The Crucible: Difficulty is key in this short-distance sufferfest
It may seem hard to believe. On March 31st, 2018 in Clinton, Mississippi I found a menagerie of soul-crushing obstacles deep in the heart of the sometimes ho-hum state of Mississippi. However, that is exactly what The Crucible is. A once a year event not for the easily defeated, The Crucible offers a great challenge to OCR elites as well as suffer fest diehards. Proof that people who are indeed serious about OCR and about pushing themselves to the brink even in Mississippi, The Crucible will tear racers down and subsequently build them back up into a stronger person by the end of the 4.8-mile sufferfest.
Methodical Mania in Mississippi
Just over four miles can seem like much further when it’s jam-packed full of forty obstacles. The Crucible challenges racers with unique unorthodox challenges that they may not be used to. What seemed to be a large, low incline A-frame was actually a hanging over-under. The concept is hard to grasp without optical aid. Imagine weaving your body in and out of two by fours all while trying to hold your body weight up. The unknown can be daunting. Discovering a technique that gets you through a new obstacle is part of the fun.
Innovation for the OCR Nation
This OCR introduced new, challenging obstacles. It also made many OCR staples more challenging and threw a new twist on them. We’ve all done a log carry. How about a DOUBLE fence post carry around a berm and down and up a hill? Rope climbs are nothing new to the OCR world. A thirty-foot rope climb out of water is no easy task. Bucket Carry? No, participants had to complete a double tire carry instead. I commend and respect the race director on his barefaced approach. The Crucible presented competitors with a great physical and mental challenge designed to unleash the animal of survival from within.
Working out the Kinks
The only qualm I have with The Crucible is expected with smaller, newer races. Volunteers were either not placed at some obstacles early on, or they did not know how to properly give instruction. This is vastly important when elite waves come through, especially when cash prizes are being awarded. Early on there were no instructions and no volunteers to give direction. Many newcomer elites had to repeat obstacles, in turn, forcing them to be behind other competitors on an obstacle losing valuable time.
There were also a few bad choke points that just didn’t flow well for an elite event. Hanging in the air because someone is in front of you and hasn’t yet figured out their technique isn’t fun. However, these small detriments did not severely detract from the overall experience of The Crucible. I feel that the small race can improve on these factors creating a tough challenge that also flows. I am happy to get the word out about what The Crucible is and can be. I invite many of you from surrounding states to come and try it out! It’s one of the few events that I personally can say makes a trip to my home state worth it!
David Carraway
Latest posts by David Carraway (see all)
- Hyrox Dallas 2020 - March 2, 2020
- Spartan Central Florida Beast 2019 - December 30, 2019
- Spartan Dallas Stadium Race 2019 - July 29, 2019
