Extreme obstacle running is becoming more and more popular in Poland. How is it possible that we voluntarily take part in survival races, the main assumption of which is supposedly that it should be dirty, cold (or hot) and unpleasant? Read about extreme runs and how to prepare for them, and you may find out that it is worth participating in them.

Extreme running(also known assurvival running ,obstacle running ) this is still in Poland novelty, but they have been organized around the world for 30 years.

The first one was held in 1987 in the English village of Perton in Staffordshire, and today is considered a cult event. Tough Guy, because we are talking about this event, isextreme runs , which require the competitors to sign a declaration that in the event of their death - because it can happen anyway - the organizer is not responsible for it . One-third of the participants withdraw from the fight during the struggle, and the most persistent ones have to crawl under barbed wire, walls of fire or dangling high voltage cables.

However, the competition does not have to be so extreme to effectively raise the adrenaline and provide emotions. In Poland,survival racesare accompanied by large events for whole families, and the obstacles that participants have to overcome on the way are associated rather with unusual effort accompanied by fun, not fatal danger.

Extreme running - who can take part in them?

Contrary to appearances, anyone who is physically fit and trains regularly can take part in this type of competition. Most often, the organizers adjust the difficulty level of specific runs to their participants, so complete beginners and tough guys with extreme combat can take part.

The most important thing is physical fitness, endurance and resistance (especially mental) to unfavorable conditions.Running with obstaclesis recommended not only for people who run every day, but also for fitness practitioners , doing strength training, crossfit training or marathon runners.

The simplest routes for survival runs are usually around 3 km long, so you don't need to be very fit to try your hand at the race.

As it follows fromAccording to Survival Race organizers, most people interested in extreme running are men aged 25-40 who live in large cities and lead an active lifestyle. On the other hand, 25 percent of survival runners are runners, and there are more and more women participating in this type of event.

The number of all participants is growing rapidly - from 7,000 in 2014 to 20,000 in 2022. Contrary to the often repeated opinion, extreme running is not a typically male endeavor, any person in good physical condition can take part in it, often special professions are created, e.g. for employees of a specific company.

Extreme running - what are they about?

The routes covered during extreme runs are usually not the longest - they are from several to several kilometers (those for the most persistent ones are several dozen kilometers). What counts here is not so much the distance traveled, but the obstacles and the ability to cope with difficult conditions.

Survival runs take place in areas full of mud, hills, forests or old training grounds. The organizers of the competition compete with each other in inventing new variations for event participants, e.g. rope climbing, climbing a several-meter ramp, walking on ropes and beams, the need to run a fragment of the route under paintball fire or jump on an almost vertical wall.

In extreme runs, unlike the traditional ones, most of the participants do not attach so much importance to achieving a good time, because by definition it is not the most important - in survival runs, the obstacles that participants encounter on their way are mainly important and the joy of overcoming them.

Worth knowing

Why are we more and more willing to participate in survival races? Because it is not only fun, but also a great test for ourselves. To complete an extreme steeplechase run, you need to be physically fit, resilient and steadfast. Jumping onto a tall vertical wall may require many attempts, so persistence and faith in your own abilities is necessary regardless of your first failures.

Extreme running is also a good way to check if we can function in conditions that require skills that we do not need in everyday life. On a daily basis, we usually sit at a desk and solve problems that require in-depth, multi-stage analysis - here you have to show your cleverness, reflexes and a practical approach to the challenges ahead. Contrary to appearances, such features can also be useful in the least expectedmoment.

Extreme runs - how to prepare for them?

If you practice sport regularly (at least three times a week) and you are in good physical condition, you should probably have no problem finishing your run. However, it is always worth paying attention to those exercises or types of training that will allow you to reach the finish line faster and with less fatigue, but with greater satisfaction.

So, continue to practice the sport you devote yourself to on a daily basis and add fitness activities to it, such as swimming or jogging. Training such as TBC, crossfit, ABT, training with TRX straps, exercises with a barbell, exercises with the weight of your body, all kinds of jumps, runs, runs, push-ups, pull-ups will help to cope with typical survival challenges.

Nature offers a wide range of possibilities: we can run between bushes, jump over walls, move stones, and overcome muddy roads. Any activity that increases efficiency and endurance counts.

Extreme running - exercises that prepare you to run

1. Burpees

Adopt a straight posture, lower your arms along your body, then with a smooth movement do a squat and touch the ground with your hands, but be careful not to squat and keep your feet tightly against the ground. Use the jump to pull your legs backwards to assume the plank position. Do the push-up, keeping your back straight, and after a smooth jump, go back to the squat, then stand up. Before you sit upright, jump out and raise your arms up. Initially, do the exercise in 4 series of 2 minutes, with time increase its duration and the number of repetitions.

2. Show jumping

Tree stumps, wide and tall bottles or empty cardboard boxes / boxes turned upside down can be used as obstacles. Obstacles should be placed approximately 1 meter apart and jumped in any way: left or right, front, back, on one or both legs. In each series you can perform a different type of exercise - each repeat 5 times.

3. Pull-ups

Place your hands on the bar using a grip or a grip - the distance between the palms should be a little larger than the width of the shoulders. Extend your arms so that your body hangs freely in the air, look straight ahead, taking a posture so that your head is an extension of your spine. Bend your elbows and pull up until your chin is level with the bar. Lower yourself down until your arms are straight, but without the hyperextension at the elbow. Do itas many pull-ups as possible.

4. Naskoki

Make jumps on a 30-40 cm rise (necessarily stable, e.g. a stair) - alternately jump on them and jump off it. Do the exercise as long as possible, take a 30-second break and repeat on the next set.

5. Lunges

Take an upright position with your feet hip-width apart and your hands on your hips. Look straight ahead, then lunge with one foot forward and lower your position. There should be an angle of 90 degrees between the thigh and the torso and in the knee joint of the front leg, similarly to the knee joint of the front leg. Remember that the chest is open, the shoulder blades are tight and the shoulders are retracted. Tighten your stomach and buttocks, keep your spine straight. Then come back to the starting position, getting up first with the front leg and bringing it to the back leg.

Lunges can be performed with a load, e.g. with a medicine ball or dumbbells.

What is the Survival Race like?

Survival Race is an urban extreme run - participants run on a specially designed track at a distance of 3, 6 or 12 kilometers. They overcome the nooks and crannies of the city and the traps and tasks that await them, such as: climbing a rope, road barriers, jumping over fire, crossing a bunker, technotunnel, tarantula trap, climbing a vertical wall.

There is also … plowing the fields, and besides, smoke screens, water cannons, swimming pools, carrying luggage, walking under barbed wire. They have to jump over piles of tires, cross cold water containers, a balance beam or overcome the route under a bridge and not fall into the water.

The fact that this is a run for everyone is evidenced by 3 difficulty levels:

  • starter - a 3 km run for beginners with 15 obstacles;
  • warrior - 6km run with 30 obstacles;
  • machine- 12k run with 50 obstacles.

The first Survival Race took place in Wrocław in 2014.

See the photos of the route of the extreme Survival Race

See the gallery of 8 photos

Survival Race press materials

Category:

Running