La Ruta de los Conquistadores
This is an almost 300-mile mountain bike race across Costa Rica from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Riders have three days of riding almost 100 miles a day with tight cut-offs to finish the race. This is considered to be the World's Toughest Mountain Bike Race.
More: 10 Tips to Survive a 24-Hour Mountain Bike Race
Tough Guy UK or the Death Race
Both are certainly extreme and seem to be growing trends of the new millennia. I love them both. They are challenging, exciting and truly a lot of fun. Tough Guy UK is a roughly 10-mile obstacle course in the British countryside close to Wolverhampton. Participants run through briars, raw sewage, hanging electrical fields, fire and ice cold water. Mr. Mouse, the race director, is a retired British SAS officer. His course definitely proves it. This is one of my favorites and can be completed in two to five hours depending on your fitness level.
Next is the Death Race. This sick, twisted contest is the brainchild of Joe Desena and Andy Weinberg. It's set in the rolling hills of Vermont and consists of some of the most warped events a person can come up with. The course this year was roughly 45 miles long with 22,000 ft of elevation gain. Contestants had to low crawl miles under barbed wire; carry a 60 lb. pack up and over the mountains many times; chop wood; haul manure; translate Greek; and even eat 2 to 3 lbs. of onions. There were 135 participants who signed up and only 19 finished. This is probably one of my favorite events. It's every bit as much mental as it is physical. If you think you're tough, you've gotta add this to the list. You can find great video footage of this year's Death Race here. The password is run.
More: 6 Tips to Get Ready for an Obstacle Course
As you can see there's a little bit of something out there for everyone. These are just a few on my list.
What's on your extreme fitness bucket list?
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