See this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Max Jaeger
Brooklyn Daily
This “Epic Fail” looks likely to succed.
Marine Park’s Aviator Sports Complex will host the first “Epic Fail Challenge” on May 3. The five-kilometer dash pits runners against 12 off-the-wall obstacles as they make a circuit around Floyd Bennett Field. The race will be the first of its kind for Chicago events company Red Frog Events, and a spokesman said the company couldn’t think of a better place to give it a whirl than Brooklyn.
“We’ve seen such a great response here before, so it makes sense to test ‘Epic Fail Challenge’ in Brooklyn,” said David Auffenberg, an assistant director with Red Frog.
The company is shipping in inflatable obstacles and a team of designers from its Midwest headquarters a week early to set up the course, which will include hurdles that challenge runners to jump from platform to platform, scramble up walls, and tread balance beams over ball pits, he said.
Course-builders will makes use of the airfield’s layout to create a unique experience, Auffenberg said. Runners will dodge, dip, duck, and dive through equipment on the same tarmac that launched aerial acrobats in the field’s heyday.
The inspiration for the event comes from reality television shows like ABC’s “Wipeout” and Spike TV’s “Most Extreme Elimination Challenge,” where contestants battle with clownishly unnavigable obstacles.
The task might sounds intense, but Auffenberg said you don’t have to be a gym junkie to finish.
“The run accommodates fitness buffs and fun-runners alike,” he said, adding that the race is not timed and participants are free to skip obstacles.
After the challenge, runners can enjoy food, drinks, and music at an after-party also at Aviator. Registering for the run also gets you a free beer if you are over 21.
Registration is open up to and including the day of the event, which will run rain or shine — unless the weather turns seriously sour.
“Epic Fail Challenge” at Aviator Sports Complex (3159 Flatbush Ave. off the Belt Parkway in Marine Park, www.epicfailchallenge.com). May 3. $75-$90.