Heroes in a concrete jungle

After more than half a million dollars in funds raised – and a few hundred gallons of sweat spilled – Concrete Hero 2013 is a wrap.

The event, which is in its second year, started and ended on a balmy Sunday morning at Los Angeles State Historic Park and took participants through a whirlwind obstacle course that snaked through the streets and alleys of downtown L.A. and finished at a block party featuring music, drinks and food trucks.

Participants formed teams and raised money prior to Concrete Hero, and according to event organizers at AIDS Project Los Angeles, those teams collected more than $500,000 from donors. All funds will be given to APLA to support care and prevention programs designed to improve the lives of those in the region living with HIV/AIDS and to help prevent the incidence of new infections in L.A. County.

This year’s challenge resurrected some of the hallmark obstacles that debuted at Concrete Hero 2012, including a two-story-high mock Hollywood sign, a massive mud pit (the “Tar Pit Traverse”), and the classic Carmageddon, in which participants had to climb over 12 parked cars and four buses.

As if that weren’t enough, event organizers surprised this year’s brave participants with some new – and distinctly SoCal – obstacles. The Subway to Nowhere greeted competitors with two massive slides and culvert subway tunnels, while Natural Disaster Alley’s hazards included “June Gloom” foam and artificial Santa Ana Winds generated by industrial-sized fans. Rubber Canyon, with its more than 1,000 tires to hop through, challenged participants’ glutes, thighs and calves.

The inspiration behind Concrete Hero and its unique challenges is APLA Executive Director Craig E. Thompson’s vision for an urban-themed obstacle run that not only takes place in the heart of the metropolitan landscape but also integrates its gritty idiosyncrasies into the course itself.

“Obstacle course runs and competitions are mainstream and are typically held outside the city,” Thompson says. “By introducing an event right here in the heart of our city and adding a fundraising component, we are enabling more people to participate, fundraise and ultimately engage with our services at APLA.”

Unlike most competitions, though, everyone connected to Concrete Hero is a winner.

“We extend our gratitude and well wishes to this incredible community of race participants, event staff, volunteers, and their extended networks of family and supporters for helping us make the second annual Concrete Hero a success,” Thompson says.

– Alex Weber, Brand Publishing Writer