Team Kennet athlete, Josh Ladds (10), has qualified for the Spartan Race Kids World Championships in Abu Dhabi in his first year of competitive obstacle course racing.
Spartan race is an off-road running race in which competitors have to complete 20+ obstacles on the way to the finish line including rope climbs, cargo net crawls, 6 foot walls, heavy sandbag and bucket carries, monkey bars and more. It is one of the only events that integrates running and cross-functional strength which tests both your mental and physical endurance.
Josh and his sister Isla (9), also a Team Kennet athlete, have been doing obstacle course racing since they were 4 years old, travelling up and down the country with their team The OCR Juniors – a squad of promising young athletes who are hoping to take on kids around the world in one of the fastest growing sports. The sport is governed in the UK by UKOSF who are working with FISO, the World governing body, to get OCR to the Olympics!
Both kids took part in the final race of the UK and Ireland National Series at the Glanusk estate in Wales over half-term. Josh secured his place at the Kids World Championship event by placing 2nd in the competitive race which sees runners aged 10-14 from around the country race head to head over 2.5 miles. Isla, who races in the 7-9 year old age group, was first girl over the line and 2nd overall in both the Saturday and Sunday championship races. Isla is hoping to follow in her brother’s footsteps and qualify for the World Championship race next year when she is old enough to take part in the competitive series.