Obstacle glossary

From monkey bars to the rig to bucket carries, obstacle racing throws a wide variety of obstacles your way, often with similar names but different details depending on the organiser. This glossary explains the main classics alphabetically, with technique tips and notes on which series they typically appear in.

Atlas carry / sandbag carry

In the atlas carry or sandbag carry, you carry a heavy weight, usually a sandbag or an atlas stone, over a set distance. Technique tip: keep the weight close to your body and distribute the load across both shoulders or in front of your chest to protect your lower back. Carries like this feature in nearly every major series, including Spartan, XLETIX and Strong Viking.

Bucket carry

In the bucket carry, you fill a bucket with gravel or sand and carry it over a set distance, often uphill. Technique tip: keep the bucket close to your body and switch arms regularly to avoid one-sided fatigue. This obstacle is typical of Spartan races.

Ice bath

In an ice bath obstacle, you briefly submerge in a tank of freezing water, sometimes ducking under a barrier. Technique tip: keep breathing steadily and move through quickly rather than hesitating, which shortens the time spent in the cold water. This obstacle mostly appears in autumn and winter races, such as Tough Mudder events.

Hercules hoist

In the Hercules hoist, you pull a weight upward using a rope and pulley system. Technique tip: use your body weight as a counterbalance and walk backwards in a lunging motion rather than pulling with your arms alone. This obstacle is known, among others, from Tough Mudder.

Barbed wire crawl

In this obstacle, you crawl on your stomach or forearms under low barbed wire or netting, often through mud. Technique tip: stay flat, pull yourself forward on your forearms, and protect your knees and elbows. Crawling obstacles like this appear in nearly all the major series.

Monkey bars

Monkey bars are a series of horizontal bars you swing across from one side to the other without touching the ground. Technique tip: keep a steady rhythm, arms slightly bent, and use momentum from your hips to save energy, a secure grip matters more than speed. Monkey bars are among the best-known obstacles at Spartan, XLETIX and many other series.

Multi-rig

A multi-rig combines different grip elements, such as rings, bars, ropes or T-grips, in a continuous sequence you must cross while hanging. Technique tip: briefly study the sequence of grips before starting, and keep your centre of gravity steady when switching between elements. Multi-rigs are a well-known signature obstacle at Spartan races.

Rig

A rig is a structure made of grip elements, such as rings or bars, that must be crossed in sequence while hanging, without touching the ground. Technique tip: plan the order of grips before starting, and reach with your stronger arm first. Rigs are standard at many series because they specifically test grip strength and coordination.

Sandbag carry

See atlas carry above: the sandbag carry is one of the most common forms of weighted carry, and varies in weight and distance depending on the organiser.

Mud pits

Mud pits are water and mud-filled trenches you must wade through or climb across, sometimes with ropes or handholds at the edges. Technique tip: take small, controlled steps rather than wading hastily, to avoid losing your balance. Mud pits are especially characteristic of Mud Masters and Strong Viking.

Rope climb

In a rope climb, you climb a vertical rope, often suspended over a water pit or mud pit. Technique tip: lock the rope with your feet, for example in a J-wrap around one foot, to save arm strength and push off with your legs. Rope climbs appear at almost every major series.

Spear throw

In the spear throw, you throw a spear at a straw target from a set distance. Technique tip: hold the spear over your shoulder and step forward with the opposite leg to generate hip momentum. This is a well-known signature obstacle at Spartan races, and a missed throw there usually means an additional task.

Traverse wall

On a traverse wall, you move sideways along a climbing wall using holds and footholds, without touching the ground. Technique tip: keep your weight close to the wall and rely more on your legs than your arms. Traverse walls appear as a technique obstacle at several series.

Tyrolean traverse

On a Tyrolean traverse, you pull yourself hand over hand along a taut rope over a distance, often across water. Technique tip: cross your legs over the rope and pull alternately with your arms rather than relying on your upper body alone. This obstacle is known from, among others, Tough Mudder and Spartan.

Wall

Walls are among the most common obstacles of all, ranging in height from low beginner walls to versions several metres high with a grip ledge at the top. Technique tip: approach with momentum, plant one foot against the wall, and pull yourself over the edge with your arms rather than just jumping. Walls appear in some form at practically every series.

Grip strength: the shared foundation

Many of the obstacles above, from monkey bars to the rig to rope climbs, demand one thing above all: resilient grip strength. Regular work on a pull-up bar or dead-hang training benefits you across nearly all of these obstacles. Suitable exercises are covered in our grip strength section, with general obstacle technique covered on obstacle technique.

Preparing mentally for obstacles

Beyond pure technique, many obstacles are as much a mental challenge as a physical one. Water and height obstacles, such as an ice bath or a tall wall, make some runners hesitate at first, even when their physical preparation is actually sufficient. A proven approach is to identify ahead of race day which obstacles challenge you most, and to practise exactly those in training, whether on a public climbing frame, a slackline for balance, or cold showers to get used to low temperatures.

Safety at obstacles

At practically every obstacle at larger events, marshals are on hand to support or step in if something does not go as planned. If you feel unsure about a particular obstacle, it is better to take the offered alternative or time penalty rather than take a risk. This applies especially to obstacles at height or over water.

Now that you know what to expect, find a suitable race on our races overview or learn more about the major series’ formats on what is obstacle course racing.