As any veteran to the sport will attest, every run is its own challenge. Be it a fun-run or a solo escape, each outing is a high-wire balancing act carrying the weight of work, life, sporadic strains and sprains, fellow competitors and internal expectations. Still, one eventually fatigues of the familiar. Traversing the same roads day-after-day or competing in the same 3.1 mile distance every race can get, well…boring. Every athlete has skills and weaknesses that need to be tested against a new challenge time and again to renew their training vigor.
Enter the 2018 LA Sports Fest, a two-day gauntlet of endurance happening this weekend (June 9 & 10) at Baton Rouge’s BREC’s Farr Park. With events happening from 7:30 in the morning through 3 a.m. the next day, the weekend is sure to satisfy even the most insatiable adrenaline addict.
Take a look at the events below:
Obstacle Course Races
OCR 5k
Saturday, June 9, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Featuring both an elite bracket and open waves, this race will appeal to runners and HIIT enthusiasts alike. Among the more than 25 obstacles are inverted walls, rope swings, balance beams and cargo net climbs.
OCR Time Trials
Sunday, June 10, 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
The time trail competitions are a fast and furious showdown seeing the top male and female from each heat advance to the next round until the final winners are crowned.
“Big Easy” Heat
Saturday, June 9, 6 p.m. – 10 p.m.
“Easy” is a very misleading word to associate with this competition; “big” – on the other hand – is apropos. This team-building event is not a race, but a four-hour endurance trial of strength, stamina and mental grit. The “Big Easy” Heat is an abridged GoRuck challenge, itself based on Green Beret training. Enough said.
OCR Triple Pass Ticket
Dates and Times Vary
Go hard and don’t go home until you have completed all of the above obstacle course competitions.
Off-Road Bike
“Race of Truth” Time Trial
Saturday, June 9, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
A series of off-road time trials with divisions for geared, single-speed and cyclocross riders.
Mountain Bike Off-Road Duathalon
Sunday, June 10, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Enjoy the best of both disciplines with a 2-mile run/5-mile ride/2-mile run off-road race.
Trail Runs
Great Scavenger Hunt Run
Saturday, June 9, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Runners are given a map to help them collect as many hidden objects along the course as they can within a given time limit. Though this is an individual event, many participants prefer to complete it as a group for the shared experience.
12k Midnight Challenge
Saturday, June 9 (technically Sunday, June 10), Midnight – 3 p.m.
Are you a morning runner? I mean, a real morning runner? If so, this midnight 7.5 miler is for you. Bring a headlamp to light your way along this scenic after-hours trail run. Aid stations will be available at the 4k and 8k markers.
5k and 10k Trail Runs
Sunday, June 10, 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Enjoy either a 3.1 or 6.2-mile run along a lush and challenging off-road course. Aid stations will be available along each route.
Rock Climbing
Rock Wall Showdown
Saturday, June 9, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.;
Sunday, June 10, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Four competitors will go head-to-head in each round to see who advances to the next level. A Second Chance Round will allow those knocked out a final chance to climb their way back into the competition.
To learn more or to register, visit louisianasportsfest.com. VIP packages and daily children’s activities and competitions are also available.
