DALLAS, TX — (February 6, 2019) – Officials at Complex Events (ComplexSE.com) and SMU announced on Thursday that the first race of the inaugural 2019 Stadium Blitz® Tour will be hosted at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on Saturday, April 6, 2019.
“We are excited to host the first Stadium Blitz at Gerald J. Ford Stadium,” said Rick Hart, Director of Athletics at SMU. “We are advocates for active lifestyles, so an event that encourages people to pursue personal health aligns well with our values. Additionally, we always appreciate an opportunity to invite the community to our beautiful campus and experience first-hand our championship-caliber athletics facilities.”
“We are delighted to launch our inaugural Stadium Blitz Tour at SMU,” said Bryan Ness, Executive Vice President at Complex Events. “SMU’s iconic stadium and surrounding venues will provide an amazing setting to our Stadium Blitz race course and will allow guests to enjoy these historic venues in a unique way.”
Stadium Blitz is a state-of-the-art stadium-based obstacle course race designed to provide every participant a unique experience at iconic venues across the U.S. The race course is engineered to give participants of all athletic abilities, ages “seven to 87,” the opportunity to challenge themselves in a community fitness event under the stadium lights.
At SMU, race participants will begin their Stadium Blitz experience at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, with the 5k race course also including Wescott Field, Doak Walker Plaza and Moody Coliseum. Home of the Mustangs football team since it debuted in 2000, Gerald J. Ford Stadium will be the primary venue for the event, giving attendees a picturesque backdrop of the SMU campus and Dallas skyline.
Throughout the Stadium Blitz race course, participants will have the opportunity to challenge themselves at 15 obstacles along the route. Obstacles are categorized in three difficulties – “Race,” “Hustle” and “Blitz”- and are optional to race participants. Stadium Blitz features a one-of-a-kind race scoring system, tracked by RFID chip technology, that will allow racers to collect “points” based on the obstacles that they complete, and whether or not they are able to “beat the clock” by completing the race within 40 minutes.
“Stadium Blitz is a unique fitness event,” said Ness. “Blitz is the only obstacle course race where individuals can register as a group and receive a team ‘score’ at the conclusion of the race. We hope that the scoring system encourages friendly competitions between peers at each event and across multiple cities.”
In December 2019, Complex Events and the Gronkowski Family – Papa Gronk, Gordie Jr., Dan, Chris, Rob and Glenn – announced a partnership surrounding Stadium Blitz. The Gronkowski Family, recognized as one of the country’s most athletic families, assist as curators and visionaries behind the development of the Stadium Blitz race course. The Gronkowskis spent their careers competing at world-class venues and use Blitz as a platform to encourage everyone to pursue an active lifestyle while competing under the stadium lights.
Stadium Blitz is also one of the most affordable obstacle course race events in the country, with Race Registrations beginning at $65.00 for adults, $39.00 for students and $20.00 for youth participants, ages seven to 14. Access to the “Blitz Zone” fan festival is free to the general public, and will feature live music, food, entertainment, merchandise and giveaways. Spectator entry into the event is also free, as Blitz organizers want to encourage friends and family to support race participants as they cross the finish line.
The 2019 Stadium Blitz Tour will be hosted at iconic stadiums across the country beginning in April. The full Stadium Blitz tour schedule will be announced over the coming weeks, with a total of 12 events scheduled for the inaugural year.
Stadium Blitz officials also announced Thursday that the University of Houston will host Stadium Blitz at TDECU Stadium on Saturday, April 20.
For more information on the 2019 Stadium Blitz Tour please visit StadiumBlitz.com.
About Complex Sports & Entertainment
Founded in 2018, Complex is driven by creating unique experiences at unique venues. Complex’s services include venue marketing, booking and management in the tours, special events and ticketed events categories. Complex also has portfolio of owned content in each event category and a model designed to keep venues “open 363 days per year.” For more information, please visit complexsportsandentertainment.com.