Running Theme (Course Format & Challenge)
Action-packed obstacle course races (OCR) featuring climbing walls, monkey bars, water trenches, mud, and heavy carries. Browse 132 events (36 confirmed dates) and 418 races from 1 km to 22 km.
Selected Events
Photo: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rebecca Floto · Public Domain · Wikimedia Commons
Francorchamps, Belgium
November 14, 2026 to November 15, 2026Date confirmed
Photo: Mk2010 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
November 14, 2026Date confirmed
Photo: BLMUtah · Public Domain · Wikimedia Commons
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
November 19, 2026 to November 22, 2026Date confirmed
Photo: Avi1111 dr. avishai teicher · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
November 21, 2026 to November 22, 2026Date confirmed
Photo: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rebecca Floto · Public Domain · Wikimedia Commons
London, United Kingdom
November 28, 2026 to November 29, 2026Date confirmed
Photo: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rebecca Floto · Public Domain · Wikimedia CommonsMálaga, Spain
February 27, 2027 to February 28, 2027Date confirmed
Photo: U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Rebecca Floto · Public Domain · Wikimedia CommonsBarcelona, Spain
March 20, 2027 to March 21, 2027Date confirmed
Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Louverné, France
March 21, 2027Date confirmed
Dates & Schedule
| Date | Event | Location | Disciplines | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 14, 2026 - Nov 15, 2026 | Hurricane Heat Weekend Francorchamps | Francorchamps, Wallonia, BE | Obstacle Course Racing | 12 h4 h |
| Nov 14, 2026 | Forge Hybrid Race | Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh, KH | Fitness Racing | 5 km |
| Nov 19, 2026 - Nov 22, 2026 | Abu Dhabi Spartan World Championship | Abu Dhabi, Abou Dabi, AE | Obstacle Course Racing | 21 km10 km5 km3 km |
| Nov 21, 2026 - Nov 22, 2026 | DEKA Tenerife | Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, ES | Obstacle Course Racing | 5 km1.61 km |
| Nov 28, 2026 - Nov 29, 2026 | London West DEKA Trifecta | London, England, GB | Obstacle Course Racing | 5 km1.61 km |
| Date | Event | Location | Disciplines | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 27, 2027 - Feb 28, 2027 | DEKA Torremolinos | Málaga, Andalusia, ES | Obstacle Course Racing | 5 km1 km |
| Date | Event | Location | Disciplines | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2027 - Mar 21, 2027 | DEKA Barcelona Spring | Barcelona, Catalonia, ES | Obstacle Course Racing | 5 km1.61 km |
| Mar 21, 2027 | Défi Louvernéen | Louverné, Pays de la Loire, FR | Trail Running | 22 km13 km8 km |
| Date | Event | Location | Disciplines | Distances |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 3, 2027 - Apr 4, 2027 | Santa Domenica Trifecta |  Sveta Nedelja, Split-Dalmatien County, HR | Obstacle Course Racing | 21 km10 km5 km |
| Apr 4, 2027 | The Obstacle Race | Étalans, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, FR | Obstacle Course Racing | 7 km |
| Apr 9, 2027 - Apr 10, 2027 | Spartan Race Munich |  Munich, Bavaria, DE | Obstacle Course Racing | 10 km5 km3 km4 h |
| Apr 24, 2027 - Apr 26, 2027 | Rome Orte Spartan |  Rome, Lazio, IT | Obstacle Course Racing | 21 km10 km5 km3 km |
Overview & Route Character
Action-packed obstacle course races (OCR) featuring climbing walls, monkey bars, water trenches, mud, and heavy carries. In the RunningCompass calendar, the Obstacle Course theme currently spans 132 public events and 418 individual competitions, including 36 confirmed editions for 2026-2027. From 5K beginner courses to 21K championship distances, OCR events combine running speed with full-body strength. Primary disciplines include Obstacle Course Racing, Fitness Racing, and Trail Running with race distances from 1 km to 22 km.
Wet obstacles and muddy trenches call for fast-draining trail shoes and strong grip endurance. Across the catalog, the most demanding courses in this category feature up to +200 m of climbing. Leading host destinations include Francorchamps, Phnom Penh, Abu Dhabi, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Notable events in this category include Hurricane Heat Weekend Francorchamps, Forge Hybrid Race, and Abu Dhabi Spartan World Championship. Every event page includes an interactive course map, elevation telemetry, GPX track downloads, and direct filters for date, distance, and destination.
Action-packed obstacle course races (OCR) featuring climbing walls, monkey bars, water trenches, mud, and heavy carries. RunningCompass currently lists 132 events with 418 individual competitions under the Obstacle Course theme. A total of 36 events have confirmed dates for the 2026-2027 season, alongside additional races with full course profiles for season planning.
From 5K beginner courses to 21K championship distances, OCR events combine running speed with full-body strength. The 418 listed competitions span distances from 1 km to 22 km, led by Obstacle Course Racing, Fitness Racing, and Trail Running. You can narrow the calendar by 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, or ultra distance brackets using the search filters.
Wet obstacles and muddy trenches call for fast-draining trail shoes and strong grip endurance. Races in this theme reach up to +200 m of climbing. Each event detail page provides interactive course maps, elevation gain and loss metrics, altitude ranges, and downloadable GPX files to help you plan pacing and gear.
Leading host destinations include Francorchamps, Phnom Penh, Abu Dhabi, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Notable events in this category include Hurricane Heat Weekend Francorchamps, Forge Hybrid Race, and Abu Dhabi Spartan World Championship. Using the monthly calendar groups on this page or the linked interactive map explorer, you can filter all 132 events by country, region, month, and distance.
