UNLEASH YOUR INNER American Ninja Warrior—or at least child—at Gatling Gauntlet, a 1.6-mile military-style obstacle course opening June 10 in Nineveh, a 45-minute drive southeast of downtown. The free outdoor attraction boasts 20 obstacles, including cargo nets to climb, tires (5 feet across, no less) to flip, tunnels to crawl through, and a hill to test your sandbag-hauling prowess.
When Festival Country Indiana’s executive director Kenneth Kosky saw how the pandemic spurred a rush to nature parks and hiking trails, he teamed up with 20-year Army veteran Brian Alvey. The two spearheaded the construction of Gatling Gauntlet right in the backyard of Camp Atterbury, where the Indiana National Guard trains. Some of the activities are popular in extreme fitness races; others were inspired by Alvey’s training as a soldier.
That may sound intimidating, but you don’t need to be an athlete to join in the fun. Each exercise can be adapted to your level of experience or substituted with a set of burpees (a squat thrust that ends with a jump). “Obviously, this course will attract people training for Spartan races and those who are physically fit looking for something to do on weekends, but it will also appeal to groups consisting of folks who are at different fitness levels,” says Kosky.
Got a competitive edge or just want a bit of extra motivation? Sign up to have your completion time posted on the course leaderboard. In the unlikely event you conquer Gatling Gauntlet, yet feel you haven’t done enough for one day, know this: Taking it on twice is the equivalent of running a 5K. Or continue the physical challenges at Coyote Trace Disc Golf Course, right next door. Johnson County Park, 7995 S. Gatling St., Nineveh, festivalcountryindiana.com
