* From: Domenico Di Pilato
* Event: Goliathon 10/3/15 Mullica Hill NJ
* Date: 2015-10-03
* Event Details
– Parking on site, 10$
– provided changing room, live music, only a handful of vendors, and food.
– finishers receive a medal, a finisher t-shirt and keep the G(1,2,3) bracelets acquired at each obstacle (will review further below).
– Venue itself was perfect will lots of opportunities for spectators to watch you as you raced.
– terrain changes from flat grass, to swamp, to dirt mountains (in a quarry), to pined forest.
* Race Details
So, let me start this off by saying i have not written a single review of any of the 15 races i have done this year but after doing Goliathon I absolutely had to spread the word of how amazing this race was and how disappointed i am that it is only twice a year (because i want to do it every weekend).
The venue was at the Gluecoster Fair grounds in Mullica Hill NJ. The course was generally zig zagged and finished between 3.5 – 4 miles total. The race is untimed, now as this is a downside at most races it wasn’t at this one. Goliathon is based on a point system rather than timing. each of the 12 obstacles ( total of about 20 but only 12 counted for points) has 3 tiers (G1,G2,G3) to illustrate easy medium and hard. a G1 was worth 1 point, G2 was worth 3 points and G3 was worth 5 points. after each obstacle you would need to give your bib number to a volunteer and they would write it down if you completed the obstacle or not. if you completed the obstacle you would receive either a green (G1), Gold (G2) or Blue (G3) rubber wrist band. Generally you only have one chance to complete the obstacles in order to get the points. some obstacles like the walls and warped wall had 3 attempts, however if you chose a tier you had to stay with that tier or else you would give up your points. At the end of the race you would see what you placed depending on how many points you acquired and it would place in terms of difficult as well. (i.e. the more G3 obstacles put you in higher placing).
The obstacles were nothing like anything i had done before and reminded me so much of American Ninja Warrior. Most of the Obstacles were like giant jungle gyms that required you to do a sequence of stuff in order to complete the obstacles. The most difficult part of an obstacle would require you to touch the platform at the end of the obstacle in order to consider it a complete, if you didnt touch it you failed that obstacle. so for example, on one of the obstacles i had passed the rings which brought me to a ladder which i had to climb down then go back up to a rope swing over a pool of water. on the other side there was a small 3×3 platform that i had to be the first thing i touched when i go to the other side in order to be considered complete. unfortunately i missed the platform and landed in dirt instead.
I met many of the staff including the creator and his wife (his name slips my mind at the moment) and they knew our team right away. they were all incredibly friendly and motivating throughout the course. everyone had a smile on their face even though it was disgusting outside and ridiculously cold.
Lastly, my most favorite part of this race is that ALL PROCEEDS go to helping make clean drinking water for people in Cambodia.
if i haven’t said it enough I absolutely loved this race and it has hit my number 1 spot (tied with F.I.T.) for my favorite race.
* Rating
Excellent
