once again this year. She finished seventh last year in the Pro Division and is looking to come back to better her result. Freya is currently ranked 10th in the Toughest Series rankings. Martin in a fast runner who continues to improve on her obstacle skills. Look for Martin to crack into the top five and possibly a podium spot.
Heather Lawton – Australia
Heather Lawton comes to the OCR World Championships this year after a highly successful season in Australia. Lawton is known to train out in the country and come into the towns and cities for the races and destroying her competition. She is strong and fast and ready to take on the 15-kilometer Classic Distance course and see how her skills match up to those in the rest of the world.
Zuzana Kocumova – Czech Republic
Zuzana Kocumova comes to the OCR World Championships for the first time. Kocumova won the 2015 & 2016 Spartan Race World Championships in a commanding way. She is a former Olympian who represented her country in Nordic skiing. Kocumova is accustomed to the Spartan Race circuit where burpee penalties are incurred for a failed obstacle. It is to be seen how she will fare on a course with mandatory completion. Her strong mountain running skills will help her excel on the climbs and descents.
Other Notables:
Other Notable athletes to watch for on Saturday are Carina Marx (South Africa), Amy Pajcic (USA), the newcomer to the OCR World Faye Stenning (Canada), and the Swedish duo Anna Svensson and Sara Trolte. Any of these women could find themselves in the top five and possibly even be in podium contention. With a stacked women's field, the world will have to wait at the finish line to see who the next Women's OCR World Champion will be. Stay tuned to the Mud Run Guide and OCR World Championship social media accounts for the most up to date coverage of all the events all weekend.
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