The Sports Bureau (ID) announced yesterday during a press conference at its headquarters that the third edition of its “Obstacle Racing Challenge” will take place on October 15, and is now taking registrations.
Obstacle course racing is a sport in which competitors must overcome various physical challenges in the form of obstacles.
The Macau Obstacle Racing Challenge was held for the first time in 2020, and has since then become a regular annual event, except in 2022 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bureau’s Sports Development Department Chief Chao Kuok Wai said that the challenge will take place on Hac Sa Beach and the nearby Hac Sa Temporary Green and Leisure Area. According to Chao, the event welcomes registrations from everyone born in or before 2010, i.e., aged 13 years or above. He added that the event has been well-received by residents since its first edition in 2020, and hence the bureau has increased the number of obstacles from 13 to 15, with the expectation of bringing more challenges to participants.
The bureau’s Sport for All Division Chief Lou I Wan said that the challenge consists of two groups: the Fun Group and the Challenge Group, in both of which participants will face obstacles of various difficulty levels in order to prove their cardiorespiratory endurance and physical strength. She added that the Fun Group will be a 3 km event offering participants a low-stakes opportunity to exercise, while the Challenge Group, which is further divided into male, female and team categories, will have a 3.5 km obstacle course incorporating more difficult challenges such as climbing over walls and climbing up ropes, traversing a tall slope, carrying heavy objects and crawling through tunnels.
According to a statement by the bureau, the first three in each individual category will receive coupons ranging from 500 to 1,000 patacas, redeemable in exchange for sports-related merchandise. Meanwhile, the first three in the team category will each receive a trophy and coupons ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 patacas.
The registration period runs until noon on October 10. A total of 1,200 spaces will be offered this year.
Sports Bureau (ID) senior officials Chao Kuok Wai (right) and Lou I Wan hold a press conference yesterday at the ID headquarters in Zape to introduce next month’s Obstacle Racing Challenge. – Photo: Gabriel Tam
