Queenstown athletes embracing obstacles
Marijn Wouters, left, and Rhys Cunningham. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER
Two Queenstowners are competing for New Zealand in the OCR world champs in Sweden in September, but it's got nothing to do with the official cash rate.
Instead, the acronym stands for obstacle course racing — a minority sport that's growing around the world.
Rhys Cunningham, 35, and Marijn Wouters, 34, qualified through their results in Wanaka's annual Alpha Challenge.
NZ's governing body also set some internal tests, but Cunningham got an exemption as he had broken a bone off an elbow. He was introduced to the sport in Wanaka in 2018 when a pro Canadian obstacle racer lived there.
In Gothenburg, Sweden, Wouters will contest the 100m, 3km and 12km events, although he thinks he'll compete in the shortest distance just for laughs "given there's no place to practise that here".
Cunningham's just running the 3km and 12km races.
He competed in the worlds in Belgium in 2023, but lost his three bands, or 'lives', so was disqualified. "I guess my inexperience showed, and it was quite heartbreaking because you put in all that work."
As to the appeal of obstacle racing, "I think it's a sport anyone can enter", Cunningham says.
"Obviously, it's a running race, but you don't have to be the best runner to be good at it."
For Wouters, "I love the climbing, bouldering aspect of being able to put yourself through some really rough stuff".
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Otago Daily Times
24-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Queenstown athletes embracing obstacles
Marijn Wouters, left, and Rhys Cunningham. PHOTO: PHILIP CHANDLER Two Queenstowners are competing for New Zealand in the OCR world champs in Sweden in September, but it's got nothing to do with the official cash rate. Instead, the acronym stands for obstacle course racing — a minority sport that's growing around the world. Rhys Cunningham, 35, and Marijn Wouters, 34, qualified through their results in Wanaka's annual Alpha Challenge. NZ's governing body also set some internal tests, but Cunningham got an exemption as he had broken a bone off an elbow. He was introduced to the sport in Wanaka in 2018 when a pro Canadian obstacle racer lived there. In Gothenburg, Sweden, Wouters will contest the 100m, 3km and 12km events, although he thinks he'll compete in the shortest distance just for laughs "given there's no place to practise that here". Cunningham's just running the 3km and 12km races. He competed in the worlds in Belgium in 2023, but lost his three bands, or 'lives', so was disqualified. "I guess my inexperience showed, and it was quite heartbreaking because you put in all that work." As to the appeal of obstacle racing, "I think it's a sport anyone can enter", Cunningham says. "Obviously, it's a running race, but you don't have to be the best runner to be good at it." For Wouters, "I love the climbing, bouldering aspect of being able to put yourself through some really rough stuff".
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
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Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
NZer Mayne confirmed as Football Ferns coach through to 2027 World Cup
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