Nuclear Races – Rush Weekend

Have you heard about Nuclear Races? It’s the balance between a race with challenging obstacles and, guaranteed, lots of fun and team spirit.

I’ll tell you in detail what it was like to participate in this crazy (and fun) race, which was surely the biggest physical challenge I’ve ever had the courage to face.
And honestly, I couldn’t be happier and prouder to receive my Survivor Medal. 🥇

I discovered Nuclear about two months before Rush Weekend, which took place on May 14th and 15th.
Even though I heard from all my friends that it was crazy and I probably wouldn’t be able to finish the 12km race, I accepted the challenge.

Rush Weekend is the first big challenge of the year, the ‘lightest’ by the way, with two days and different modalities, such as running for Rookies (12 to 16 years old), Family running (implemented this year) and the two possibilities for adults: 7km with 40+ obstacles or – what was I daring to face – 12km with over 70 obstacles!

In my mind, knowing that the route was not in Lap, and that up to 7km the route was the same as for the 12km, I thought “if I can’t take it anymore, I’ll stop at 7km”.

If I had been alone, it probably would have actually played out this way, but if there was one giant lesson from that day, it was how far a united team can take you!

Once I arrived at the event, in addition to being received by an impeccable organization (seriously, how to manage such a huge place with so much going on?!), I met other influencers and we decided to do the whole race together as a team, so much for us to support each other. when facing challenges as to ensure fun.

The obstacles had different levels, and no one was forced to do anything, but the fun was precisely being able to face them, you know?
As the shirt of one of the teams I met said “Who cares who wins?” 🤯

If you already follow me on Insta, you’ve probably laughed a lot of my face watching the stories in which I told how I was unhappy with having fallen at the end of the obstacles, for being so close to winning and so far from reality! 😂 haha

If you haven’t seen it, check out these I made with the content of the stories:

The only sport I actually play on a daily basis is running on Brighton Beach, so it’s not something I do as a competition, you know?

And as much as Nuclear has ‘Races’ in the name, the space between the obstacles is considerably short (and muddy), so the race itself was in some small courses, but for sure the race demands every muscle in our bodies.

At various times we used ropes to get out of mud puddles, and I could only think “I should have trained my arms more” 😅.

In fact, the only time I really considered giving up was because of this! haha
In one of the tests, there were several obstacles in a row, and the last one was pulling yourself up and out of the mud pit using ropes, I tried 3 times by myself and slipped on all of them.

My team was divided with each of us in a moment of this obstacle, I was the one in front, and I can only say: thank you strangers (people from other teams) who were amazing supporting me with words and physical impulse helping me to win this! 👊🔥

It took us precisely 4h08min to finish, and I know this because the organization gives you a chip that works like your timer, you attach it to your shoe and you just have to be careful not to lose your shoe in the mud! haha 😆

Things I learned from the first race that I won’t forget:
• As I usually run in short shorts, I bet on this look, and found out that wearing longer leggings would save me from several #NuclearKisses (you can read those as inevitable purples on someone as white as me haha) 🤷‍♀️
• Conventional tennis shoes (which you wear every day, without spikes on the soles) is a big mistake, as I spent a lot of my energy ensuring that I wouldn’t slip on the mud of the course and fall flat on my face. 😅
• The organization of Nuclear Races is impeccable and made me feel super safe! Not to mention that throughout the race all the technicians who were in the obstacles gave us super support and motivation for us to continue.
• Sport connects at levels you can only experience if you’re participating in Nuclear Races! I swear, in almost 30 years I’ve never come close to experiencing something as strong as the team spirit I experienced with this crowd that a few hours before I barely knew existed.

I also learned that the family that owns the space where the Nuclear Races takes place have other different activities outside of the race dates, and I definitely want to go back to see each of them!
The other activities are:
• Wild Forest Obstacle Activity Center (same physical space where Rush Weekend takes place, but with different courses/obstacles)
• Secret Nuclear Bunker (the biggest & deepest cold war bunker open to the public in the southeast of England!)
• Nuclear High Ropes (outdoor high hopes)

If you’re excited to take on this challenge and take home your medal as proudly as I do, the upcoming events are:

• September: Blast & Rookie Kids
• September: Blackout Night
• November: Fallout (the winter one)
• May 2023: Rush Weekend

Now tell me, would you face Nuclear Races?