What is the UK Obstacle Sports Federation (UKOSF)?

UKOSF is the National Governing Body (NGB) for Obstacle Course Racing (OCR), related disciplines and events in the United Kingdom. It is a member of OCR Europe, and a member of World Obstacle the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO), the world governing body for OCR, related disciplines and events. We are a not-for-profit national federation that exists to represent the needs of the sport through athlete member representation and engagement.

Are UKOSF board members paid?

As a not-for-profit organization, all Board Members are volunteers and are not paid. Board Members will be entitled to be reimbursed for expenses, as long as they are pre-approved by the Board.

What are UKOSF’s goals?

UKOSF is committed to securing the sustainability and growth of OCR in the United Kingdom. The purposes for which UKOSF is established are as follows:

• to bring the OCR Athletes of UK together and encourage them to use their status and experience to promote and develop the ideals of sportsmanship throughout the United Kingdom;
• to represent and promote the interests of OCR Athletes;
• to build an active membership dedicated to the mission and purpose of UKOSF;
• to operate for charitable and educational purposes in harmony with the fundamental principles set forth in the FISO statutes.

Our goals also include providing a route for athletes to compete at international and games competitions. This includes event safety, fairness, rankings, operations, medical standards, rule enforcement and comprehensive insurance at affordable rates.

Who does UKOSF support?

UKOSF’s primary purpose is to support the members and the growth of the sport from the grass roots level through to high performance.

What is a National Governing Body (NGB)?

An National Governing Body (NGB) is the governing body for a specific sport, also known as a National Federation (NF). Most sports, whether they have a professional division or operate at an amateur level only, are represented by not-for-profit NGBs in the United Kingdom. Examples include Triathlon, Athletics, Swimming, Gymnastics, and Boxing to name a few.

What do NGBs support?

Recognised NGBs support the development of their sport in the United Kingdom which includes the development of athletes, coaches and officials.

Is UKOSF affiliated with race brands in the United Kingdom?

No. UKOSF treats all race brands equally, with a goal to support all parties of interest in obstacle sports. Although some Board and Committee members may be affiliated with one or more OCR brands, UKOSF is a not-for-profit organisation and will not accept funding from any race organisations.

Will UKOSF stifle obstacle innovation?

No. UKOSF’s goal is to encourage the growth, diversity and innovation in OCR, along the same guidelines as World OCR.  While UKOSF will develop obstacle guidelines and standards for various National Championships, these guidelines will not hinder race organisations innovating obstacles and formats, or require them to include restrictive race rules.

Will the UKOSF force race brands to adhere to strict guidelines?

It is our goal that Race Directors from across the United Kingdom will adhere to a standard set of safety & medical guidelines that benefit all athletes. When it comes to obstacles and race formats though, the race organisations will continue to operate and innovate new obstacles and race formats as they do today.

There are guidelines in place for regional, national and international championships, part of a long-term strategy for OCR to achieve medal events at multisport Games.

Is UKOSF affiliated with any international organisations?

Yes, along with 75 other national federations (as of June 2019), UKOSF is a member of World Obstacle, a Swiss-based not-for-profit organisation composed of national member federations worldwide. It is the sole competent authority for obstacle sports and related disciplines throughout the world and is working toward meeting the requirements for recognition as specified by Global Association of International Sport Federations (GAISF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). World Obstacle‘s goals and structure is similar to the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

What will the sport look like in the future?

UKOSF is working to ensure that OCR continues to include the things we love about the sport. This is an innovative sport inclusive of all abilities and ages with a thriving community. UKOSF will build obstacle training programs offered across the country at the elementary, youth, and adult levels that feed competitive streams, or assist people in an active, healthy life.

Is UKOSF hoping to make obstacle racing an Olympic sport?

Recognition of obstacle sports at world level is the job of World Obstacle. As a voting member of World Obstacle, UKOSF represents the needs of the members at the international level. If you wish to help the sport achieve recognition, you have opportunities to represent the United Kingdom on the International Federation and help on committees and commissions of World Obstacle.

How can UKOSF help me?

As a member based not-for-profit organisation, UKOSF exists to represent the needs of the athletes.

We are working towards making sure that our sport is unified and provides the framework and recognition it deserves up to the international level, so that athletes have a clear path to World championships.

We want it to be an inclusive sport, and to increase participation from across the UK.

We will work with various commercial parties to add membership benefits on an ongoing basis. For example, discounts at relevant sports clothing outlets.

Please sign up to become a member and recommend UKOSF membership to your friends. You can get further involved by joining a committee and help shape the sport.