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 Only about 1 percent of participants are injured during these races,
and most of the injuries are minor and only require first aid, the
researchers write in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Obstacle course runs can be anywhere from 3 miles long to a full
marathon. They can involve difficult terrain like mud and
military-inspired obstacles like wall climbs, gymnastic rings, and
even barbed wire or fire jumping.
In 2015, over 4.5 million people in the United States participated
in an obstacle course run, the researchers write.
“The growing popularity of OCRs has led to significant concerns
regarding their safety,” lead author Dr. Alana Hawley told Reuters
Health by email.
The health risks of participating in such obstacle courses are
minimal, however, and are comparable to the injury risks at any mass
gathering event, said Hawley, of McMaster University in Ontario.
To determine how safe obstacle course races are, the researchers
used data on more than 45,000 people participating in eight 2015 Mud
Hero events in Canada.
The study team collected information from the medical charts
recorded by the event staff, including the nature of the injuries
and whether the patients needed further care at a hospital.
In total, 557 people, or 1.2 percent of the race participants, were
treated for injuries at the eight events, with 609 medical
complaints in total.
Three fourths of the complaints were for muscle or bone injuries and
most were treated with first aid or basic medical equipment on site.
Most of those injured - 89 percent - returned to the event without
needing any further medical care.
The race medical staff advised 48 patients, or 9 percent of those
treated, to seek medical care, either immediately or in the near
future.
Eleven patients had to be transferred to the hospital for injuries
that included broken bones, dislocated joints, head injuries, chest
or stomach pain, and falls.
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“OCRs are distinct events with unique health risks and challenges in
providing medical care,” Hawley said, but she noted that there are
currently no safety guidelines or medical standards for these
events.
Hawley also noted that because the events are often held in rural
areas, there has been some concern that injured participants could
overwhelm small local emergency departments.
Marna Rayl Greenberg, Director of Emergency Medicine Research at
Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network in Pennsylvania, said by
email that her own research on obstacle runs had very different
results.
Greenberg’s 2013 study (http://bit.ly/2czA8Zf) focused on seriously
injured patients at an event at which there were 100 emergency
medical services calls altogether. She suggested that the Mud Hero
events may be less dangerous than other races, which can involve
barbed wire, ice baths, and electric shocks.
“Take the time to look at the type of obstacles that you are asked
to complete in the race you are interested in participating in,”
said Greenberg, who was not involved in the new study.
Greenberg said it may be wiser to choose events with both hard and
easier course options and to avoid or walk around higher risk
obstacles, particularly electric shocks.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2cV9JEh Emergency Medicine Journal, online September
15, 2016.
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