9 September 2015
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
This September come hail, rain, snow or even sun, thousands of people – of all age and fitness level – will be pushed to the limit as they compete in one of Ireland’s leading obstacle course, Toughathlon. The obstacle course, which takes place in the Showgrounds, Curraheen on September 26th & 27th, is perfect for those seeking a fun and exciting challenge.
Participants can expect to get down and dirty, battling through a host of tough and challenging obstacles including the infamous Devil’s Ladder, which is named after Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil’s steepest route. The Walls of Jericho obstacle stands 8ft tall at an angle of 75 degrees and is designed to test strength, agility and teamwork. And no Toughathlon would be complete without the 8ft-9ft Walls of Tough and Claustrophobia Crawl obstacles.
“Toughathlon is not a race; it is a challenge open to everyone including teams, couples and individuals. We are passionate about pursuing adventure and we continually push the boundaries introducing new, innovative and tough obstacles for each event – and the September course is no different,” said Darren Brosnan, Toughathlon Course Designer.
More than 20k people have participated in Toughathlon since it was established in 2013, with more and more companies using the course as a team building exercise.
“The Toughathlon course has 20 – 30 obstacles, which are designed to test strength, stamina, endurance, agility, co-ordination and balance. However it’s impossible to make it through the course without help. Teamwork is key and this course is a unique, and very muddy, way of building trust among teammates or colleagues,” he added.
The Toughathlon team have also designed obstacle courses and challenges for RTÉ One’s primetime TV show Ireland’s Fittest Family.
He continued: “We like to keep things fresh and there is nothing better than the element of surprise so participants need to be prepared for some “Mystery Obstacles” along the way as well. The September Toughathlon will have a host of new obstacles and for the first time there will be a dry-run course for those unwilling to get dirty – the first of its kind in Ireland.”
