obstacle course

American  

noun

1. a military training area having obstacles, as hurdles, ditches, and walls, that must be surmounted or crossed in succession.

2. Informal. an event, situation, course of action, or the like that presents many challenges or difficulties.

---

Example Sentences

I designed a personal computing triathlon to find out: a swim through dozens of browser tabs, a 3-D cycling obstacle course and an agentic AI run.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026

But for the 35 residents of Kapisillit, getting to that care is an obstacle course.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

The first element in the men's and women's sprints sees athletes run uphill with skis on their boots through an obstacle course that includes two sets of diamonds that competitors have to negotiate around.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Challenge him to produce a good time in an obstacle course, no problem.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

I wondered how an elderly person like Miss Peregrine would ever be able to negotiate such an obstacle course.

From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs