Tough Mudder's Infinite Hero Honor Challenge
In 2021, Tough Mudder launched a new event called Infinite Hero Honor Challenge. The 10 hour endurance event is a theme based team challenge that has a fundraising component making it not only a fun experience but also one that allows you to give back. We ask long time OCR and Tough Mudder competitor, Evan Perperis, some common questions and a quick rundown of some of the highlights that make Infinite Hero Honor Challenge one of the most unique events in our sport:
So it’s like a Spartan Hurricane Heat? No, but it is in the same concept. Just as Tough Mudder and Spartan are both Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) events both Hurricane Heat and Infinite Hero Honor Challenge are both team based challenge events. Just like you wouldn’t say your experience at Spartan Race is the same as Tough Mudder, the same is true for Hurricane Heat and Infinite Hero Honor Challenge. The big difference being types of challenges and fun factor.
Types of Challenges: Tough Mudder is known to challenge your fears, which is one of the reasons it is such a rewarding experience. Participating in Infinite Hero Honor Challenge will give you some unique experiences like doing some of Tough Mudder’s obstacles as a team while blindfolded, backwards, tied together, balancing something or carrying a heavy object. The events bounce back and forth between mentally demanding ones and physically tiring ones, so regardless of where your strengths lie, you’ll have a chance to shine as well as a change to be challenged. If you liked the fun of some of the challenges from Tough Mudder’s virtual events but wanted them a little more physical as well as requiring more problem solving, you’ll love these.
So I’m just following the Tough Mudder course and completing tasks? No, you’ll go through the event as a group required to stay together but you will zig zag back and forth across parts of the course not taking the normal path. Land navigation is part of it, which is why participants are supposed to bring a compass, but honestly once you know which way north is, most participants just use the provided map and landmarks to navigate. The zig zag pattern takes inspiration from Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection’s Star course.
Fundraising & Theme: The event has a charity partner called Infinite Hero Foundation (learn more about Infinite Hero here), which provides support to military veterans both physically and mentally. Part of your sign up involves a requirement for fundraising making it a great opportunity to give back. The military connection is extended further because everything is themed with your “unit going behind the lines to complete missions”. So instead of me telling you to carry this heavy object to the far side of an obstacle, the challenge might be to bring sandbags to the far side of an obstacle to reinforce battle positions of a friendly unit or provide them with an ammo crate filled with supplies.
Who is giving me these tasks? I am. I’ll be the advisor for the events meeting you at various points providing details and guidance. As an Army Special Forces veteran and a Pro OCR athlete with 65+ podiums, I help craft the challenges and themes blending the world of military and OCR to create an event like none other.
I know what you are thinking, “Of course you are going to say the event is great, you help run it”, but don’t just take my word for it, you can listen to two of the participants on recent podcast episodes:
Sign up is now open for 2022! Come to one or all of the three events for a unique experience! With events in California (Los Angeles), Texas (College Station) and Georgia (Atlanta), you’ll be able to find one in driving distance or near a major flight hub. Plus, if you attended last year don’t worry because the challenges are all new every time you attend an Infinite Hero Honor Challenge event!
Evan “Ultra-OCR Man” Perperis is a professional obstacle course racer for the MudGear-Battle of the Lions Pro Team. With over 65 overall podiums and counting, he is best known for his annual ultra-endurance events that often last multiple days to raise money for the charity Folds of Honor. You can read about these events and his military service in his biography “Ultra-OCR Man: From Special Forces Soldier to Record Setting Pro OCR Athlete” (available in hard copy, digital and audiobook). A NSCA-CPT he also has an additional five books on training and preparing for Obstacle Course Racing.
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