Jan. 25, 2016 - PRLog -- BattleFrog, the nation's fastest growing Obstacle Course Race (OCR) Series kicked off its 2016 season to rave reviews near San Diego today. The race showcased new obstacles, a revamped festival and earned praise as the first signature course designed by the world’s top ranked OCR competitor, Ryan Atkins.
Atkins, who is known not only for his OCR accolades but his accomplishments in ultra-marathons and mountain races, used every geographic feature of the beautiful ‘212 Land’ race site to the runners’ advantage. Said Atkins: “I tried to make a real ‘Ryan Atkins’ course, and I was really pleased everyone had a great time. We created interesting obstacle placements atop ascents with some panoramic views, and really showed off what a beautiful place Southern California can be. Every finisher today knows why Battling is Believing is such an important ethos at BattleFrog.”
According to participants, Atkins nailed the mark. OCR veteran Chris Cow said the course was “Fantastic! It was a fun new venue, great obstacles, and a challenging, and somewhat humbling race. Can't wait for the next one."
The race included new, wider aluminum obstacles including a new, taller Delta Ladder and Delta Cargo, an inverted eight-foot wall, the “L Bridge”, an 11-foot high “Confidence Climb”, a new Hooya water slide and the L-Bridge, which was first unveiled to rave reviews at BattleFrog’s Miami race in November. All of the new obstacles were designed by BattleFrog’s team of retired Navy SeaBees, the Navy’s elite construction team. Lead designer Carl “Cajun” Peltier was thrilled that runners were responding positively to the new obstacles. He stated: “We love all the smiling faces and satisfied finishers; it makes our day. We spent a lot of months designing and fabricating big obstacles that would be challenging and confidence inspiring. As retired SeaBees, we like to prove we can build the best, anywhere in the world.”
Racer Mimi Schector agreed. "After running my first BattleFrog race today, BattleFrog proved they're a serious contender in the obstacle racing field. The obstacles were challenging and new. They were a welcome addition to the sport!"
The obstacles and course layout also impressed well-known OCR racer and adaptive athlete, Misty Diaz. Ms. Diaz was born with and raises awareness about Myelomeningocele, the most serious form of Spina Bifida, in her runs. After 28 surgeries and despairing about her deteriorating physical condition, Ms. Diaz was determined to recapture her fitness and started by walking a single block. The next day she added another, sticking to a routine that never stopped. Soon a 5k walk turned into a 5k run. Today she is one of the best known OCR athletes in the sport. About BattleFrog, Ms. Diaz said: "The obstacles were well thought out and very well-built, challenging every part of your body and mind. I am definitely running this race again! I feel accomplished and excited about my next BattleFrog!”
To learn more about Misty and her amazing story, please visit http://www.lilmisty.com/meet-misty/.
As World Number 1, Ryan Atkins had promised competitors he did not officially compete on his own course out of fairness to elite athletes that would not see the grounds before running. Meanwhile, Atkins’ fiancée, World Number 1 female and BattleFrog champion Lindsay Webster, was snowed in in Toronto, leaving the competitive field wide open for Elite Competitors to stand atop the BattleFrog winner’s podium.
BattleFrog elite racer and Lifestyle Director Corinna Coffin and elite male Alexy Viktory rose to the challenge, capturing top marks and earning an invitation to BattleFrog Championship events later this season.
Meanwhile, the intense battle for second place in the elite male division culminated in a shocking photo-finish with less than 1/100 of a second separating Ian Hosek and Glenn Racz! The runners traded leads throughout the course and were battling neck and neck through the final lap of the course. Towards the final stretch, Hosek opened a small lead at the Delta ladder with a strong ascent and quick descent. Undeterred, Racz sprinted his way to the Tip of the Spear, completing the obstacle first and picking up a few paces on Hosek as they barreled toward the finish. Racz had the race all but locked up heading towards the finish, and elected to skirt the right side of the last bit of mud and water standing in his way. Seeing an opening, Hosek risked everything by jumping straight into the water, regaining crucial lost steps. With a fierce will to win, Hosek made a flawless exit and a split second lunge made the difference. He edged out Racz by less than a nose at the finish line. Their race was so close that neither the Battlers nor the course officials could visually identify the winner!
The outcome was definitively decided by digital timing, verified by third party timing experts, Chosen USA. Both laps of the exciting heat were captured in beautiful high definition video by BattleFrog’s video partner iRewind. As part of its unique partnership with iRewind, every BattleFrog participant receives a free, fully edited highlight video of their BattleFrog experience that they can share with friends on social media. This is just one of the many ways BattleFrog is investing in technology to revolutionize the sport of OCR. The video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/jzqJz9H38AQ.
Top Finishers in BattleFrog San Diego included:
Elite Female
1. Corinna Coffin, 2:02:33.53
2. Amy Pajcic, 2:28:16.56
Elite Male
1. Viktory Alexy, 1:38:34.71
2. Ian Hosek, 1:40:08.62
Masters Female
1. Jolene Wilkinson, 2:49:05.34
2. Lisa Nondorf, 3:17:02.00
Masters Elite Male
1. Jeffrey Bent, 2:12:55.88
2. Rene Armenta, 2:32:12.00
All throughout 2016, top elite finishers will earn points to qualify for regional championships. Top finishers will then earn invitations to the 2016 BattleFrog Open Championship, OCR’s most coveted title race. To learn more and register for a BattleFrog race near you, please visit www.battlefrogseries.com. BattleFrog – Gotta Live It!
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ABOUT BATTLEFROG. The BattleFrog Obstacle Race Series is the nation's fastest growing OCR event. It is heralded as one of the top OCR companies by industry publications and is widely considered the most challenging Elite Points Series event in OCR. BattleFrog is more than a race, it is also about love of country, family, friends, fitness and the great outdoors. At every event BattleFrog offers its namesake BattleFrog Open Course, the "BattleFrog Extreme," challenging racers to achieve the longest overall distance, the "BullFrog Mile" and the 400-meter "Tadpole Dash" for families with young children. BattleFrog introduced OCR to millions of Americans with its sponsorship of the BattleFrog Fiesta Bowl on ESPN. Its national advertising campaign features Rippit, the mascot who exclaims: "BattleFrog: Gotta Live It!™" at the conclusion of every commercial. To sign up for a BattleFrog event, visit www.BattleFrogSeries.com, and we invite you to follow BattleFrog on Facebook. BattleFrog – Gotta Live It™.
Contact
Michael McAllister
***@battlefrogteam.com
Photos: (Click photo to enlarge)
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