The company promotes its brand by organizing and sponsoring "GORUCK challenges". The events are similar to obstacle racing and are based on Special Forces training exercises.[3] The events have varying degrees of difficulty and involve participating in challenging activities while carrying weighted rucksacks. They are often conducted as team-building events – e.g., for corporate clients.[6] Events of various duration and levels of difficulty are organized.[7][8] In addition to their three standard levels of difficulty (called "basic", "tough", and "heavy"), the company offers special events.[9] The company also holds firearms training events.[4] GORUCK Selection, patterned directly after Special Forces Selection, is an individual event totaling 48+ hours and 80+ miles.
The company sponsored its first endurance challenge event in San Francisco, California, on September 25, 2010, and many such events have been held since then in various places across the United States.[4] More than 900 of the events were held in 2017.[3]
A participant was struck by a car and killed during one of the events on May 17, 2014.[10] Afterwards, the company instituted a policy that every participant must have a high-visibility reflective band on their rucksack to reduce the chance of similar accidents.[10] The events have been mistaken for protest marches on multiple occasions.[11]
