BattleFrog Series obstacle races, mud run, and OCR information, distance, cost, dates, calendar, discounts, obstacles, reviews, and more

It will be one of your favorites

DIFFICULTY = Intermediate

PARKING = B
Parking was onsite but there was a fee. Last year, they had parking on concrete. This year, it was in a field.

FESTIVAL = B
The festival was good with a DJ, pull up station, vendors, food, an inflatable mini-course with slide. Compared to last year, it was a huge step down. What happened to the paint ball shooting gallery, the American Ninja Warrior station, and the helicopter?

BAG CHECK = C
The bag check was secure and there was a fee.

STARTING LINE = A
A starting obstacle, an arch with a giant frog, and a drill instructor yelling at you with directions. It was very inspirational, motivating, and patriotic.

COURSE LAYOUT = A
Raceway Park is one of the best courses with water, dirt, mud, asphalt, gravel, hills, woods. This BattleFrog course was one of the muddiest race I have ever done (last year’s was muddier but only because it was raining). The obstacle spacing was perfect. This course was 5 miles.

OBSTACLES = A
BattleFrog definitely changed up some obstacles since last year. 35 obstacles were on the course for this year (55 last year) but it still deserves an A because the obstacles were great. Some are familiar such as walls, over/unders, rope climb. Some are on steroids such as the longest sandbag carry I have ever done. Some were new such as the ring jungle gym. Missing were the quarter pipe and monkey bars. They also removed the memorials before each obstacle.

Best Obstacle = ring jungle gym
Worst Obstacle = rope traverse

WATER STATIONS = B
3 water stations in 5 miles. No food but the water was ice cold and placed in appropriate spots. There was food last year.

FINISH LINE = B
The final obstacle for the finish was changed up since it was removed (quarter pipe) but there was still a great final obstacle (sideways rope swing on wall). They had the crowd and final archway. The missing component is a clock/timer.

SHOWERING/CHANGING = B
They had hoses and a changing tent. The backlog wasn’t too bad.

SWAG = B
They provided a tshirt and medal. The medal is almost identical as last year (big and heavy) and the tshirt is better (it’s in color now).

CONCLUSION:
Overall, the BattleFrog series is a must do event. It will instantly become one of your Top 5 if not #1. This event was great and the mix up of the course almost felt like I was running a new race. The obstacles are great as is the terrain. My big problem is that, compared to last year, it’s a giant leap down. They removed the options for racing (5K vs. 15K) which results in 20 less obstacles. I figured they would remove the generic obstacles but they took out some great ones. The race was essentially made easier (last year’s was one of the hardest races) by lowering the reps required for penalties (now it’s 10 bodybuilders). The atmosphere was toned down too as a lot of activities in the festival area did not return nor did the war memorials on the course. With such a huge hit last year and the BattleFrog College Championships on ESPN2, I expect BattleFrog to be up there soon with Spartan and Tough Mudder.

Out-friggin-standing!

The entire BattleFrog team is extremely squared-away. Starting with registration, Bill Siebe responded to emails promptly, and offered an excellent "Sword and Shield" discount for veteran (Marines) and Public Safety (Fire/Rescue). This allowed for a nicer donation to Trident a House, a worthy enterprise that cares for families of Seals killed in line of duty.
I first ran the 5k BullFrog in Miami in November, and was immediately hooked. One of the Navy Seals, working the "Seal Pit" on the beach, asked me how old I was. I'm 51. He said "Dang! You're in better shape than most of these 20-year olds." That comment really stuck with me, and I have been pushing hard to train for the 15k in Hialeah this past weekend.
The weather on Saturday was perfect! Drizzle and driving rains throughout the day. At the Corral, just before the race started, Sgt. Payne have an inspiring motivating pep-talk and warm up. My heat started right on time, with expected military precision. The trails were all well marked. Amelia Earhardt park just happens to be my favorite mountain bike trail. A good portion of the 15k included most of the trail there. The climbs and drops are big fun on a bike, but more challenging on foot!
All of the obstacles were top-notch, well placed and most were fairly challenging, but all of them doable. Coaches at the obstacles were motivating, without being butt-heads, and were fun to interact with. They were willing to take pictures and video for me too. Water stations were well spaced out and staffed with friendly, encouraging volunteers.
Getting back to the compound, though, I found my back pack that I had checked into the bag check was soaking wet, as a driving rain had made it's way under the tent. Oh, well. A little water never hurt.
Overall, it was again an excellent experience, and I look forward to running another one, perhaps in a state with some hills for a change.

Excellent experience

Excellent race. Very well run with military precision. the speaker/motivator guy was outstanding!!! I told him that if this gig doesn't work out, he has a career as either a Baptist preacher, or a Motivational Speaker.

I am very much looking forward to the 15k in March.

Outstanding course!!! The course was extremely challenging and fun!!! Harder course and better obstacles than Tough Mudder. The mine potion of the course was unique and difficult. The event was well organized and the staff was friendly and helpful. The best race I have run. I will definitely do it again!!!

2014 Battlefrog Pittsburgh

This race was absolutely amazing. I ran the 15K in Pittsburgh PA (Wampum) and it was honestly the best mud run I have ran.

PROS:
-The course was amazing,
-Not completely uphill like some courses,
-Obstacles were placed perfectly, not going to die from the runs in between obstacles,
-Appropriately challenging, definitely not easy,
-Some completely new obstacles (The mine was AMAZING),
-The Navy Seals who created it are really down to Earth people,
-Pumped everybody up before the races,
-Talked to everybody and shook hands,
-Willing to take pictures,
-Just all around great people.

The ONLY suggestion is to make the check in a little better.
have separate lines for people that need to sign up and people that already sign up.. I was near the front of the line and it took 20 minutes to check in. Maybe sort it out by last name or bib number...Other than that it was literally amazing.
I hope they come back to Wampum next year as I will definitely go again and convince more friends to do it.
If I could give more than 5 stars, I would have.
Great job guys and keep up the amazing work.

Not for Beginners - AWESOME

PARKING = B
Parking was on-site but there was a $10 fee. It was a pretty long walk from the parking lot to the race area.

FESTIVAL = A
There were a few vendors along with a merchandise tent. The great part about this festival was the training grounds. They had an American Ninja Warrior obstacle training section. They had paintball guns for practice (this is an obstacle on the course). They had inflatable “obstacles” that you could try. Seal demonstrations, a helicopter flying around, a DJ playing music and announcing the events (5K waves started at a different time than 15K waves).

BAG CHECK = C
It was secure but you had to pay $5.

STARTING LINE = A
You had to climb over a wall to begin the race. Drill sergeants yelled at you explaining what to do on the course. Failure was not an option and always help others. It was very motivating. The starting arch was one of the coolest ones I have ever seen as it wasn’t just an arch banner – it had a giant frog on it.

COURSE LAYOUT = A
All different terrain was used – mud, dirt, woods, grass, pavement. This course was extremely muddy. It was one of the muddiest courses I have ever done. The obstacle spacing was perfect. The venue is known for its flat terrain so they changed the terrain…drastically. There were a lot of hills that were manmade.

OBSTACLES = A
The 5K had over 35 obstacles. The 15K had over 50. Most obstacles had a drill sergeant at them yelling at you. When you failed an obstacle, someone was there to enforce the penalties – 20 8-count burpees. Every obstacle had a memorial for a fallen military solider who served for our country. Some of the obstacles were easy but many were hard (and very hard). One of my complaints is that I didn’t see anything new here but the placement of these obstacles is meant to break you and break you early. I was exhausted at the end of 3 miles (and I was running the 15K). Obstacles include over and under, 2 weight carry, water crossing, walls, A frames, rope traverse, wall traverse, paint ball shooting, quarter pipe, barbed wire crawl.

Best Obstacle = Tsunami (quarter pipe)
Worst Obstacle = Nasty Bear Crawl

WATER STATIONS = A
The 5K had about 2 water stations and the 15K had about 5. Some stations had food.

FINISH LINE = B
Tough final obstacles with an awesome arch (and giant frog) and screaming crowd. You could clearly see the finish from a mile away (literally). My only complaint was that it didn’t have a clock (but the event was timed).

SHOWERING/CHANGING = D
They claimed they had changing rooms. I did not see them. They claimed they had showers. Instead, they had hoses that “leaked” and had no water pressure. If you picked up the hose more than a foot from the ground, the water stopped coming out. Buckets of water would have been more helpful.

SWAG = B
You get a big heavy medal (length of race determines what color medal ribbon you get) and a t-shirt. Standard stuff but the medal does not look cheap.

CONCLUSION:
I left Battlefrog cut up, welted and bruised. The obstacles were awesome and this race is not for beginners. Even if you complete every obstacle, you still have to do the burpees (as there is an obstacle where it is nothing but burpees). For those that have done the Rugged Maniac and Rock Solid at Raceway Park, this race contains most of those courses and obstacles. Based on the layout, I am assuming that it probably incorporates the Tough Mudder as well. Even though the obstacles have been seen before, they make them harder and the placement of them is just a killer. My friend said, “This is a better version of the Tough Mudder.” He was right as this is 9 miles with 50+ obstacles (Tough Mudder is 12 miles with 25 obstacles). If you are not a beginner and want to do an awesome race, try the 5K version of Battlefrog. If you want more of a challenge, go for the 15K. It will easily be one of the best races (It’s in my top 3 if not number 1).

BattleFrog Georgia

Here's my MRG Race Recap of the Georgia Event:
The Inaugural running of the BattleFrog Series Race kicked off this past weekend with a Bang. Literally. An Obstacle Course Race designed and operated by current and former Navy Seals was marked by all of the Military Pageantry customary at patriotic celebrations around the country. Helicopter fly-overs, Seal Team Demonstrations, the sounds of (blank) rounds being fired, and the occasional boom of an artillery simulator explosion set this apart from a casual mud run the moment you parked your car.


The Brainchild of many retired and now hugely successful US Navy Seals, this race has come out of the gate ready to run neck and neck with the big players in the OCR world like Spartan and Tough Mudder. The years of experience amongst the race directors and staff lends a level of professionalism to the whole event that translates into a wonderful experience for everyone from the Spectators, through the different levels of runners, up to the Elite Racers who saw cash prizes for podium finishes and even a ride in the helicopter for some of the luckier ones. That big check was cool, but taking a ride in a vintage Huey was the cherry on top.

The race is built and run by people who bring years of experience participating in and organizing events in various sports such as OCRs, Marathons, Ultra Marathons, Triathlons, Judo, Cycling, Mountain Biking, Adventure Racing, and Paddling. They have been able to design and build an Obstacle race course that is pretty much as good as it gets.
There are several different lengths and styles of races that cater to everyone from small children up to the truly Elite Runners. Hobie Call, Yuri Force, Sean Clayton, Eddie Kovel, Casey Camp, Jason Grech, Jolene Wilkinson, Amie Meyer, Andi Hardy, and Jennifer Marciante are just a few of the more familiar names who took the Podium in some of the first ever BattleFrog races, but the races were enjoyed just as much by the rank and file weekend warriors and children. The impressive “bling” of the BattleFrog medals made everyone smile.


The namesake BattleFrog Race was listed as 15k with 25+ obstacles. Several GPS devices had the length slightly lower at about 7+ miles or 11+k. Those missing 2 miles were lamented by a few, but the people who ran all knew they’d participated in a challenging event.

The BullFrog Race was listed as 5k with 15+ obstacles. The mileage on this put it at just over 3 miles, so there were no surprises on the distance. It shared most of the same obstacles as the longer race, and both races took runners through a beautiful mixture of trail running, hills, running on exposed granite, and through fields.
Both races were run simultaneously with runners being directed via signage and volunteers on how to make the necessary detours so that they could run the 15k or 5k race depending on how they were signed up. A few runners became disoriented and stayed on the 5k route when they should have taken the 15k detour, but there weren’t many. It’s possible that in the future there should be more volunteers, signs, and cones to prevent this from happening. Another idea might be for the 15k to be run in the morning, and the 5k to be run in the afternoons. Once the 15k waves and sweepers pass, the detour could be roped off and any runner afterwards would only be doing the 5k.


There were Tadpole races that were listed as 1k with 8+ obstacles so that children between 4 and 13 could get involved in the fun. The beaming smiles on the faces of the kids let everyone know how happy they were to be joining in the fun instead of just being dragged along by Mommy or Daddy to sit around and be bored.
The Obstacles were very challenging and extremely well built. These were monuments made to stand the test of time and thousands of racers abusing them. Teamwork was a necessary factor in helping the average racers, but volunteers and the other racers were available to pitch in. And there were Seals spread throughout the race to offer assistance and encouragement. To have a true American Hero cheering for you and helping you meet a challenge will put an incredible adrenaline rush into your system. The penalty for failing an obstacle was to do 8 count bodybuilders. If you don’t know what these are, think of a variation to the Burpees we all know and (don’t love) http://youtu.be/TxQT-wZdP28
The Festival area was set up extremely well, and registration went very smoothly which was a pleasant surprise because Saturday was the first time anyone had ever done this for BattleFrog. A Merch Tent with cool BattleFrog quasi-military gear sold out most of its more popular items by the end of the weekend just because it was such great stuff and a souvenir of the first ever BattleFrog. Buying the book, Seal Team Six, and having a chance to have the author, Don Mann, sign your book was a true thrill.

The food choices were reasonably priced, and volunteers got vouchers so they could eat a respectable amount of “real” food. The post race free beer was enjoyable in the hot spring sunshine, and the Biggest Team got even more free beer. A note to Teams out there – The Biggest Team Tent was a large set of 4 tents with tables and chairs in addition to the free beer. This is the most impressive treatment I’ve seen of a Biggest Team, and if BattleFrog comes near you I would recommend trying to score Biggest Team Honors.


There was really good and energetic music playing during the course of the 2 days, and some pretty awesome dancing going on at times. Other races throw sub-standard races but great after parties, BattleFrog wants to wear the crown for best experience in both arenas. And there were fitness competitions and obstacle examples set up in the festival area just to keep things moving and more exciting.

The US Navy Seals demonstrations were thrilling for all who got to watch. There was a mock-terrorist attack, then the Huey swept in and discharged the Seal Team and their canine who neutralized the threat, then loaded back up and took off into the sky. This is one event where paying the Spectator Fee actually is worth the price of admission.

The BattleFrog Series directly supports several US Navy Seal Charities with their proceeds. The Navy Seal Museum, Memorial Trident House, Navy Seal Foundation, and the Foundation for Navy Seal Veterans will all benefit from the BattleFrog Races.
By the end of the weekend the overall consensus was that this was the most fun Obstacle Course Race most of the runners had ever done. For the first time ever stepping up to the plate, BattleFrog knocked it out of the park!

Battlefrog Carolinas 2014

I had been looking forward to this event the second I crossed the finish line at Atlanta at the beginning of this month. Battlefrog took all the minute discrepancies they had in Atlanta and fixed them here in SC. Registration was a breeze, The Festival Area was well organized and the split for the 5K/15K was at the beginning of the race, eliminating any confusion as to where you were going. This OCR series is becoming a huge contender and competitor to other larger organizations such as TM, Spartan, and Warrior. The only place they can go is UP, and believe me they fully intend to do so; giving you the hardest courses, challenging obstacles and staff that encourages you the entire way. HOOYAH Battlefrog, CANNOT wait for the next ones to come!!!

Tough but Great Course

Overall the best registration. Well organized and very helpful guys. We were in a later start and initially told they would start every 15 minutes but the later starts were held so more would start at the same time. Due to heat was not the best but once started best course and hardest. The wall at the end was crazy but with encouragement made it up. I would def do this again.

Challenging Course!!!!!

Professional and very organized. Displays were awesome, informative and Seals and volunteers were engaging and courteous. The course itself was hilly and challenging and there were obstacles that challenged all aspects of an athlete. Spaced out perfectly as well. 15k was cool as the terrain was always changing from trail to sand to creek crossing to water and also mud! Great tribute to the fallen Seals. The helo demo was awesome and inspiring. Great sense of accomplishment at the end. These guys know how to put on a race! Can't wait until next year!