HIGH-INTENSITY obstacle courses have grown in popularity over recent years, with events such as next month’s Spartan Race Sprint attracting crowds of fitness lovers.
The courses are designed to push competitors to their limits, putting obstacles such as 10-foot walls and cargo nets in the way of the finish line.
Jason Meddings, owner of Mandurah gym The Cave, has organised a team of 14 21- to 45-year-olds to take on this year’s Spartan Race.
It’s the second time the club has had taken part in the Keysbrook race and Mr Meddings said it was a test for the participants.
As a close-knit gym, he said everyone provided motivation for each other to complete the race.
“It’s a little bit different to your average race,” he said. “There are 20 obstacles, like dams and muddy tunnels to crawl through so it’s a challenge.
“Generally the training we do at the gym is perfect for this sort of stuff – conditioning training. You need to be strong enough to pull your own bodyweight and lift yourself.
“We don’t do a hell of a lot of running but we will probably bump it up closer to the race.”
The Spartan Race Sprint is a course mapped over seven kilometres of testing terrain and 20 obstacles thrown in over the distance.
The sprint is the shortest of the course distances in the Spartan Race national line-up and the only one held in Western Australia.
There are also different types of Spartan Races held in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Max DeLacy, Spartan Race chief, said while contestants didn’t know what the course had in store for them until they were doing it, there is no shock factor.
“There’s no elements of this which is shocking; there is no tear gas for example,” he said. “All obstacles are achievable and give people the opportunity to challenge every aspect of their physical being.
“It’s about proving to yourself how much you can achieve, how brave you are, how strong and how important you are.”
Mr DeLacy said it is hoped the race changes the way the ‘Spartans’ eat, live and exercise.
He said he has seen many people who didn’t think they could complete the race, finish it and the positive out comes which have come from this both mentally and physically.
“I’ve seen 70-year-olds take it on and finish, I’ve seen 130-kilogram women finish it and I’ve seen amputees finish it,” Mr DeLacy said. “It’s the one’s who don’t see themselves finishing it who look like completely different people at the end of it and it’s amazing.”
