K9 Memorial Park - Beach Warrior Obstacle Course 2022

Short review

Welcome back!

With the recent success of our first annual 5K, we decided that we can’t wait another year for our next event! We are raising the stakes and turning up the heat with our next race, the K9 Memorial Park Beach Warrior Obstacle Course. This course is team-oriented and will consist of 17 unique obstacles that will push you both mentally & physically. Each team must navigate through various obstacles & compete against the clock for the best time! Here is the catch; the course is on the beach!

The K9 Memorial Park Obstacle Course is set up in a manner that will cycle each team through an array of diverse obstacles that will test overall strategy, endurance, physical stamina & precision. To participate in this event, individuals will need to register in teams of 5. Individuals that do not have a team can register, however; it should be noted that individual registrants will be automatically teamed up with other individuals to form a team of 5 according to the individual registrant pool.

As with our first 5K, participant safety is paramount. Not only do we strive to provide a fun & challenging environment, but we also want to ensure that all safety guidelines are followed to minimize the risk of injury. Please read the guidelines below as they pertain to the course that will be in place during the event.

1. Participants should be aware that this event will require physical mobility and should expect to walk, run, crawl, jump, climb, push, pull, throw & lift items that may be upwards of 40 lbs. to successfully navigate course obstacles. 

2. Participants should be aware of their own personal limitations and should not participate in this obstacle course if they have/or are:

          A. Underlying health conditions that would prevent the participant from navigating through the course while exerting any of the physical mobility movements contained herein. 

          B. Underlying health conditions that would cause the participant to experience further injury or complication(s) relative to pre-existing conditions. (I.e., heart problems, back or neck problems, high blood pressure, bone and/or joint problems, respiratory problems, etc.)

          C. Pregnant, claustrophobic, and/or not in good general health.

Team Order, Course Routing & Placing:

After participants & teams are checked in, they will be directed to an idle area where they will wait until the first two teams are called to the starting line. Teams that have successfully registered online prior to race day will be provided with a “ready time.” This time will be a scheduled time for each specific team to report to the starting line. While at the starting line, captains from each team will participate in a coin toss. The winning team will be the team that starts the course first. Once the first team approaches a midway checkpoint, the second team will be given the green light to begin the course. 

Due to the scope of course obstacles and to prevent unnecessary idling while a team is competing, only two teams will be allowed on the course at a time and will be staggered accordingly. While teams are actively on the course, awaiting teams in the idle area are free to observe and strategize where space permits. 

Each obstacle in the course will be marked in numerical order and will be visible from a distance. To prevent any confusion on what obstacle a team must navigate to next, there will be various paths of green flags at the base of the obstacle. In addition to the green flags, there will also be red flags that will indicate off-limit areas & non-obstacles. On race day, there will also be a brief provided to all teams that will go over the course layout and instructions. Water stations will also be established at designated points throughout the course.

Teams will be placed in the order that their entire team crosses the finish line. The last person in a team to cross the finish line will stop the clock. This ensures that individuals within each team help one another through each obstacle with a goal of completing as one. Any obstacles that are skipped or failed will result in a two-minute penalty being added to official finish times. 

Associated Risks:

Obstacle courses come with associated and inherent risks. The risk level is dependent on not only the type of obstacle, location & placement of the obstacle; but ultimately on the participants’ individual capability to navigate the obstacle. All obstacles that are placed at the K9 Memorial Park Beach Warrior Course have been tested & navigated through without injury. 

If at any time during the course you feel as though advancing through a certain obstacle may be dangerous or are generally uncomfortable, that is totally fine! We do not want a single person getting hurt or feel as though they must absolutely do something that they are uncomfortable with. 

With that being said, there are risks of tendonitis, ankle sprains, lower & upper extremity injuries, such as rotator cuff tears & tendonitis, ACL injuries, shoulder dislocation, & muscular hypertension due to the fact that the surface of the course is on sandy beach terrain. As an added safety measure, all participants will be required to wear some sort of protective footwear while navigating through the course. (Flip-flops are not in this category!)

Tentative Schedule:

We have selected Horseneck Beach as the venue for our Beach Warrior Obstacle Course and can be found at 52-154 W Beach Rd., in Westport, Massachusetts. Horseneck Beach is a wide barrier beach that is known for its sandy rolling dunes and spans approximately 2 miles in length.

The tentative date for the Beach Warrior Obstacle Course is currently scheduled for September 18th, 2022, at 08:00 AM. The official start time will be at 9:30 AM and will cease at 3:00 PM. This event will be capped at 200 participants (40 teams of 5 members).  

In the event that the Beach Warrior Obstacle Course is relocated to a different venue, registered participants will be notified in advance of the new venue location and check-in time(s). The new venue will also be reflected on this page accordingly. 

Team Identification & Custom T-Shirts:

To maintain team uniformity for identification purposes, we ask that all members of a team wear the same color clothing garment. (T-shirts, bathing suits., etc.) Race bibs will not be utilized during this event for identification or timing! 

There will also be a registration option for teams to register and receive custom, K9 MP BWOC (K9 Memorial Park Beach Warrior Obstacle Course) matching t-shirts. These custom t-shirts will have the team’s name printed on them and will be matching in color. Custom ordered team shirts will be mailed out prior to the event to the address provided upon registration. 

Awards:

Winning teams will be divided into three categories (first-place team, second place team, & third-place team) and will be awarded based on their finishing times. Dual LED timers will be placed at the finish line and will be visible for all participants to see. 

Event Updates:

Check back often to see if there have been any updates to the event! In the meantime, get yourself prepared for one of the most unique & challenging obstacle courses in the Southcoast Massachusetts area! We look forward to seeing you there!