Training profile, sporting habits and injury characteristics of Spanish obstacle course races participants: cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This study aimed to provide information on the training profile and characteristics of injuries sustained by obstacle course racing competitors.

Methods

This research is a nationwide cross-sectional, self-administered online survey conducted in 2023.

Results

We analyzed the data collected from 201 obstacle course racing participants (mean age: 33.8 ± 7.1 years; 60.7% men). On average, athletes had 2.9 ± 2.4 years of obstacle course racing experience and participated in approximately four races in the previous year. Most of these races covered distances of 5–10 km (65.2%). Among the participants, 28.4% reported injuries, with the upper extremities being the most frequently affected. Approximately 19% of these injuries required medical supervision, and 2% led to hospitalization.

Conclusion

Injury risk in obstacle course racing participants was associated with participation in a higher number of obstacle course racing competitions, reduced time between these competitions and having performed specific obstacle training.

KEYWORDS:

• Athletic injuries
• sport medicine
• risk factors
• sports
• survey

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The Local Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Education and Sports Science (University of Vigo) approved the study protocol and registered a priori on Open Science Framework [OSF, https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9H3XW].