Epic Series decided to make their way into a new market. In the past, many of their events could be found in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas. Having participated in 10 Epic Series races in the past I was very interested to see what this new location would offer.
Epic Series is not like your “ traditional “ obstacle course races. It’s not “ a runner’s course.” It's a very short course combined with obstacle challenges focusing on strength and lifting heavy objects. There is very little running with the exception of the beginning sprint lap.
The Epic Series OCR challenge on December 17th was the final race of the year in San Diego. This would be my 3rd time this year competing in one of their events. This event was going to be the hardest one to date. For me, a master’s level competitor at 45yrs of age Epic series in 2016 has continued to offer an elite wave for anyone 40+ years of age for their open course challenge. This year I have had some success by reaching the podium three times on the two previous races.
How do you define the Epic Series? Sometimes, you can define something by what it isn't; in the British comedy Blackadder, sidekick Baldrick once wrote a definition of "Dog: not a cat". The Epic Series is not a mud run, it is not a strongman competition, and it is not the Crossfit Games - but it has elements of all of the above. The brain child of Aaron Ward and Tim Fitzpatrick, The Epic Series originally derived from Crossfit, and has undergone numerous changes as it has evolved through seven events since its inaugural run in April of 2013. It is a "functional fitness challenge". The Epic Race is divided into two parts; the basic race that everyone does, and a bonus Elite competition that was itself split into Strength and Endurance divisions.
