Thousands of runners in outfits from superhero costumes to tutus spent the day getting hit, splashed and flopped at Orlando’s Hit and Run 5k.
The announcer stated that this was the last Hit and Run 5k for this year.
There were five obstacles throughout the three-mile course, which runners encountered and fought their way to complete.
The Duck or Dive obstacle required runners to balance themselves on beams to cross over the pools, but that was just part of the challenge. There were giant spinning balls hovering above the beams. This obstacle had participants testing their ninja skills. This was the last obstacle runners had to face before they could claim their victory.
“The obstacle [Duck or Dive] was refreshing because it was so hot! I wish there were water obstacles like that,” said Belinda Ladley, who’s a junior nursing major.
Ladley attended the event with her boyfriend, Nathanael Pope, and a group of friends. They called their group “The Shakes.”
She and Pope both said that most people crawled through the Duck or Dive because standing was almost impossible.
Another challenge was the Bouncy Bridge, which had runners plunge into two huge, blue bouncy balls.
Eric Thalin, who was interviewed in the article “5k Hit and Run Makes it’s Way to Orlando,” stated how he felt about the Bouncey Bridge and course.
“Jumping on the balls was the hardest. I’m not really built for endurance and balance,” said Thalin.
“This is a lot of fun and is a lot cheaper than Tough Mudder [which is around $100 to register for].”
Stacy Geisel, who was also interviewed in the previous article, also stated, “the hardest obstacle was one where you had to jump from ball to ball- that one you had to really try hard to make it, but somehow I made it through without wiping out.”
Geisel and Kristin Roberts, a runner who is a 2013 elementary education alumna, both agreed that the whole course reminded them of the show “Wipeout.”
The three other obstacles were the Wobble Walk, where runners tried to walk on top of pole posts and climb the inflatable rock wall, the Slippery Slopes, which had runners soaked in water and foam, and the Whacking Wall, where the wall could literally turn on someone while they got hit with incoming dodge balls.
