If you have an active dog, this is something that might be of great interest to you. CANIROX is a unique dog-human obstacle race in Singapore – think something like the Spartan Race but scaled down for dogs and humans. They had their inaugural event in May this year and are back with another one on 15 and 16 November, in collaboration with charity event Operation Broken Wing, as part of the Singapore Urban Sports and Fitness Festival.
“The idea really stemmed from wanting to be able to do something more with our dogs while at the same time getting ourselves fit. Lots of dog sports are dog-centric, humans train them but the humans rarely have to work out as much as the dog,” said Lee Xiaohui, one of the three co-founders of CANIROX.
Fellow co-founder Webster Cheong, also the founder of animal training school Pet Coach, “We wanted to change that dynamic. We’ve been discussing it for slightly over a year before putting it into action in May this year with our inaugural CANIROX race.”
To help participants get ready for CANIROX, they created the CNRX Club, a weekly fitness club where you get to work out with your dogs. There are four programmes:
- Canicross 101 – Teaching your dog how to pull you on a run, learning cues like turning left/right, speeding up, slowing down and stopping
- Strength – Working out at Innervate Fitness with your dog with a combination of bodyweight movements, strength and conditioning, and obstacle-style challenges that mimic what you and your dog will encounter in the race
- Sports Day – Fun and games, nothing serious
- Social Walk/Run – Walking and running together, as far as 10km, before ending at a cafe
These are ticketed sessions and you do not need to be a CANIROX Challenge participant to attend any of the Club programmes.
Wanting to try something different, Lim Yi Wan and her toy poodle Shuri took part in the CANIROX Challenge in May. “I thought it would be a cool experience and it was really fun even though I was literally dying halfway through the 1.6km. I told myself I should do training to keep up with Shuri’s pace, thus I joined the Club,” said the 30-year-old technical consultant.
Since August, they have been attending most of the sessions, including the 10km Social Walk which Shuri finished despite her petite size. “We are definitely doing the Challenge again in November and I hope I can keep up with Shuri’s pace this time!”
“I joined the CANIROX Club in August after learning about it from a friend,” said Michelle Lim. “I’ve been participating in most sessions and I like the inclusivity of having our furkid with us doing activities together. I love seeing Luna having fun, unleashing her natural self and it’s become a motivation for me to keep active. you can say she is my personal trainer!”
“This has become our family activity every Sunday morning where my husband will join in for the run as well,” said the 47-year-old executive who will be taking part in the CANIROX Challenge in November with Luna her goldendoodle.
With the simple goal of wanting owners and their dogs getting out there and exercising as one, there is no restriction on who can join the community, be it the Club or the Challenge.
“At the heart of CANIROX is community. Regardless of your fitness levels, dog breed, size, temperament, we strive to create a safe and inclusive space. The Club’s weekly Sunday sessions are open to all, whether you are doing the race or not,” added Freda Chua, the third co-founder of CANIROX.
