Hundreds brave inclement weather for first Braveheart Challenge

With chilly temperatures and rain pouring out of the sky for most of the morning, hundreds of racers gathered in Oak Mountain State Park for the first annual Braveheart Challenge. Modeled after the well-known genre of spartan races, the 10k course wound through the trails of the park and runners encountered obstacles of varying degrees of difficulty, leaving them covered in varying degrees of mud and water.

Race organizer Ryan Elm, with Blackwatch Sports Performance, said obstacles included a sand bag carry, over-under barriers, an inverted wall, a weighted tire pull, a water barrier and a peg board.

Many teams competed, so they were able to help each other through the obstacles when they needed to, and Elm said he believes it was more common for people to compete as teams as opposed to on their own.

While racers aged 14 and up were in the adult category, kids aged 13 and under were also welcome to join in the fun for a 1-mile fun run. "All the kids seem to like it," he said.

He estimated that 350 people registered for the first Braveheart Challenge and said they plan on doing it again in the future. "For the first race, it was ok," Elm said, explaining it was a little hectic. "We'll just do better next year."