The third edition of the “Macau Obstacle Racing Challenge”, organised by the Sports Bureau (ID), was held yesterday afternoon on Hac Sa Beach and the nearby Hac Sa Temporary Green and Leisure Area.
The challenge consisted of two groups: the Fun Group and the Challenge Group. While the Fun Group was a 3-km event offering participants a low-stakes opportunity to exercise, the Challenge Group, which was further divided into male, female and team categories, faced a 3.5-km obstacle course incorporating 15 challenges along the way, such as climbing over walls, carrying heavy objects and traversing a tall slope.
The event attracted more than 600 athletes, according to an ID statement.
The statement said that the competition was meant to encourage Macau residents to exercise more frequently for the betterment of their health, and to join group activities to enhance friendship and team spirit.
ID President Pun Weng Kun said during the awards ceremony that this year was the first time that the contest took place in Hac Sa, so as to minimise its impact on the traffic on the commercial and residential areas. He added that his bureau would continue to organise more mass-participation sporting events in the future and explore ways to optimise participants’ experience, in order to encourage everyone to maintain the habit of regular exercise.
One of the male individual Challenge Group’s participants told The Macau Post Daily that he was “overall satisfied” with the competition being held in Hac Sa, as it offered a more relaxing and charming vibe. He said that this year’s challenge was more difficult than the previous ones. “For example, running on soft sand was much more difficult than running on a hard surface, and the ground [on the beach] was uneven forcing me to slow down. This actually made it more challenging”, he added.
Finalists of the female individual Challenge Group compete in yesterday’s Obstacle Racing Challenge in the Hac Sa Temporary Green and Leisure Area.
– Photos: Gabriel Tam
Finalists of the Challenge Group (mixed-gender team category) traverse a cargo net during the final round of the Obstacle Racing Challenge yesterday.
