Spartan Race Acquires The OCR World Championships

A press release went out yesterday announcing Adventurey’s OCR World Championships is now in the hands of Joe Desena’s Spartan Race. Last November, the two companies announced a collaboration to co-market and co-produce the once-a-year event. This new declaration means that Adventurey is officially calling it quits, at least for now, in the OCR business.

Adrian Bijanada and his partners first put on the event, which came to be known as OCRWC in 2014 in Ohio. It has become one of the most beloved events in the industry. Many obstacle racers planned their entire year around it.

It was known for several things including attracting the best obstacle racers from around the world, being one of the first to insist on mandatory obstacle completion, being one of the first to have drug testing, having an entire championship weekend of race distances, and a festival-like atmosphere from start to finish.

We will be putting together additional articles and videos about the event in the coming weeks about our experiences with the event.

We have also sent a list of questions to Spartan Race about the future of the event that we hope to have answered soon.

Here is a podcast interview we did the day of the announcement with OCRWC 3K Champion Veejay Jones.

Below is the press release:

Boston, 9/20/2023 — Spartan Race (www.Spartan.com), the world’s foremost obstacle course racing (OCR) organization, announced today the acquisition of the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships (OCRWC) (www.OCRWorldChampionships.com). The strategic move comes just ahead of the much-anticipated October event scheduled to take place in Mammoth Lakes, California at Mammoth Mountain.

“OCRWC has always been about the athletes and the OCR community,” stated Adrian Bijanada, Community Chair of OCRWC. We have spent the last ten years working towards building a brand and event that honors every athlete, competitor, and supporter. This relationship with Spartan Race will allow the OCRWC to expand our reach and continue our mission of celebrating the athletes and the sport we love on a broader scale”. Bijanada added, “My first order of business will be inviting other races to the OCRWC where they can exhibit their brand and stay onsite with us. Additionally, we would love to provide anyone in the community with the opportunity to share in the ownership of the OCRWC in the future. I look forward to working with Joe to galvanize this community around this historic event.”

Under this new partnership, Adrian Bijanada, OCRWC Founder, will continue to play a pivotal role as Community Chair. In this capacity, he will remain dedicated to preserving the OCRWC’s core values and ensuring that the OCR community and its athletes remain the sole focus of the prestigious event.

“Adrian Bijanada and the OCRWC team have created a unique experience for athletes and built an incredible platform for obstacle course racing, and we are thrilled to be a part of it,” said Joe De Sena, CEO of Spartan Race. “This partnership not only enhances the OCR community and elevates the sport, but also emphasizes our dedication to providing athletes with unparalleled experiences and changing lives.”

Spanning three action-packed days from the OCRWC and Spartan will bring together elite athletes, weekend warriors, and newcomers alike, fostering a spirit of camaraderie and competition. Participants will face a series of grueling obstacles, testing their strength, agility, endurance, and mental fortitude. The course will have various participation options, including a 100m that carries on throughout the weekend, an obstacle-laden 3k, a 15k featuring every obstacle OCRWC has to offer, and a three-person team event on Sunday. OCR enthusiasts of all levels will also have an opportunity to get in on the weekend’s action with a journeyman/woman division as well.

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Matt B. Davis

is the host of the Obstacle Racing Media Podcast and the author of "Down and Dirty-The Essential Training Guide for Obstacle Races and Mud Runs". He is also the only (known) #wafflehouseelite obstacle racer.