{"id":108081,"date":"2017-08-18T19:36:12","date_gmt":"2017-08-18T18:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/?p=108081"},"modified":"2023-02-17T12:43:59","modified_gmt":"2023-02-17T11:43:59","slug":"how-ocr-obstacle-course-racing-aka-sufferfests-went-mainstream-thank-you-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/how-ocr-obstacle-course-racing-aka-sufferfests-went-mainstream-thank-you-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"How the OCR Race (Obstacle Course Racing) Went Mainstream: Thank You, Social Media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Obstacle course racing (OCR) is an interesting concept. People all around the world are paying to sweat, even at the risk of personal injury, pain and severe discomfort &#8211; all in the name of fitness! <em>(<\/em><em>Actually, injury might be more of a guarantee than a risk&#8230;)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how did&nbsp;<em>sufferfests<\/em> become so popular &#8211; and <em>how popular<\/em> are we talking?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recent growth and popularity of obstacle racing events<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>According to research from RunRepeat, OCR events have grown from<em> less than 100,000 yearly participants<\/em> to roughly <strong>500,000<\/strong>! All in just 5 years between 2010 &#8211; 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d049dec102f&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d049dec102f\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-113988 size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"596\" height=\"415\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR1-min.jpg\" alt=\"graph showing number of participants for OCR events between 2010 - 2015\" class=\"wp-image-113988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR1-min.jpg 596w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR1-min-300x209.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: https:\/\/runrepeat.com\/state-of-obstacle-course-racing-in-the-usa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After 2015, we start to see signs of market saturation with a steady number of participants each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the<em> average number of participants for each OCR event<\/em> during the same period, we see a pattern of decrease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69d049dec146e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" data-wp-key=\"69d049dec146e\" class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter wp-image-113991 size-full wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"597\" height=\"436\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR2-min.jpg\" alt=\"graph showing average number of participants per OCR event between 2010 - 2015\" class=\"wp-image-113991\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR2-min.jpg 597w, https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/app\/uploads\/2017\/08\/OCR2-min-300x219.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 597px) 100vw, 597px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Source: https:\/\/runrepeat.com\/state-of-obstacle-course-racing-in-the-usa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This makes perfect sense: more events to choose from means less participants at each event&nbsp;<em>(can&#8217;t run them all!)<\/em>. After 2015, the number of participants per OCR event is stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What draws people to these obstacle course racing events?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides seeing all kinds of inspiring posts about the awesome races that your friends just ran&nbsp;<em>(or crawled and bled through)<\/em> in your feed, look at all that each OCR race has to offer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Push physical and mental limits \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meet new people \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overcome challenging situations \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Get dirty (without funny side glances from strangers) \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve fitness \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>More affordable than a big trip \u2665<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lifetime bragging rights \u2665<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As far as events go, it&#8217;s pretty well-rounded, and for many who&#8217;ve participated, it&#8217;s addictive. Can you name anything more satisfying than the thrill of success and accomplishment?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But let&#8217;s not kid ourselves: an OCR race is not for the weak-willed. If you want lifetime bragging rights, you have to earn them. The hard way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=10101588054553086&#038;set=a.582348267586.2114048.34501138&#038;type=3&#038;permPage=1\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In case you&#8217;re wondering or have never participated before, these events are <em>tough<\/em>. For an OCR race like the Reebok Spartan Race, the completion rate is typically less than 25%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on your fitness level and the particular race itself, each event can be a competition between participants or, more than likely, a race against time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Crunch, slosh, slide, electrocution&#8230; &lt;25% completion rate. But don&#8217;t psyche yourself out. You&#8217;ll run yourself ragged and you need all the energy you can get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Just <em>how<\/em> did OCR obstacle course racing become mainstream?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is simple: <strong>social media<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would people still want to participate in an OCR race if they weren&#8217;t so visible on social media?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I&#8217;m sure the answer is YES &#8211; though much less people would be aware of them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Would OCR obstacle course racing be so popular without the rapid influx of awesome user-generated content that comes with every OCR race?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I&#8217;m sure the answer is NO because, well, nobody would know about them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re organizing or are in charge of marketing an OCR race, then monitoring and promoting your event on social media is key. Stay ahead of the game with <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/what-is-social-listening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/what-is-social-listening\/\">social listening<\/a> and monitor posts and conversations about OCR events all over the Internet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why track conversations about OCR races online and in social media?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many reasons, but it basically boils down to <em>staying informed<\/em>. Keeping track of relevant conversations online and where they occur tell you&nbsp;<em>who<\/em> is interested in obstacle course racing&nbsp;<em>(so you can find your target audience). Know<\/em>&nbsp;<em>where<\/em> people discuss and look for information about OCR events&nbsp;reveals where you need to distribute content and promote your OCR events<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you collect information &#8211; which is easy with the help of <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/social-media-monitoring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media monitoring<\/a> tools like Brand24 &#8211; it&#8217;s just a matter of filtering data according to the <em>type<\/em> of information needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s simpler than it sounds, especially if you think about separating different types of information as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you&#8217;re an OCR race organizer \/ promoter:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Feature your participants and engage with them<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXdSTrenErD\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Bonefrog is a Navy SEAL owned and operated OCR race. And as you can see, featured participants appreciate receiving recognition for all the hard work that they put into completing a strenuous OCR race like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organizers must remember that while each OCR race may be just 1 of their many seasonal events, it might be the first OCR race for any given participant. And each <em>individual<\/em> <em>experience<\/em> will determine whether a participant will return next season or encourage others to sign up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BW3lrIxlSjx\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The OCR World Championships is one of the highest-level global events for the general sport of OCR obstacle course racing. Participants need to qualify to enter, which usually means finishing among the ranks of the top 5-20 in any designated OCR race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many will try, most won&#8217;t make it, and those who do&#8230; well, they&#8217;ve earned the right to boast (see palms above). Oh, and the medals are nice, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Find sponsors and cross promotion opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BX0XIV3AtCY\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Ironman Triathlon is more of a distance-based race than an OCR race, but they&#8217;re not without their similarities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, both present perfect opportunities for athletic brands to find brand ambassadors and collaborate with event organizers to simultaneously promote an event while featuring their products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Inspiring photos like the one above showcase this beautifully. Seriously, when you&#8217;re fit, you&#8217;re fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Improve the experience for your participants<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXyHgGBAeFI\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Tracking conversations related to your event via social <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/what-is-media-monitoring-and-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">media monitoring<\/a> is an ideal way to get candid feedback about your event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The participant above had a great experience at Warrior Dash, but wishes that timing chips could be provided to help participants track their completion time more accurately. Maybe at your next OCR race, Warrior Dash?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you&#8217;re in an industry related to (or even <em>not<\/em> related to ) OCR obstacle course racing:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Join the conversation and recommend your product<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BX4D8FeBgbe\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses in related industries can certainly benefit from tapping into OCR race conversations and engaging with potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Posts like the one above from a Savage Race participant are aplenty. OCR race participants wear out their equipment fast and are often on the lookout for product recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This conversation shows other participants openly making recommendations for their favorite products. This is a prime opportunity for the mentioned brands to 1) thank their customers for recommending their product and 2) engage with a potential new customer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Find brand ambassadors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BW-CEQnAUoA\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This Shale Hill participant can&#8217;t stop raving about her favorite shoes. One of the comments on the image indicate that her very vocal appreciation for the footwear brand even inspired a purchase (or 50)!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hmm&#8230; now, tell me again: where could one possibly find any proud supporters and ambassadors of their brand&#8230; ? Thank you, social media monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Collaborate with OCR race organizers to create event-related products<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BXMDk9dgW3w\/\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you participate in OCR obstacle course racing or similar athletic events, chances are you&#8217;ve heard of the Ragnar Relay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They&#8217;re known for distance, team, and overnight relays&#8230; as well as their &#8220;van tagging&#8221; ritual (placing team magnets on other vans during races). Originally designed for teams as souvenirs, van tagging has become nearly synonymous with the race itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether you&#8217;re an OCR race organizer \/ promoter or if you work in an industry with matching interests, the data that you gather from <strong>social media monitoring<\/strong> can provide you with significant value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By monitoring &amp; tracking relevant conversations via social media monitoring, you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>engage with your supporters<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>find event sponsors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>learn how to improve the overall experience for participants<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>find opportunities to recommend your product<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>discover potential brand ambassadors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>get ideas for creating event-related products.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And that&#8217;s not all. There&#8217;s a lot more you can do with social media monitoring data; this list is far from conclusive. It just depends on what your goals are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Curious about what to track? Here are <a href=\"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/8-keywords-you-should-track-that-are-not-your-brand-name-via-social-media-monitoring\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8 types of keywords you should be monitoring on social media<\/a> all the time anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make sure your OCR race is a success by tracking relevant mentions and conversations with social media monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, it&#8217;s official, the weekend will be here in just a few hours, so you know what that means&#8230; if you helped to organize or promote an OCR race (or maybe you&#8217;re racing), GOOD LUCK!!! Wishing you mild weather, a good turn-out, and if you&#8217;re competing &#8211; the shortest completion time of your OCR race career!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Event creators and promoters, don&#8217;t forget to check out Brand24 for social media monitoring. Set up your free projects now to uncover some amazing user-generated content and find out what your participants love about your OCR race!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>OCR Obstacle Course Racing events are challenging. Wait, that\u2019s an understatement (they\u2019re also known as SufferFests). Why are they so popular? Social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":108085,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4136],"tags":[2058,2056,2050,2048,2051,2049,2046,2047,2057,2052,2054,2053,34,54,104,32,286,2055],"class_list":["post-108081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-strategy","tag-bonefrog","tag-ironman-triathlon","tag-mud-race","tag-mud-racing","tag-obstacle-course","tag-obstacle-course-race","tag-obstacle-course-racing","tag-ocr","tag-ocr-world-championships","tag-ragnar-relay","tag-savage-race","tag-shale-hill","tag-social-listening","tag-social-media","tag-social-media-marketing","tag-social-media-monitoring","tag-user-generated-content","tag-warrior-dash"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"cf_author_first_name":"Chia","cf_author_last_name":"Lee","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108081","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108081"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108081\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156893,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108081\/revisions\/156893"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108085"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108081"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108081"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brand24.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108081"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}