Jason Grafstrom has gone from race participant to organizer.
Grafstrom did his first obstacle race — the Warrior Dash — in 2012, and enjoyed it so much, he did about four more races the next year. Last year, that number jumped to seven.
But competing in a race wasn’t enough for him anymore, so Grafstrom has taken the next step: race organization.
“Because I pay so much attention to the obstacle racing community, I just saw how many fewer races there were in Canada compared to the US.
“I just thought it would be a good idea to start up another race,” he explained.
“It surprises me how few people have heard of it even though it has been around for a few years now.”
So he organized an obstacle race last year in Abbotsford, raising $1,500 for charity along the way.
And now, he is bringing the race to Langley’s Murray Creek Ranch on Oct. 3.
Grafstrom is organizing the race alongside his brother Roger.
The praetorian race is a series of obstacle courses and trail races developed to challenge and motivate people of all physical abilities.
Proceeds from the race will benefit Wounded Warriors Canada.
The brothers’ great grandfather was a war veteran.
“I just know that there are a lot of veterans that need help. We just wanted to raise awareness and be able to contribute some money to programs they can benefit from,” Grafstrom said
The brothers, as well as a few other volunteers, have spend the past few months clearing trails and digging trenches, as well as building obstacles.
This year’s event is a five-km race which will include 15 to 20 man-made obstacles mixed in with trail running and natural obstacles. Some of the obstacles will be wall climbs, an ice crawl and slanted walls, among others.
As of last week (Sept. 11), about 90 people were registered and Grafstrom is hoping they can get to 130.
There are two categories: the timed (competitive) heat and the non-competitive division. Cost is $60 for the former and $55 for the latter, or $55 and $50 if registering as a team.
Deadline to register is Sept. 30.
To register, visit www.praetorianrace.com.
