Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Gear You Need to Get Started in Obstacle Course Racing – Getting Started in OCR Series Part 3 of 12
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Gear You Need to Get Started in Obstacle Course Racing – Getting Started in OCR Series Part 3 of 12
We often hear the question, “what should I wear to my first obstacle course race?“
One of the most attractive points of obstacle course racing is the minimal gear required to participate. You can realistically race with just a pair of shoes, socks, shorts/pants, and a shirt (debatable). Unlike many other sports, you don’t need to go out and spend thousands of dollars just to participate. We will tell you that proper gear can also make or break your race depending on the course, the weather on race day, and your level of conditioning. For example, if we would have tried to race that Lake Tahoe Spartan World Championship race dressed like the elites in just shoes, socks, and compression pants, we most likely would have been pulled from the course for hypothermia.
Take a listen, check out our list, and feel free to comment below with what has worked for you!
Shoes
Quite possibly THE most important piece of equipment you will want to get right is your SHOES. We recommend using trail-running shoes with extra traction. Some races are more forgiving than others on this point, but most courses will punish you for not setting yourself up for success here. Don’t be like Stephanie and show up to the Wintergreen Spartan Super in an old pair of running shoes.
Just a few tips on what to look for in your trail running shoes:
Excellent traction.
Drain well.
Light weight.
“Low drop” otherwise you will feel like you are running in platforms which will increase your chances of rolling your ankle. We’ve really enjoyed our Saucony Trail Running Shoes. Coach Steve, on the other hand, literally left his Salomon’s sitting on the side of the course after he was convinced they tried to kill him. They work for some people, but Steve felt like he was running in high heels. No matter which shoes you choose, train in them before you decide to race in them.
Clothing
This may seem obvious, but if you’ve never done a race, you may not know that pretty much anything you wear IS going to get muddy and will never return to its original color if it started out light. We would also like to tell you that everyone always looks best in dark (especially black) colors.
For most races, you will want to wear tight, synthetic clothes to keep from getting caught up in things like barbed wire and to wick moisture away from your body. Avoid all cotton except for those hot races where the race page information actually tells you to wear cotton. The perfect example for when to wear cotton would be the SoCal Spartan Beast where in 2014, they pulled hundreds of racers off the course for heat illness. This race was coined “Hellmecula” after that year.
You also want tight fitting clothing so it stays on. If you have any doubt, go out in your yard, cover yourself with extra wet mud and see if your shorts stay up. Our favorite compression pants and shorts come from 2XU.
Your choice of pants over shorts or shorts over pants will depend on the race day weather and how much protection you are looking for from your clothing. Either way, we recommend training in them before racing in them.
We recommend high compression socks both for their compression benefits, and to protect you from obstacles such as the rope climb. Well,
View all episodes
By TheAthEliteWe often hear the question, “what should I wear to my first obstacle course race?“
One of the most attractive points of obstacle course racing is the minimal gear required to participate. You can realistically race with just a pair of shoes, socks, shorts/pants, and a shirt (debatable). Unlike many other sports, you don’t need to go out and spend thousands of dollars just to participate. We will tell you that proper gear can also make or break your race depending on the course, the weather on race day, and your level of conditioning. For example, if we would have tried to race that Lake Tahoe Spartan World Championship race dressed like the elites in just shoes, socks, and compression pants, we most likely would have been pulled from the course for hypothermia.
Take a listen, check out our list, and feel free to comment below with what has worked for you!
Shoes
Quite possibly THE most important piece of equipment you will want to get right is your SHOES. We recommend using trail-running shoes with extra traction. Some races are more forgiving than others on this point, but most courses will punish you for not setting yourself up for success here. Don’t be like Stephanie and show up to the Wintergreen Spartan Super in an old pair of running shoes.
Just a few tips on what to look for in your trail running shoes:
Excellent traction.
Drain well.
Light weight.
“Low drop” otherwise you will feel like you are running in platforms which will increase your chances of rolling your ankle. We’ve really enjoyed our Saucony Trail Running Shoes. Coach Steve, on the other hand, literally left his Salomon’s sitting on the side of the course after he was convinced they tried to kill him. They work for some people, but Steve felt like he was running in high heels. No matter which shoes you choose, train in them before you decide to race in them.
Clothing
This may seem obvious, but if you’ve never done a race, you may not know that pretty much anything you wear IS going to get muddy and will never return to its original color if it started out light. We would also like to tell you that everyone always looks best in dark (especially black) colors.
For most races, you will want to wear tight, synthetic clothes to keep from getting caught up in things like barbed wire and to wick moisture away from your body. Avoid all cotton except for those hot races where the race page information actually tells you to wear cotton. The perfect example for when to wear cotton would be the SoCal Spartan Beast where in 2014, they pulled hundreds of racers off the course for heat illness. This race was coined “Hellmecula” after that year.
You also want tight fitting clothing so it stays on. If you have any doubt, go out in your yard, cover yourself with extra wet mud and see if your shorts stay up. Our favorite compression pants and shorts come from 2XU.
Your choice of pants over shorts or shorts over pants will depend on the race day weather and how much protection you are looking for from your clothing. Either way, we recommend training in them before racing in them.
We recommend high compression socks both for their compression benefits, and to protect you from obstacles such as the rope climb. Well,