Judgement Day race director Mark Buller spent six months looking for somewhere that would make his event stand out. The location he’s chosen is used by the British Special Forces for urban warfare training and includes a purpose-built area of tall buildings, narrow alleys and rubble-filled streets. Buller is reluctant to divulge any further information, but he has exclusively revealed to us four of the obstacles you’ll face and what you can do to prepare for them.
All the kit you need should be available at your local CrossFit or gymnastics gym.
Monkey bars
Monkey bars are a common fixture at obstacle races, and Judgement Day is no different,’ says Buller. ‘Practise traversing them to strengthen your upper body.’
- Hold on to the first bar with both hands, keeping your arms straight.
- Reach for the next bar with one hand using momentum to reach for the next bar with your other hand.
Rope climb
‘Most people haven’t climbed a rope since school, so this is a good chance to get an advantage,’ says Buller. ‘This technique is called the S-Wrap and is the easiest way to climb a rope by far.’
- Grip the rope, letting it hang between your legs.
- Hook the rope around one foot and stand on the loop you’ve created with your other foot.
- Stand up, sliding your hands up the rope and pulling down. Hang from the rope, bend your legs and repeat.
Tyre flip
‘This old strongman training move is big in obstacle races,’ says Buller. ‘Poor technique wastes energy, so practise now and feel the benefit. Do broad jumps if you don’t have a tyre or enough space.’
- Squat close to the tyre holding the underside with your arms outside your legs. Stick your bum out, push your chest forward and explosively lift the tyre using your hips and chest.
- When it clears your waist, switch to an overhand grip to push the tyre over.
Sandbag lift and carry
‘Sandbags are hard to grip and tend to shift around as you hold them, making them ideal for building the core strength you need for obstacle races,’ says Buller.
- Squat down and grasp a 10kg sandbag in both hands.
- Keeping your back arched and chest up, explosively lift the bag by driving from your heels.
- In the same motion, hitch the bag onto one shoulder and steady it with one hand on top and the other underneath.
