Setting Up the Six Hurdles at Cutter Street This Evening
Parker Swenson, Operations Manager, for the First Urban Raid Tomorrow on the Eastern Promenade
Three hundred men and women have registered for tomorrow’s inaugural “Urban Raid” on the Eastern Promenade along the waterfront. More participants are expected to sign up tomorrow morning between 7:15 am and 8:30 am – just a half hour before the race starts at 9 am and ends at noon. Registration is $75. and will be at the highly visible white tent with a flying flag on Commercial Street; not far from Ocean Gateway.
“We want to show there are alternate ways of getting exercise,” said Parker Swenson, of Aura 360. Swenson, who is operations manager for the 5K event said this combination changes the pace of exercise and walkabouts. The course is 3.8 miles and there are many obstacles along the way that have not occurred on the Eastern Promenade previously.
They include 200 tires at the boat launch near the East End Beach which runners must get through; a sand bag carry on the Eastern Promenade hill; 6 wooden marine hurdles on Cutter Street runners have to climb over; a chain link crawl near the tennis courts; monkey bars on top of the nearby parking garage; (if you survive that one!) there are only two more obstacles to go; a cargo net climb and one other for which I can’t read my notes! There are challenges of lesser degrees of difficulty that may be utilized.
It’ll be worth the challenge. The winners in each of the six divisions earns a big medal and “swagger” rights said the affable Swenson. There will be music and a Shipyard Beer Garden back at the starting point; Shipyard Summer on tap. With each ticket sold, there will be two free $2. beers.
Last July 9th, Tri-Maine held its Urban Epic Challenge on the Eastern Promenade with the famous “slip and slide” obstacle. So, the two local companies decided to team up to produce this year’s “Urban Raid.”
Please see Raid Events.Com as well as Post # 831, dated 7/9/11 for more background information.