No muddy waters with new obstacle course race in Las Vegas

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A new obstacle course — with no mud and less than 3 miles of running total — will makes its Las Vegas debut in February.

With multiple difficulty levels and a kids course, organizers say the Epic Series events bring competitors the very best of other obstacle courses. Based out of San Diego, Epic Series was founded in 2014, and this’ll be the first event run in Las Vegas.

“We’re pushing our way east and of course we wanted to hit Vegas,” Epic Series CEO Matt Mayfield told the Review-Journal, adding that the southern California events sometimes draw Las Vegas residents in competition.

Most of the traditional obstacle course races have a large footprint, Mayfield said, and aren’t always open to many athletes. The Epic Series races eliminate mud, have less than three miles of running and incorporate obstacles from all types of skill sets.

“We saw a real need for races that can operate in the cities and in the neighborhood so you don’t have to drive out to a wilderness for a race,” Mayfield said.

More than 25 obstacles are packed into a course that’s typically less than two miles long. The Vegas event will set up in the Llama Lot on N. 10th Street on Feb. 23 — across the street from Atomic Liquors. Competitors can expect to be done in as little as 30 minutes, according to organizers.

You can expect truck pulls, farmer carry, tire flips, deadlifts, sandbag lunges and kettlebell step-ups. Choosing from the beginner, intermediate or elite heats will help determine the number of reps and the weight you’ll be expected to work with. Those in the elite heat will compete for cash prizes.

The Epic Series website features how-to videos for some of the required moves, like the burpee box jump and the keg lunge walks.

If you’re still not sold on the February event, you can get a sneak preview by watching (or participating in) Barnaby’s Challenge Course at Camp Rhino on Jan. 13. The course is designed to give people a taste of what the elite course is like, and to an outsider’s eye will look more like the CrossFit Games competition than an obstacle course race.

Competitive entries cost $75 a pop, while the open entries run $65 each. Teams that hit a minimum number of members can earn discounts on the entry fee. To sign up, visit epicseriesocr.com.

Contact Meghin Delaney at 702-383-0281 or mdelaney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MeghinDelaney on Twitter.