The first Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run took place on Thursday 24 September 2026 in Hoofddorp. Around 80 people ran 5 or 10 kilometres over a course with around fifteen obstacles per lap. Taking part was free and there was no timing.
Ricardo Berkhout of BerkSports ran the 5 kilometres. The course was on Schiphol Trade Park, the same business park where the BerkSports padel court is. BerkSports will take part again in the next edition.
How did the first Obstacle Run at Schiphol Trade Park go?
According to the organisers, the first Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run was a great success. Around 80 participants took part: keen athletes and recreational walkers, a family with four children and a pushchair, a couple with a dog and several company teams in shirts with their logo.
With no ranking, the atmosphere showed it. The organisers put it like this in their report (translated from Dutch):
This afternoon was not about winning or the fastest time, but about being active together.
The full report, with photos of the day, is on the Schiphol Trade Park Services news page (in Dutch).
Which obstacles were on the course?
The course map of the Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run showed fourteen named obstacles on a 5-kilometre lap. There was climbing, hanging, carrying, crawling and water.
- Hurdles
- Walls
- Water Crossing
- Monkeybar
- Balance Beam
- Sandbag Carry
- Over-Under-Through
- Pull Up
- Barb Wire
- Farmer Carry
- A-Frame
- Irish Table
- Electro
- Net Climb
You could skip an obstacle you did not fancy: you went around it and carried on. That made the course doable for families and walkers too.
What did the day look like?
Registration opened at 16:30, the warm-up was at 17:00 and the start at 17:15. The 5 kilometres was one lap of the course, the 10 kilometres two laps. The last runners came in around 19:15, after which the day ended at New Terra, Dream Street 12 in Hoofddorp.
Participants could run on their own or in a team of 2 to 6 people. Supporters were welcome and did not pay anything either.
Will there be another Obstacle Run in Hoofddorp?
Yes. Afterwards the organisers wrote that they are already looking forward to the next edition. There is no date yet. BerkSports will take part again next time.
Want to run with BerkSports? Send an email to info@berksports.nl and Ricardo Berkhout will let you know as soon as there is a new date. You do not have to be a BerkSports member for that.
How do you prepare for an obstacle run?
A 5-kilometre obstacle run asks two things at once: keep running, and climb, hang and carry in between. Fitness alone is not enough, and neither is strength alone. If you go for a run a few times a week and also work on your upper body and grip, you will get a long way.
At BerkSports in Hoofddorp, circuit training and small group training fit this best: short, varied blocks in which strength and fitness go hand in hand. BerkSports is already training a group for another event; read more in the article about the SkiErg and the STYREKX Fitness Race.
Frequently asked questions about the Obstacle Run
When is the next Obstacle Run at Schiphol Trade Park?
That is not known yet. After the first edition on 24 September 2026, the organisers of the Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run said there will be another one, but they have not given a date. If you want to run with BerkSports, send an email to info@berksports.nl; Ricardo Berkhout will let you know once the date is set.
How many people took part in 2026?
Around 80 people took part in the first Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run on 24 September 2026. It was a mixed group: keen athletes, recreational walkers, a family with four children, a couple with a dog and several company teams. Ricardo Berkhout ran the 5 kilometres for BerkSports.
What did it cost to take part in the Obstacle Run?
Nothing. Taking part in the Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run was free in 2026, as was the closing get-together at New Terra afterwards. Supporters who came to watch and cheer did not pay anything either. Whether that stays the same for the next edition, the organisers will announce once the new date is set.
Do you have to do every obstacle?
No. At the Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run you could skip an obstacle you did not fancy: you went around it and carried on along the course. There was no timing and no ranking, so skipping did not cost you a place in any results. That meant participants of every level could take part.
Is an obstacle run suitable if you are not very sporty?
This one is. On 24 September 2026 there were also walkers and a family with a pushchair on the course, and you could skip obstacles. If you want to be fitter at the start anyway, you can work on fitness, strength and grip at BerkSports in Hoofddorp, in a small group with a trainer.
Train for the next edition
BerkSports will run the next Schiphol Trade Park Obstacle Run again. If you want to be fitter at the start, begin with a free trial session in a group of six people at most, at Rijnlanderweg 1069 in Hoofddorp.