OVERVIEW:
Be advised, the Ultimate Challenge” is just that…the ULTIMATE challenge.
This course will challenge “YOUR” limits. You can walk the course at a
comfortable pace if you like, or you can run it…. your call. The course is
designed as a team-oriented course, but it can be done individually. Upper
body strength combined with lower body endurance will get you through
Volkslauf in fine order.
TRAINING:
As a team, you will need to train as a team. This is what the Marine Corps
is all about…teamwork! Train as fast as your slowest team mate. “Slow is
smooth. Smooth is fast.” Remember that when you train, you should stretch,
hydrate and run. Your upper body strength needs to consist of being able to
pull yourself up and over obstacles - many times. The rest is simply
endurance running and, of course, playing in the mud.
Pacing yourself is the key. A ten minute mile pace will get you across the
Finish Line before most of your competition. The Marines call a ten minute
pace the Marine Corps Shuffle.
RULE SUGGESTIONS:
As you may have noticed, we’re in the west, but not the “wild west”! Some
rules do apply while on the course (see Course Rules for more info). There
are Referees strategically placed throughout the race route. They are there
to motivate you and to assist you in the event of an emergency, provide
communication, as directed, and keep the program “honest”. The referees
report directly to the Race Director and he has final say in all matters
pertaining to the conduct of the race. As in any other sporting event, if
you are found cheating, the referee will call you out to either correct your
“malfunction” or simply disqualify you depending on the nature of the
offense. This doesn’t usually happen, but it can and swift action will be
taken to keep it fun for everyone else.
All paths on the course go “through” the obstacles, not around. Running
around an obstacle can/will be grounds for disqualification (DQ). In the
event you are just here for fun, as most of you are, you may go around an
obstacle so long as you first make an honest effort to go through it. If
necessary, the Referee at that area will grant you “amnesty” from having to
otherwise properly execute that obstacle.
“The Ultimate Challenge” doesn’t mean you need to pull off the “ultimate
stunt”. Lots of people come “in costume” and like to “muck about” before,
during and after the run. That’s OK. It’s all for fun anyway, isn’t it? In
fact, we encourage “mucking about”. However, you must respect the course; it
CAN hurt you (see Course Rules for more info).
Some basic suggestions follow:
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No diving into ANY water or mud obstacle. Ease into all obstacles. Broken ankles have happened due to misjudgment of water/mud depth.
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Be aware of your footing; your shoes are muddy with less-than-optimal traction.
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Be respectful and courteous. Just because you helped someone over that 8’ wall doesn’t mean someone will return the favor.
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Keep your composure (and mouth) in check.
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Be patient when getting through a bottleneck. There are many and besides, we’re here to have fun, right?
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In the event you cannot get wet for some reason, or have a special need (bandage, stitches, apparatus, etc.), running alongside water/mud obstacles is allowed. We absolutely invite athletes of all ability levels to participate in Volkslauf and recognize some may possess special needs. While many of our obstacles will present significant challenges to athletes with special needs, we encourage them to “give it a shot” anyway. Volkslauf is all about teamwork and the Race Committee will do whatever it takes to assist.
