Obstacle Race Benefits Victims Of Sexual Assault

From Skulls and Hammer: Athletes throughout Northwest Georgia who run, lift, jump and crawl are invited to put their skills to the test on July 28 at the Skulls & Hammer Urban Challenge, a high-intensity urban-style obstacle race in downtown Rome, Ga.

The competition is a fundraiser for the Sexual Assault Center of Northwest Georgia on behalf of Gorg Hubenthal, a local business owner who is raising money for the cause while he trains to compete in the Rome Celebrity Dance Challenge this August. Registration is going on now at skullsandhammer.com, where people can find event details, sign up for the challenge or volunteer to help.

“Rome has a lot of great running races, but I haven’t heard of many obstacle races taking place locally,” says Hubenthal. “We wanted to come up with a fun and exciting way to raise money for this great cause and also offer something different for the multi-faceted athletic culture of Rome.”

Race Details

Registration costs $70 with all proceeds going to benefit victims of sexual assault. The fee includes a t-shirt, finisher’s medal, access to the After Party and an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage compliments of Rome City Brewing Company at The Foundry.

The Foundry will serve as base camp for the event and is located at 255 North Fifth Avenue in Rome. In addition to The Foundry kitchen, local food trucks such as Speakcheesy will be on site for breakfast and lunch, as well as Spartan Smoothies which has protein, energy and recovery powders that can be added to their drinks.

As is typical of any obstacle course race, the challenges will remain a surprise until athletes run the approximately three-mile course. However, anyone who can run, carry 50 pounds, squat with weights and army crawl will find the race challenging, but fun.

The race has two competition levels for Advanced and Intermediate/Beginner athletes. Advanced athletes who are no strangers to obstacle course races are invited to register for the Elite Waves that start at 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Intermediate and beginner athletes who want to compete for fun may register for the Open Waves at 11 a.m., 12:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Race Day Packet Pick Up will be at The Foundry and Check In begins 30 minutes prior to each Wave. Swag Bags will be given to registrants and include a Skulls & Hammer t-shirt and Rome City Brewing Company event cup.

The urban race course will take competitors through the between-the-rivers district of Rome and incorporate asphalt lots, grassy hills and Rome’s levee system.

Why ‘Skulls & Hammer’?

The “Skulls” director is Miguel Carranza, a competitive Obstacle Course Racer and endurance athlete who has organized competitive endurance events for years.
The “Hammer” is Hubenthal, who has worked as a master wood artisan for more than two decades. The two are teaming up to host this athletic endurance fundraiser and may continue to bring more of its kind to Rome in the coming years.

“We all can get comfortable in our lifetimes, some for moments, some forever. Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75,” says Carranza, Skulls director, who is organizing the obstacle challenges for the event. “You will be amazed at how far your body can go. Have a strong mind and let your body do the hard work.”

Awards & After Party

Awards for the Elite Waves will be handed out after the second Elite Wave is complete and before Open Waves begin at 11 a.m. The overall male and female Elite Wave competitors will receive a hand-crafted award from HH Woodworking and a certified Skulls patch from Carranza. Second and third place male and female winners from the combined waves will receive medals.

Combined Open Wave male and female first place winners will receive medals at the end of the event according to their age groups: 18-28; 29-39; 40-50; and 51 and older. All other competitors will receive a finisher’s medal. The After Party will include a DJ blasting tunes, games including corn hole and badminton and a locally brewed RCBC beer for competitors 21 and older. Non-alcoholic options will be available as well. Additionally, The Foundry offers 43 taps of craft beer, wine, mead and soda to help competitors unwind and celebrate. Sponsors for the event include Crossfit Rome, Redmond Regional Medical Center, Rome City Brewing Company, HH Woodworking, Sherwin Williams of Rome, Chris Ozment Photography and The Foundry Growler Bar. Anyone interested in sponsoring or donating can contact event organizers at skullandhammerchallenge@gmail.com.

For more information about the race, to register, to sign up to volunteer and for contact information, visit skullsandhammer.com.

Images via Chris Ozment