The Toyota Warrior Race has since its inception in 2013 struck a chord with the outdoor-minded athlete and weekend warrior alike, and next weekend will be no exception.

It is, however, not only for athletes from different sporting codes like running, CrossFit, and athletics, taking on the larger-than-life obstacles and innovative courses. Spectators are in for a real treat. Last year it came down to the wire between Thomas van Tonder and Claude Eksteen. The former, who won the national Warrior series in 2018 in the eighth stage of the race, now has a score to settle as Eksteen won the SA OCR Championship in Blythedale last month.

From the get-go, Armin Botha took the lead, with Eksteen right behind him at all times. Botha maintained the lead until he reached Breaking Point; a fatal mistake caused him to fall and he was left behind. Eksteen just kept going to ultimately take the win for the Black-Ops Elite men. In the women’s race, Nedene Cahill was consistent with her performance in front of fellow teammate Trish Eksteen. She managed to keep the lead and take the win for the Black-Ops Elite women.

A crowd favourite was born in 2017 when the Warrior Race series saw the introduction of a short course to the already diverse range of Warrior racing categories in which to take part. In order to afford even more people the opportunity to experience obstacle course racing, a shorter, faster and highly intensive obstacle course has been developed, to give athletes a different platform in which to show their metal. This format of racing has become one of the crowd favourites.

According to the Warrior Race, one of the reasons why obstacle racing is so popular is because anyone can participate. All you need is an old pair of running shoes and a sense of adventure. What makes obstacle racing unique is that it is one of only a few opportunities for athletes to compete against one another on a level playing field.

Much to participants’ anticipation, obstacles like the Tower of Rage and Mud Monster are making its return.
There is just over a week to go to the fifth leg of the series. More of the Mbombela Stadium will be used to make the routes even more interesting and challenging for warriors. Little adventurers and spectators are especially welcome to join in on the fun.

A specifically designed obstacle course will be available for youngsters, as well as a Warrior Kids Zone, under the supervision of childminders.
Those who are interested in some extra high-speed action have the option of entering the popular Sprint Race, too. This
is a shorter and more compact obstacle course which can be entered individually or as a team. Registrations are open at
www.jumpertrax.com. R30 will get spectators in to witness the action.

Also read: Take a step on the wild side in the 5th Toyota Warrior Race