A roundup of recommended obstacle ideas for obstacle courses
An obstacle course race is one of the classic events at school sports days.
Various obstacles are set up between the start and the finish, and it’s a race where competitors aim for first place while overcoming them.
What obstacles you include greatly affects both the difficulty and the excitement of the event.
In this article, we’ll introduce a variety of obstacle ideas you’ll want to incorporate into your obstacle course race.
We’ve included plenty of obstacles that require not only speed, but also dexterity and luck.
Use these ideas as a reference to create an obstacle course race everyone can enjoy!
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Recommended Obstacle Ideas for Obstacle Races (11–20)
hurdle
Perhaps the most popular event involving clearing obstacles is the hurdles.
The history of hurdling is long; it is said to have begun when people who couldn’t ride horses amused themselves by leaping over obstacles.
As a track and field event, the earliest recorded competition was held at the University of Oxford in England in 1864.
It was also contested at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.
The key is to hurdle at as low a height as possible to minimize time loss.
tricycle
A great recommendation for obstacle races involving middle and high schoolers, as well as adults, is using tricycles.
The idea is to have participants ride a tricycle over a set section of the course.
But riding a tricycle is surprisingly difficult for adults with bigger bodies! It’s hilarious and exciting to watch adults trying their hardest to ride, and it’s also thrilling when someone manages to handle it skillfully despite the difficulty.
If you want to create a fun, lively atmosphere for your obstacle race, this is the perfect obstacle idea.
horizontal bar
A horizontal bar event that puts the spotlight on every participant.
Show off classic moves using the bar, such as forward circles and pullovers.
Adjust the bar height to match each person’s athletic ability and body size.
It’s great because you can get started right away—just set up the bar.
Cheering and applause build a sense of unity in the venue.
Give this event a try; it’s the kind that makes everyone present want to root for the participants.
muscle training
If you suddenly want to add more obstacles, strength training is also recommended.
For example, you could do a set number of sit-ups or push-ups partway through.
This way, you don’t need to prepare any items.
It can also be used as a handicap for each team.
The more exercises there are, the more time it will take—and it will sap their stamina, too.
Try setting a reasonable type and number of reps.
It could also be fun to prepare multiple cards and have participants do whatever is written on the card they draw.
somersault
This obstacle involves laying mats along a section of the course, and participants advance through that section by doing somersaults.
I think it’s perfect for obstacle races involving kindergarteners and lower elementary school children.
To prevent collisions between competitors, it’s safer to provide one mat per lane.
Also, adding an auxiliary rule that allows those who can’t do somersaults to simply roll along is fine too, so everyone can have fun.
Dribble Dash
Dribble Dash is recommended as an obstacle race for participants of elementary school age and up.
In this event, you advance through a designated section of the course while dribbling a basketball.
Those with basketball experience can do it with ease, but it may be quite difficult for people who haven’t played much basketball.
If you’re holding it at a school sports day, it might be a good idea to set special rules—such as prohibiting members of the basketball team from participating, or having basketball team members do soccer juggling instead.
Recommended Obstacle Ideas for Obstacle Races (21–30)
One rotation on a trampoline
This obstacle involves bouncing in place on a trampoline while gradually rotating your body; once you complete a full turn, you can step off and start running.
It tests both the stability of your trampoline jumps and your ability to smoothly change your body’s orientation while bouncing.
If you lose balance and put a foot down outside, you must redo the rotation, so the key is to advance while keeping stability in mind.
It’s also important to determine, for each person, how much twist allows you to maintain a stable posture and where that line lies.
