The organizers hope to turn the family obstacle course into an annual event
ENGLISHTOWN -- Hundrends of adventure seeking folks descended on Raceway Park in Englishtown on Saturday to participate in the first HappyFest Obstacle Course and Festival.
The brainchild of Adam Stengel and his wife Melissa, the obstacle course was designed so that every member of every family can participate in a fun and challenging physical fitness event.
Adam Stengel said this is the first all-ages, all-abilities wheelchair accessible obstacle course where every station has a an alternative option.
Aware that obstacle courses are growing in popularity and most participants are typically post-college adults in good physical condition, the couple wanted to create a fitness event that an entire family could participate in together.
They realized not everyone had the physical ability to meet the difficult challenges of typical events, like running through fire, swimming through frozen water, slogging through mud, and most difficult, running the long mileage in between obstacles.
"We envisioned grandparents, children, grandchildren, family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers all crossing the finish line together after participating in our fun but challenging course, even if one or more of them had a disability," Adam Stengel said.
The HappyFest obstacle course is slightly more than one mile with obstacles every one-tenth of a mile and offering fun activities in between the stations. The course includes a tire run, combat crawl, hurdles, rope climbs, rope swings and a bubble finish.
The obstacle course was started in half-hour waves beginning at 9:30 a.m. and finishing at 11:30 a.m.
The festival included live music, food, games and free fitness classes.
Patti Sapone may be reached at psapone@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @psapone. Find NJ.com on Facebook.