Crater Run Challenge

Back in 2004 when our founder first climbed Acatenango with some clients and guides the idea came to him that it might be a fun challenge to simply run around the crater of Volcan Acatenango at roughly 4,000m / 13,000ft. Just to see if he could do it with the 40% less oxygen. This began an epic game of competition. Over the years we have given away an absolute ton of free t-shirts to folks who have successfully completed the crater run challenge, but we have sent many many more home with a pat on the back and said, “good effort, better luck next time.”

LOW OXYGEN FUN!

Win a Free t-shirt or your entire trip for free! Yeah, all you have to do is run the crater rim of Volcan Acatenango. The rules are simple, start from point A of the circle, you choose which ever direction you want and run. You must keep moving. If you slow to a walk, drop to the ground unconscious, stand still or otherwise stop moving at any point, you forfeit and must try again from the start. If you complete the crater run (back to point A) without stopping, you win a free t-shirt announcing to the world you completed the Crater run challenge. Sounds easy right? The only catch is you have about 40% less oxygen than at sea level. The run takes place at around 13,000ft / 4,000m!!

FREE TRIP! if you set the record time for the year. Every January 1st we re-set the clock so everyone has a chance to set the new record. This means you get your Acatenango trip for FREE and a T-shirt. Plus an honorable mention on our Facebook page. Good luck!

RULES: 

NO STOPPING: You cannot stop (or walk) even for a second!
GUIDE MONITORED: The competition must be monitored & time recorded by an OX Guide.

TIME TO BEAT FOR A FREE TRIP:

MEN’S TIME=            2:40 sec.
WOMEN’S TIME=     2:40 sec.

One weekend our group hit the summit of Acatenango and the guide decreed the challenge, “Run the crater without stopping and you get a free t-shirt, break the current record of 2 minutes 51 seconds and your trip is FREE!!” He never thought he would actually see it beaten, and none of us, none of the OX Team thought we would ever see the record of 2 min. 51 seconds CRUSHED!!! But little did we know we had one of America’s fastest marathon runners in our mix!!! And we can confidently say, even though we re-set the record each year that this will be the all time best time to beat, and we have PROOF!!! 2 minutes and 20 seconds, yeah baby. Congratulations Ian Burrell for setting the fastest OX-Crater Run in history.