What It Takes... To Be An Obstacle Course Racer

IN A SPORT WHERE SPEED MEETS STRENGTH AND NO SMALL AMOUNT OF SUFFERING, TRAINING IS ABOUT BUILDING RESILIENCE AND SKILLS ACROSS THE BOARD

- Rob Kemp

In the world of obstacle course racing (OCR), one man rules the roost: 30-year-old Brit Jonathan Albon has won every OCR World Championships since 2014, as well as the Spartan ultra-endurance World Championship twice. As if dominating one sport wasn’t enough, Albon is also the current world Skyrunning (mountain running) champion.

Anyone who’s taken part in obstacle course events – think Tough Mudder, Adrenalin Rush, Tough Guy or elite Spartan OCR – will know that it pays to have trained across a number of disciplines to meet the multitasking challenges these contests present. For Albon, that cross-training approach not only provides the success (and prize money) he needs to make a living from the sport, it also boosts his strength and stamina for the ultra-marathon races he excels in.

REGIME

In order to replicate the demands of 10ft walls, fences, and rope climbs, Albon trains by bouldering – rope-free rock-climbing – in the great outdoors. His home in Norway also provides the ideal training ground, with off-road routes a plenty and no shortage of lakes for open-water swimming.

“Bouldering is like a really fun form of strength training,” says Albon. “You can do two or three hours of it without thinking you’ve done any work at all, but it’s the best way of developing functional muscle. Specifically, it helps improve grip strength, which is vital in obstacle course racing, and it helps develop the habit of making the shapes with your body that you need to move up things easier.”