A Filipina bagged one of the top prizes in an extreme obstacle course race held in the Philippines for the first time, GMA News’ Raffy Tima reported on Balitanghali on Friday.

Ali Zandra Chongbian from Cagayan de Oro won first place in the women’s elite division of the Spartan Race, held in the open field of Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal, on September 23.

Physical exertion and endurance are keys to success in the Spartan Race, where participants are challenged to climb steep slip walls and high a-frame cargo nets, carry rocks and hoist up sandbags that weigh as much as a sack of rice, and crawl through mud.

Those who fail to do these tasks will be subjected to a 30-burpee punishment.

But Spartan Race organizer Mike Reyes said this obstacle course race is not exclusive to the physically fit.

“Anyone could do a Spartan Race. Yes, it’s gonna be challenging if you’re not in shape, it’s gonna be a little harder, but we designed it so that you can make it through, and we encourage everyone to do it,” Reyes said.

Many of the more than 2,000 participants to the recent Spartan Race were groups of friends, some from fitness gyms, hailing from Taiwan, Singapore, and as far as the US, but a police officer stood out among the crowd.

Police Senior Superintendent Joselito Daniel, Chief of the Human Resource and Doctrine Development Unit Training Program Division, said he is looking into replicating the obstacle course in the police training.

“Imbis na nag-rerelax eh ma-mamaintain yung health nila, ma-challenge sila,” Daniel said.

Spartan Race organizers are planning a longer race course next year for the sport, which may soon be an Olympic category, according to the report.

Source: GMA News Online