Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links—at no extra cost to you. We only share gear we personally use and trust for OCR training and racing. When it comes to OCR training, versatility is everything. You need strength, balance, grip,

Disclosure: OCR Buddy is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that when you purchase products through links in our blog, we may receive a small commission—at no additional cost to you. Additionally, OCR Buddy collaborates

Disclosure: OCR Buddy is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This means that when you purchase products through links in our blog, OCR Buddy may receive a small commission—at no extra cost to

Disclaimer: As an ambassador for Alter Ego Running, I proudly support and promote their products. My opinions are based on personal experience and a genuine appreciation for the brand’s quality and fit, especially for runners with larger heads. While I may receive benefits as part of my ambassador role, my recommendations are always rooted in

The Truth About “Free” Race Entries: What You Need to Know If you’ve been receiving emails from Bubble Run or Muddy Dash since last fall, you’re not alone. These promotions have been flooding inboxes, promising “free” race entries—but as many racers have learned, free doesn’t always mean free. Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room

Dear Savage Race: It was a simple prompt. A chance for the community to share your your love for Savage Race. And the community spoke. We present. Dear Savage Race: Please keep being awesome with your customer service and obstacle innovation. Brittany Hastings Everything is great except the spectator fees. I have friends and family

In the world of obstacle course racing (OCR) and Ninja training, Toroz Ninja stands out as a beacon of innovation and quality. Known for its cutting-edge training equipment, from ultra-grip grips to elite combo cages, Toroz Ninja caters to athletes striving to conquer the toughest challenges. At the heart of this dynamic brand is Przemek

You nominated. You voted. Your voice has been heard If you would want to take a further look into the data: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1v91W_nrE4BD9ejsOhAiPs1gnh-sSPKeojFDLsdnpojg/edit?usp=sharing Congratulations to your 2024 OCR Community Choice Award Winners

Unexpected race cancellations can be disappointing, especially after months of rigorous training and anticipation. However, it’s important to stay positive and focus on the steps you can take to manage the situation effectively. Here are some steps you can follow if your endurance sports race, such as an obstacle course race (OCR), gets canceled: 1.

Operation Enduring Warrior (OEW) is a veteran-founded non-profit organization dedicated to honoring, empowering, and motivating our nation’s wounded military and law enforcement veterans through physical, mental, and emotional rehabilitation. Their mission is to help participants overcome adversity and hardship through innovation, teamwork, and perseverance. One of the most impactful ways OEW achieves this is by

I used to see runners talking about the powerful connection between running and mental health, which piqued my curiosity. I personally knew about it from my own journey. As I delved deeper, I discovered Still I Run, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing mental health through the power of running. Inspired by their mission and

We’re thrilled to welcome Robb McCoy, the visionary director behind F.I.T Challenge, to discuss the much-anticipated return of his renowned obstacle course race in 2025. With a reputation for pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable experiences for participants, Robb has continuously elevated the standards of obstacle course racing and become a #racelocal favorite. OCR Buddy Founder

As the chill of a November night settled over Florida, the World’s Toughest Mudder commenced, promising to test not just the endurance of its competitors but the resilience of its dedicated crews. Amid the electric atmosphere, charged with a blend of excitement and trepidation, crew members prepared to support their racers through a grueling 24-hour

A 36-year-old former New Yorker who has traded the bustling streets of NYC for the sunny shores of St. Petersburg, Florida. Her past life as a nightlife professional has given way to a new passion: building and nurturing a vibrant community in the wellness space. She also might be part Mermaid. OCR Buddy Ambassador Mariel

“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” – Helen Keller It all started with a tragedy and that tragedy transformed into a passion for bringing the OCR community together and bring OCR to underserved populations. Personally, I feel like both are a force and an inspiration. They truly care about

“You can’t kill us, we are already dead.”– The Deadboys Manifesto The Founders: Colby Lopez and Josh Gallegos Flashback to January 2019. I felt stagnant, despite constant running. My fitness and mental strength were suffering. I knew I thrived on CrossFit-style workouts but wasn’t keen on returning to a CrossFit gym. I had a local

Susanna Burger started her OCR journey in 2013 and can’t picture her life without the community. She shares the story about running for her dad, being an OCR Buddy Ambassador and more in this edition of 10 Questions. Social media? FB – susannaburger / IG – sgburger & subuocr / TikTok – susybee007 1. Tell

What do you do with all your finish medals? Did you know that your medals could find a second life and make a someone’s day who is going through an illness or other challenge? Let me introduce you to We Finish Together. I found out about them a few years ago when I was doing

Is OCR dying?We used the numbers in OCR Buddy to produce this report to give us a snap-shot of the health of OCR. We will let the numbers speak for themselves.  Editors Note: If you cant read the document, use the download feature at the bottom of the PDF that is embedded.   

For OCR Buddy Ambassador Brit Joniec it is all about the community. Learn about how she is coming back from an accident that took her drive and motivation in this edition of “Ten Questions” Name: Brit Joniec Social Media: http://www.instagram.com/joniecb 1. Tell us about yourself Born and raised in Philly. I’ve been playing sports since

OCR Buddy Ambassador Brittany Hastings is tackling a new challenge in 2024 as she is expecting a baby but still plans on being a part of the OCR community from the sidelines. Name: Brittany Hastings 1. Tell us about yourself I love OCRs, going to the gym, escape rooms, and doing puzzles. I got married

Loaded question we know. We posed the question to you that if you had been in charge in Spartan what would you change and the answers we got. A LOT So we present your answers. Without context and with minimal editing. Kevin JonesQuit catering to elites and get back to the original mantra of getting

We are so proud of our ambassadors and personally Greg Champion has stepped up to help so much with OCR Buddy and our social media. Our footprint wouldn’t be the same without him. Its our pleasure to give you the chance to meet this amazing force in the next 10 Questions. Name Greg Champion You

OCR Buddy Ambassador Holden Walsh has logged over 100 races since he made the transition from bodybuilding. And after 100 races, he still loves being able to inspire the community. He shares why in this edition of 10 Questions. 1. Tell us about yourself I’ve done over 100 OCRs across all brands. Prior to that,

At OCR Buddy, we are honored enough to have some of the best and brightest of the OCR and Ninja communities as part of our ambassador team. You may not have heard their names, but you have probably seen them in the community, out on the course or online, inspiring their friends and family in

Dear OCR Buddy Community; Call it a love letter because some of these letters are. Call it a Dear John letter. Call it a plea from a frustrated community. But that community is speaking volumes and they are not feeling heard. We asked the OCR Buddy Community to pen their letter to Spartan after the

In this edition of 10 Questions we sit down with the OCR Coast Rica President Rodolfo Vilalobos and learn about the OCR scene in Costa Rica and how they became the host of the world championships. 1. Please start by telling us your name and your title position with OCR Industrial Engineer Rodolfo Villalobos Presidente

The 2023 OCR Buddy Community Choice award winner War-X has quickly devloped a cult following in the mid-west of passionate OCR racers. We sat down with Jake Moore to find out more about what War-X is and the vision he has for the future. 1.  Please introduce yourself and how you are involved in obstacle

She is the FINA World Champion. She won “Best Ninja Athlete” and was the runner up for Best Female Athlete. But a common thread we heard is “We don’t know Claire Bowman.” We sought to fix it. In this edition of 10 questions, we introduce you to this up-and-coming Ninja athlete as she talks about

In 2023, Canada’s own XMan race was sold. Today, we sit down with the new owner of XMan Race in this interview that discusses the future of XMan, the reason she came to the sport, and what she sees for the future. My name is Sara, born and raised in Portugal for 28 years, but

You nominated You voted And the winners are here. Congratulations to all.

Spartan CEO Joe De Sena asked OCR Buddy to ask the community to gather their questions about Spartan Race and the status of the sport of Obstacle Course Racing. And he is answering. This is the third set of answers. They have only been edited for some grammar and punctuation or there has been context added by OCR

Spartan CEO Joe De Sena asked OCR Buddy to ask the community to gather their questions about Spartan Race and the status of the sport of Obstacle Course Racing. And he is answering. These are the second 20 answers. They have only been edited for some grammar and punctuation or there has been context added

The question felt pretty simple. What is the one thing you wish OCR would change? We asked this in the OCR Buddy Community Group and honestly, I had been amazed at the answers. They shared the passion and enthusiasm this community has for a sport that is changing We are sharing your answers in the

Feed from our friends at http://www.theocrreport.com The OCR Report came together with Inside OCR, OCWC and OCR Buddy to sit down with Joe DeSena to talk about the firestorm caused by Joe DeSena’s recent social media posts and the future of the sport. They discussed the marketing decisions that lead to the AI posting and

Update: We have since met with The Orginal Fit Factory the parent company of Cool Events. You can read the updates here: Update One: Cool Events Parent Company Addresses Issues. Update Two: https://ocrbuddy.com/update-cool-events-on-the-road-to-change/ Editors Note: Due to the size of the screenshots that correspond to the research in the article, all screenshots are at the

Charity Fick, a beloved member of the OCR community in the Pacific NW and Canada, recently passed away at the age of 42. Known for her infectious smile, supportive nature, and desire to see everyone shine, Charity inspired and motivated all who met her. I talked to several of her friends in the community. The

In Part 1 we asked ChatGPT about advice for training for OCR. In Part 2 we asked ChatGPT about a training plan for 3 months of OCR. We advise you to to take this with a grain of salt. We published this because we are interested in how ChatGPT can interface with our community. Yes,

ChatGPT. Even Joe DeSena is talking about it as a tool to train. Our question is, what can it give you? In part 1 we asked it to give us a blog post with tips for training. In part 2, which is coming soon we asked it for a specific training plan. We leave it

They say curiosity kills the cat. And I was curious. Could ChatGPT talk about obstacle course racing? For those who have not seen anything about ChatGPT in the news. The easiest way to explain ChatGPT is it is a well-trained AI bot that responds to human interaction and can produce text accordingly. Best explained in

Bonefrog Challenge is BACK. After it was announced that 2022 that Bonefrog would not be returning the OCR world was surprised by the announcement that Bonefrog had been sold to Josh March of EmPowered OCR. They will be launching on September 2nd 2023  with one event in Lancaster PA with their eyes on future events

You nominated. You voted. And the winners are here. OCR Buddy is proud to present the 2022 OCR Buddy Community Choice Award Winners. The awards show: The data: 2022 OCR Buddy Nomination Data Voting Results Editors note: We had a couple technical glitches with the voting form which is why some nominees may look like

Last year the community spoke and named their favorites when OCR Buddy presented the OCR Community Choice Awards. The awards are back and we want to hear your voice as the community picks its favorites in the 2022 OCR Buddy OCR Community Choice Awards. Voting Closes December 14th 2022. Your winners will be announced: TBD

Last year the community spoke and named their favorites when OCR Buddy presented the OCR Community Choice Awards. The awards are back and we want to hear your voice as the community picks its favorites in the 2022 OCR Buddy OCR Community Choice Awards. Nominations are open now through November 25th, 2022 Voting will open

The article from the Wall Street Journal has caused a lot of conversation about Spartan’s future and what they can do to turn the tide. It also became about if the tide should be turned or not. We wont even start this debate. For me, I am a marketing nerd. I do it for a

James Burton is an elected Director of the United Kingdom Obstacle Sports Federation and a top obstacle racing athlete. He has competed around the world and is preparing to represent his country at next week’s European OCR Championships in Italy.  James was kind enough to join us as the next guest on “10 Questions with…”

For Global Running Day on June 1, 2022; the parent company of Rugged Maniac, Ventures Endurance, is partnering with Califonia-based non-profit Shoes that Fit to make a difference in low-income children’s lives. From Shoes That Fit: Shoes That Fit tackles one of the most visible signs of poverty by giving kids in need new athletic

The first quarter of 2022 has seen the Mud Gear- Battle of the Lions Pro Team take to the course at American Ninja Warrior, Hyrox, and Spartan to start. They reflect on a successful first three months of 2022. OCR Buddy is a proud supporter of Mud Gear- Battle of the Lions Pro Team.  1)

A few years ago, I interviewed @alexandra_tx_ranger (Alex Walker) and called the article, “The Best OCR Athlete You Never Heard Of”. That has obviously changed. Through her training and perseverance, Alex had positioned herself into one of the top athletes in obstacle racing today. She does that while balancing training, life, and work. We thank