by Tony Reyes, 

One morning I woke up, gasping for breath.  My CPAP must have slipped off my nose in the middle of the night and I had stopped breathing.  I was 23 years old, 400lbs with severe sleep apnea, and a strong history of heart disease in my immediate family.  I made up my mind that morning as I sat at the edge of my bed trying to catch my breath, crying at the realization that I had almost died.  Enough was enough, it was time to change.

I auditioned for the show The Biggest Loser.  After making it through several rounds of the casting process my spirits were so high that when I got cut I fell into a deep depression.  I didn’t think I had a way out.  I felt like my weight was literally crushing my chances at a normal life filled with activity, happiness, and potential.  I am stand-up comedian and it had gotten to the point that when I made fat jokes on stage and people laughed, I began to hate them for their laughter.  Why are they all laughing and not trying to help me?  Can’t they tell I hate this life and need support to change?

Thankfully, my fiancé saw through the facade   She made me understand that I didn’t need a TV show to change, that through diet and exercise I could save my own life.  So I signed up for the Malibu Spartan Sprint in the hopes of inspiring me to lose the weight.  And Inspire it did, I lost almost 100lbs by race day! Through getting a trainer and dedicating myself to myself, I was able to do it!  I also got a ton of support by starting my on weight loss page called “The Fat Man Diaries” where I answer questions, share workouts, and do weekly videos documenting my progress.

When I first signed up for the race I was scared.  I didn’t tell anyone about it because I wanted to be able to back out and quit like most of my other weight loss attempts.  I knew that elite athletes ran it and every video I watched I didn’t see anyone with my body type which made me nervous.  That is until I saw Chris Davis.  He had lost over 400lbs and was over 300lbs when he ran his first race so I thought, why not me?  That is why I’m writing this blog.  So that hopefully someone out there that is nervous to sign up or is unsure if you can finish, can read my story and hear me when I say that you can.  Nothing is impossible and that the hardest obstacle to conquer is your own fear.  I did it, Chris did it, YOU can also do it.

You’ll Know at the Finish Line

The first time I read those words I didn’t understand.  I figured it was some sort of cryptic marketing ploy, but I put my doubts aside and signed up.  Well I am here to tell you, it is no marketing ploy.  It’s not some goofy catch phrase that was thrown around a brainstorming session.  “You’ll Know at the Finish Line” is a promise.  A promise that if you work hard, dedicate yourself to your training, and give everything you have during the race, when you cross the finish line, you’ll understand that who you were at the beginning of the race and who you are at the finish are completely different people.  I know I am, don’t you want to be?

Are you ready for your Spartan story?  Sign up today. 

Tags: Biggest Loser, chris davis, Fat Man Diaries, Reebok Spartan Race, Tony Rey

by Michael Levine

In preparation for attacking the Spartan Amesbury Sprint, Jen Fleury hired a local training guru Angela Garcia to get her into fighting form for her first ever Spartan Race.  With her confidence and fitness levels elevated, she set off for Amesbury to conquer the sprint.  A devoted mother of two who works out in her spare time, she’s also attending school at night.  Fleury is a busy Spartan!

As the race began, Jen was off amongst the crowd of racers heading up the first hill.  She emerged from the woods and approached the first obstacle head-on as a new racer should.  However, as she jumped into the first mud pit, she landed on a rock and let out a deafening scream.  Pulling herself out of the mud she continued on into the subsequent pits, refusing to give up, cursing with every step she took.

Even after several members of the team encouraged her to tap out, she still refused.   Hobbling in pain, she managed to finish the entire course in one hour and forty minutes.  A short while later during the post-race celebration, people started to think that she may have broken something.  After a night reeling in pain, it was off to the ER for a CT scan.  The test showed that Jen had four breaks in her Talus bone (the bone between your two ankle bones).  The doctor immediately restricted her movement and ordered no weight bearing.

In just another two weeks, Jen will find out how she is healing, and more importantly, if she needs surgery to correct the issue.  Here at Spartan Race, we wanted to wish Jen the best in a speedy recovery.  Hope to see her out there soon!

Tags: Amesbury, Jen Fleury, spartan chicked, spartan race, Tales from the Chicked

by Carrie Adams

[Author's Note: This post is a tongue-in-cheek editorial on a topic very near and dear to my heart: shorty shorts on male endurance athletes.  Well, males in general. Take it with a grain of salt, but if it leaves you wondering as to the appropriateness of your shorts, you may want to go shopping for a new pair.]

You show up on race day, ready to run.  You signed up for the Spartan WODs, logged hours of training, gotten yourself out of bed at 5:30a.m. to get your long runs in before work, you’ve said no to donuts even as they have called out to you from the conference room and instead nibbled dejectedly on your small bag of almonds and apple slices.  You’ve gotten to the track twice, maybe three times a week to run sprints to tear down your times.  Your neighbors sneak peeks of you out their windows and watch in stunned silence as you haul your Spartan pancake sandbag all over the neighborhood. You watch your splits go negative, your body fat percentage shrink, your lungs expand and your endurance grow.  While everyone else was out drinking you were hitting trails or pounding pavement.  While everyone else was chugging Guinness you were adding Chia seeds and flaxseed to your protein shake.

You ran in the rain, in the wind, up any hill you could find and then you did it again just because you could.  You’ve worn out two pairs of shoes in five months, lost a toenail or two, climbed into your bed at 8 PM the night before to be here on fresh legs and well rested.  You’re ready…

And approaching the start line the wind blows and it’s suddenly clear that you’re smack dab in the middle of a wardrobe malfunction. Your Prefontaine length shorty shorts are assaulting the eyes of every Spartan in a one block radius.  And despite the fact that your quads are stone-like and your glutes are rocking, they’re just a few inches from getting you arrested.  But it’s not your fault.  Shorty shorts were made famous in the 60’s and 70’s by the aforementioned Steve Prefontaine and his running counterparts… oh and did you watch basketball in the 80’s?  Magic Johnson and Larry Bird made quite a long legged pair on the basketball court, not to mention every rugby player on the planet that’s ever lived.  It’s not just something from our past either, this past weekend, Lance Armstrong went old school wearing a speedo in the 2012 SuperFrog Triathlon that he ultimately won.  They just won’t die.    

They’re not new to Spartan Race, either.  I’ve been around Spartan races since February 2011, so I’ve seen my fair share of Spartan shorty shorts (Gladiators at the finish line included).   I’ve also seen gorilla costumes, capes, wedding dresses, and tuxedos, a few Sponge Bob’s and even a team of Fruit of the Loom fruit men.   Shorty shorts just happen to be my pet peeve.  And ironically when it comes to shorty shorts, Spartan may have given birth to the movement.  Remember the movie?  Those 300 were wearing very little in the heat of battle.

Before all the Spartan elites and Speedy McSpeedies out there freak out and starts throwing things like goo packets and Gatorade bottles at me… let me clarify a few things.  And I know what you are going to say… that shorter shorts can have an impact on “performance,” “speed,” and “comfort.”  Blah, blah, blah I know the reasons…I get that.  Admittedly, not all shorty shorts are created equal and our Spartans do a pretty good job of keeping it in check.  At the end of the day, it is a game of inches (of wicking fabric.)  Most Spartan shorty rockers aren’t about showing it off, they are focused on performance and by all means, that’s important.  Gear is an important part of the performance equation and you deserve to be comfortable… But so do my eyes. 

Now that I’ve effectively beaten, shamed, and angered about 25% of the male running population I will offer a ray of hope and an olive branch and a few tips for anyone in doubt about the shortness of their shorts:

I’m not saying that you need to wear basketball shorts but there is a possibility that a new pair of shorts (‘Cause maybe you’ve gained a few pounds since you bought the shorts in ‘99 or the shorts you wore in middle school have had their day in the sun) might be in order.

Simple test… when you do a lunge, whatever skin feels the breeze is skin we can see while you’re running.  Maybe you don’t care, but, well, everyone else on the planet does.

An inch of fabric goes a long way.  When in doubt, add one… or four.  If an inch is the difference between you winning or losing a race, then either it wasn’t your day or you just aren’t training hard enough.  There, I’ve said it.

Quick reminder – we have fire jumping… marinate on that for a second.

The Spartan elites have the formula down.  The likes of Hobie Call, Junyong Pak, and Marco Bedard (among others) have found the balance and so check them out at the start line.  You can’t argue with results.  These guys are getting it done and the short length is respectable.

That said… If you’re a fast guy and think you or your running crew might be legit ‘Shorty Rockers’ and proud of it send me your pictures at carrie@spartanrace.com.

Ready to race?  Get Registered TODAY. 

Tags: shorty shorts, Spartan Races

by Carrie Adams

Building the sport of obstacle racing has been a passion of Spartan Race since we began.  As the only event with world rankings, points, and chip times, we rely on our timing to be the best in the business, particularly at championship events such as the recent Ultra Beast.

Our friends at J-Chip USA, who have been timing Spartan’s US events the past two years and recently shared with Spartan Blog their results from their experiments with obstacle split times (similar to swim/bike/run splits in triathlon) at the New England Sprint and Mid-Atlantic Super, have combed through the data collected from six timing checkpoints at the Ultra Beast and now offer their unique perspective on the Spartan Ultra Beast – By the Numbers.

UB Applications Accepted: 400
Athletes Who Showed Up: 366 (92%)
Athletes Who Finished: 156 (39%)
Fastest Time: Cody Moat (7:01:29)
Slowest Time: Spartan’s own Steve Halstead (17:59:52) who started at 4am with Chris Davis!  Don’t worry Steve, we know it was your birthday AND you were told to stay out there for a while to help with operations.

Average Time (Overall) – 11:11:35  (11:02:29 excluding “The Lost Tribe”)
Average Time (Loop #1)  – 5:01:58   (4:52:18 excluding “The Lost Tribe”)
Average Transition Time – 0:15:28   (0:15:09 excluding “The Lost Tribe”)
Average Time (Loop #2)  – 5:54:09   (5:56:23 excluding “The Lost Tribe”)
Average Ratio (Loop 2 vs. Loop 1) – Loop 2 was 18.5% slower than Loop 1 (22% excl. “The Lost Tribe”)

*NOTE: Stats are presented excluding the 24 “Lost Tribe” runners who went off course and lost 60-90 minutes in Loop 1.  Since many of them went on to “negative split” their 2^nd loop, the UB stats are much more accurate excluding them.

Extremes in Transition:
*Fastest Transition: David Chandler (Cary, NC) – Only 25 seconds!
*Slowest Transition: Michael Sandercock (Milwaukee, WI) – 43 minutes, 16 seconds
*Junyong Pak completed Lap1 with over 26 minutes to make up on Brakken Kraker (then 2^nd Place in the UB).  Kraker, who came in from Lap1 in under 3 hours  (earning 3^rd in the Elite Beast behind Cody Moat and Hobie Call) took over 16 minutes in transition before heading out for Lap2.  Pak cleared transition in 3:07 – gaining 13 minutes on Kraker, which proved to be the difference between 2^nd and 3^rd, as Pak only edged out Kraker by 9 minutes.

Notable Ratios:
*Ultra Beast champion Cody Moat was 40% slower on his Lap2 (3:58:13) than his Lap1 (2:49:37).  After pushing so hard to complete his 1^st loop in front of Hobie Call, Cody just needed to “coast” through his 2^nd loop to maintain the 30-minute lead he’d opened.
*Joseph Nuara was 17% faster on his Lap2, since he carried 26.2 pounds of extra weight with his team (The Burning Muckmen) on Lap1.  When his teammates opted not to continue on after spending over 6 hours on Lap1, Joseph went out on his own and blazed through Lap2 by himself in 5:06:16!

In addition, the J-Chip timing crew caught two cheaters (who shall remain nameless) who cut out the 4-mile loop (out 2 miles from transition then back 2 miles to the festival area) on the 2^nd lap.  J-Chip had strategically placed a mat to capture the time that it took everyone to leave transition and return to the 4-mile checkpoint.  Split times for this 4-mile loop on Lap1 ranged from Cody Moat’s 45 minutes to The Lost Tribe’s 2 ½ hours.  On Lap2, J-Chip noted two 4-mile splits under 10 minutes, meaning the runners headed out on the loop and immediately turned around on the return trail and proceeded through the checkpoint.  Both runners were promptly DQ’d…so let this serve as a notice to anyone who thinks of cheating at a Spartan Race – WE WILL BE WATCHING.

Like our course builders and race directors, our J-Chip timing crew is among the first to arrive on race day (4AM for the Ultra Beast) and last to leave (11PM departure), and for championship events, they take hours to audit the results before they are posted.  This year’s Ultra Beast results were delivered at 4:30am, then the crew went out and did it again Sunday.  Above are J-Chip’s (L-R) Disco Stu, Kurt, Andrew, and Russ.  Thanks guys, you ROCK!

Tags: J-Chip, marathon distance, obstacle race, Spartan Ultra Beast

by Michael Levine

GRIT: Noun-Firmness of character; indomitable spirit; pluck

GRIT.  A word that has come to embody the sprit of a true warrior.  Today, during a time in society when quitting has become the norm, people need to learn how to “fail well” to gain resiliency.  Angela Duckworth, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania, created a metric system that demonstrates how grit can overcome intelligence through effort.  As a leading expert in the field, she demonstrates the standard capacity of people while explaining how GRIT can bridge the gap of inherent skill or knowledge.

Spartan Race is a company that was created at the forefront of the concept of GRIT.  We constantly place people in a state of unfamiliarity in an effort to make them quit.  We strongly believe that our racers are seeking a challenge outside of their traditional lifestyle because they want for something more.  To that end, our esteemed professors of pain and suffering created our own GRIT test.  Burpees, Sandbags, and Burpees.  Racers are signing up knowing that we are going to make you think about quitting, while wanting every person to finish.  The more pain you feel, the more suffering you endure, the more you learn just what your mind and body can tolerate.

How many times in your life have you reached what you considered was your breaking point?  Now how many times were you able to press on beyond that point?  Spartan Race empowers people to reach, mentally, physically, and emotionally.  We hold you accountable for all actions.  If you are unable to complete an obstacle, you incur an immediate penalty.  There are no shortcuts, there are no end-arounds, there is only you and your fellow racers encouraging you as you go.  You arrive at the race uninhibited, and leave as a Spartan.  Aroo!

[Editor's Note: Michael Levine is the newest blogger on the Spartan Race team.  His voice will enrich the story that our blog strives to tell.  We welcome him and look forward to sharing his words.]

Tags: Grit, Spartan Files

by Carrie Adams

Race day always brings stories from the community.  This one is a doozy!

The Ultra Beast featured a team element that included a $15,000 payday for the winner.  Only eight teams were brave enough to take on the monumental task that included specific requirements for the team, including carrying at least a 26.2 pound team weight throughout the course.  One team, dubbed team Rollover, had a more than monumental start when their truck rolled just minutes before the race kicked off.  The team included Kevin Donoghue (his vehicle), Eric Matta, and Andrew Hostetler (who we featured in an “Every Obstacle Matters” post in Amesbury.  Read more HERE.)

They pulled up to the medic tent to unload their gear bin and didn’t see the ditch on the side of the road with a sharp drop off.  As driver Kevin Donoghue pulled up, the front tire slid over the side and the truck flipped.  All three team members were in the vehicle at the time and because they had their seat belts on, they were safe and able to race.  They crawled out with about 30 minutes before the start reorganizing their gear that had gone all over in the flip and ran up to the transition zone.  Donoghue spoke with police and with ten minutes to spare, the kind folks at Amphibious Medics (Donoghue’s brother’s company) took over the responsibility of getting the car flipped back over and the team took off!

When the team circled back after their first loop, the truck had been flipped, had the side mirror re-attached, cleaned, AND given an oil change.  It was even drivable!  Well, for a day.  Kevin got stuck in Rutland, VT just a few miles down the road and is currently awaiting additional repairs.

Photos courtesy of Crystal Fam

They were lucky no one was hurt in the accident and it also had no effect on their dancing skills.  They had the best half-time performance during their transition, busting moves to loud music while they ate and prepped for their second 14 mile loop of the day.   Bearing witness to their dancing skills, I’m prone to recommending they stick to the obstacle racing.  The pre-race car roll didn’t deter the team’s performance; however, they ended up finishing in second place. Not too shabby, guys.

Tags: Ode to Sparta, Spartan Vermont Beast, Team Rollover, Ultra Beast

by Carrie Adams

Our first ever Spartan Ultra Beast has come and gone.  More than a marathon on three mountain peaks in Killington, where 325 would begin and only 162 would finish.  There are a multitude of reasons why the DNFs were so prevalent, including a crew who have since dubbed themselves, “The Lost Tribe” who got lost on the first loop that added an additional six miles to their trek.  There were those who were admittedly ill-prepared and those who developed injuries, there were those who just simply didn’t want to continue, the thought of returning for another loop or taking another step too much to bear.

Image courtesy of Timothy Burgher

We’ve recounted the high points and the winners, the ones who can call themselves finishers who can wear their glow-in-the-dark medals with pride, who conquered the Ultra Beast, met the time cut-offs, survived the storm, and crossed the finish line.   And that story is inspiring.  But there is another story, the story of the 163 others, the ones who left the mountain without a medal, who had no ceremonious step over the finish line… the story of those with the designation DNF: Did Not Finish.  A painful designation that many had never experienced, the agony of something started that will remain unfinished and whether they were three miles or a full loop from the end, a DNF is just that; something that is left to be completed.  A DNF leaves a mark not easily overcome.

There are those who will rail and rant against it, who will excuse it away and who will make it a reason to never return.  And the emotional reaction is wrapped up in a moment that almost was… but never will be, and it’s not easy to reconcile.  For some, the DNF has come to represent something else altogether… something to redeem.  It has become the ignition of a fire that won’t easily burn out.  Because the only thing worse than living in the past is not recognizing that there is a future ahead.  And for many of them, that future is set on finishing what eluded them in Vermont.  A Spartan Ultra Beast finish.   Redemption.

Here are their stories in their own words.

“I originally pictured the finish line as a goal.  But the real finish is so much further than the finish line.  It’s at the Pickle Barrel for the after party.  Its Sunday when those racers take the field.  Its next month when people are still asking “Well how bad was it?  Really.”  Its next year at the Amesbury Sprint.  The NJ Super and at the Death Race.  The finish will be every single day after the race, whether its training for another race or just having a run.  It will be that sense of pride when I talk with these other crazy Spartans and we smile at the word “Crazy”.  The finish line is so much more than an inflated arch.  It’s that accomplishment of completing the task, whatever the task maybe.” – James Horgan (read more from James HERE.)

“DNF’ing a mere 3.5 miles from the finish and missing the time cutoff by minutes is a bitter pill to swallow.  One can’t help but look back at the race and see where minutes could have been easily shaven off had they truly gone 100%, which would have turned this failure into success.  It’s painful to fail and fall short but to fail knowingly that you didn’t lay it all on the line and could have prepared better is worse because it’s almost lie cheating yourself and squandering an opportunity.  It was a valuable lesson and given the chance at redemption, which I do crave, I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that I’d come out on top.” – Paul DiMarino

“I’ve been racing for a year now, both in road races and in five Spartan Races.  I have succeeded and suppressed my goals in every race I’ve tackled.  My goal for the UB was to simply complete it.  I did not meet that goal.  What was going to be a crowning achievement in maiden year of racing was a failure. I’m settled on redemption.  I feel this is a great lesson, not only for me but for my children.  I want to show them that when life challenges you, you don’t just curl up in a ball and give up.  You take your past experience and use it to train tougher than you ever did, fight harder and go get what you want.  I’ll be training everyday with my green wristband to remind me of this.” – Tanya Logan

“It was supposed to be a representation of how much I have changed my life.  I was supposed to leave my old self on one side of the finish line and hold my UB medal on the other side.  Getting lost was my own fault, I didn’t push hard enough, I didn’t train on enough hills, too many diet cheat days, doubt after doubt… and it hurts.  How much more of my old self do I still carry with me?  How much of my old life is still weighing me down?  My old self constantly accepted failure.  This current me cannot and will not.  I need to know that I am no longer who I was.”  -John Pollock

“DNF Ultra: No regrets, no excuses, no more words about the past!  SR better give me a tougher course and the chance for redemption because I will not be defeated twice!” – Chad Weberg

“This is my first ever DNF.  The disappointment is still lingering today.  All I can think about is signing up for next year’s race to earn the redemption I feel I need.  I did not quit, I was pulled at the 10 mile check point on my second lap.  I now know that even though I could have finished it if allowed, I need to move a little faster.  I can only hope that I will be allowed to redeem myself.” – Jason Ross

“I left a piece of me on those mountains, I want it back.  Plain and simple.” – Hector Puente.

Tags: marathon distance, obstacle race, Spartan Ultra Beast

by Carrie Adams

In May 2012, Spartan Race announced the inclusion of a new event, one that would be the first of its kind in the world.  An obstacle race that would be a marathon(ish) distance held in the Green Mountains of Vermont the same weekend as our World Championships.  Two loops on the course, almost fully self-supported, and imposed with time cut-offs and rules for obstacle completion.  It was promising to be so intense, an application process was introduced, so that Spartan could hand pick he 300 that would be a part of the event.  When thousands of applications flooded our HQ, we painstakingly chose our field.  When all was said and done, 386 were accepted (86 more than originally planned) to compete and on race day 345 would toe the line, 321 as individuals and 24 in eight separate three person teams.

Cody Moat, first place

Rules were laid out and it was decided at HQ that athletes could compete in both for cash prizes with the assumption that any Spartan tough enough to win both races deserved both cash prizes.  $5,000 was up for grabs for the top spot of the single and double loop Beast and Ultra Beast for top male and female, $2,000 would go to second place and $1,000 for third.  On the day, $50,000 would be handed out in cash prizes.  Other awards were also presented, making it the highest payday for any single obstacle race ever held.

When several of the Ultra Beast runners wandered off course, the time cut-offs were backed up so allow the runners to finish the over 27 mile course.  Running as much as six miles extra, some were pulled from the course before they could finish when the dark and rain made it impossible for them to continue.  And when the day was over, 162 finished and 69 of those finished in less than 11 hours.  The Ultra Beast medals are special edition and will never be re-created.  They’re larger with a special ribbon, oh, and they glow in the dark.  That’s pretty badass.  We shared photos on our wall all day with breaking stories on Saturday that you can see HERE.

The course was a monster, considerably more challenging than last year’s course, and when the top finishers came down the mountain; it was Cody Moat who would take home the top spot for both the Beast and the Ultra Beast.  Not to be outdone on the female side, Claude Godbout took top spot in both events as well!  Amelia Boone, multiple Spartan Death Race finisher took second in both the Beast and Ultra Beast making it an incredible demonstration of athleticism by all three.

Claude Godbout, first place

Men’s Ultra Beast Top Finishers:

Cody Moat – 7:01:26

Junyong Pak – 7:29:38

Brakken Kraker- 7:38:47

Female Ultra Beast Top Finishers:

Claude Godbout – 8:09:32

Amelia Boone – 8:35:55

Jenny Tobin – 9:00:46

Junyong Pak took second place followed by Brakken Kraker who took third place in the Beast behind Hobie Call.  The transition area was a hot spot for the athletes in between heats.  Grabbing food, gels, water, electrolytes, new socks, shoes, and clothes before taking off most of the competitors were all smiles and donning bright green arm bands they stood out in the crowd and battled most of the day as the rain started coming down late in the afternoon and persisted all evening.

On the team side, the top team that earned a $15,000 payday, The Rat Pack – Finishing time – 10:41:46, who crossed the line at about 7:09 PM.  The team consisted of Kenneth Lubin, PJ Rakoski, and Don Schwartz.  That was no easy task, forced to carry a team weight weighing at least 26.2 lbs, it had to stay with them for the entire course and be toted through each obstacle for them to earn their pay day.  Another notable team finish was Team Rollover – 11:05:21, who crossed the finish line at

Amelia Boone, 2nd place female

7:32 pm.  Their team included Kevin Donoghue, who rolled his truck while driving to the event and was thankfully not hurt in the accident, Eric Matta, and Andrew Hostetler.  This team was never in poor spirits, seen dancing in the bin drop to Skrillex in between the first and second lap.

Nearly 6,000 competitors and spectators from across the U.S. and several foreign countries representing

Kevin Donohoe’s truck post accident

every walk of life, age and stage and varying degrees of athletic abilities converged on Killington, VT to tackle the 2012 Spartan Race World Championship. Consisting of a Beast (one loop) 13 + and a first of its kind Ultra Beast (two loop) 26+ mile race, presented by Dial For Men on Sat., September 22^nd and Sunday, September 23^rd.

Looking for Ultra Beast results: Click HERE.

Photos from Race Day?  Saturday Race Day

Your FREE Race day images coming soon from our friends at Nuvision Action Image.  

Can’t wait to race again?  We understand.  Click HERE and find your next Spartan finish line.

Tags: amelia boone, Claude Godbout, Cody Moat, junyong pak, spartan beast, Spartan Ultra Beast, vermont

By Carrie Adams

As the clock ticks closer to the start times in Vermont, the chatter that has resonated all season is reaching a more fevered and frenzied pitch.  Conversations and speculation run rampant on Facebook and the decided lack of information (everyone knows we never release maps of our races) on the course except a leaked photo or two here and there and ominous rules and emails from HQ that has left a lot to the imagination of our athletes.  It’s been promised that this course will be one even the most tried and tested Spartan has never seen and the crew on the ground in Killington is working night and day to ensure that is delivered.  From the tongue in cheek – a picture of alligator infested waters with the caption “New addition to the course” (posted by yours truly) to the serious – the operations team on the ground coordinating with local medical and search in rescue teams in preparation for the two days of heats, the competitors have much to reflect on before they race off into the dark Vermont mountains for their Spartan Beast experience.

Spartan Races have never been for the faint of heart.  Most of our athletes who venture out on race day seek only to finish the race and cross the finish line but for others, the Spartan courses are providing a new level of competition and a new sport complete with world rankings, an international point system and a professional and Olympic level athleticism that sees participation from athletes across a myriad of sporting backgrounds.  The competition in Vermont is stacking up to be monumental.  The highlights of some of the top men in the field we released earlier this week in this BLOG, touting some of the beast alongside the most notable up and comers in the evolving sport of Obstacle Racing.  But the newness of the sport also affords the opportunity for the wild cards, the unknowns to take a stab at their affinity for an event that forces competitors to be well-rounded in strength, speed, stamina, agility, and power.

The women’s field that we previewed yesterday in this BLOG will prove just as competitive and with the inclusion of the world’s first ever Ultra Beast competition, a marathon(ish) distance obstacle race, history will be made in the Killington Mountains.  As a sport, we’ve grown and expanded and the Spartan Vermont Beast is the official Spartan Race 2012 Championship Race.  As you may recall, in 2011, the championship race was held in Texas in December, Glen Rose to be exact.  Hobie Call and Jenny Tobin walked away with our top male and top female spots.  However, for 2012, the winner of the Vermont Beast in Killington will be declared Spartan Race Champion and the World’s Greatest Obstacle Racer for 2012.  Both Tobin and Call will be on hand in Vermont.

Multiple elements make Vermont unique.  Held in the backyard of the infamous Spartan Death Race, the mountains are dark, mysterious, and treacherous for all who enter.  Making it more challenging this time around, the Vermont Beast is mostly self-support.  Meaning there isn’t a friendly water station every few miles stocked with water, Gatorade, or bananas like there was last year.  To increase the difficulty of the experience, it was decided that these distances would be constructed so that the athletes had to prepare to support their race themselves with nutrition and water they had to bring with them for the duration.  This decision, inspired by the adventure racing Race Directors and staff at HQ used to self-support races, is a redefinition of “tough” in an age of mud runs, and fun runs emerging around the globe.  This isn’t that kind of fun.  Spartan Race HQ’s own Mike Morris, who serves as the Race Director for the Vermont Beast gave some tips on how to successfully self-support and also included some crucial tips on the right kind of gear necessary for an event of this kind.  See those links here:

Links for Suggested Gear (per Race Director).  How to Self Support.

Last year’s course was brutalizing with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain in the first 5K alone.  That’s just 3.1 miles and one of the three mountaintops the competitors faced last August.  The same elevation gain was experienced in the 2012 Tri-State Spartan Race in New Jersey as well, but was spread out over the entire 10.5 mile course.   Weather may also prove a factor in 2012 with temps around the 40 degree mark expected on Saturday morning, when last year’s temperatures were warmer – the August heat still easily felt from peak to valley.

From self-support to cooler temps and promises of a tougher, more intense course, this weekend is quickly stacking up to be the one to watch.  We’ll be bringing you updates all week on the blog and on FB and full coverage of the weekend of racing heats will be provided from our Facebook page on race day.  Stay tuned…

Tags: spartan beast, spartan race, vermont

by Jason Rita

Should an Armageddon or Apocalypse ever threaten the human race, I am expecting that the Spartan Women survive and lead us back from oblivion.

The Spartan Race at Blue Mountain Pennsylvania in July was billed as a marquee match up of the best female Spartans, the sport’s top obstacle racers, battling it out for glory and cash, at one of the toughest Spartan courses on the circuit.  The poster proclaimed: “We Like Our Women Fast,” and the Spartan chicks proved it that day.    But at Killington, fast definitely won’t be enough to claim the 2012 Spartan Championship and the prize money on offer.   The toughest of all Spartan courses will demand a combination of speed, agility, strength, endurance, mental toughness and acuity – all these qualities and more will be required to be crowned as Queen of Sparta.

Jenny Tobin

At the PA race, former pro Xterra and Ironman triathlete Jenny Tobin came in unbeaten, fresh off a close win at the Pacific NW Spartan Sprint Race, and carrying the expectations that went with her clear victory at last year’s Spartan 2011 Championship in Texas.   But Canadian national team biathlete and Olympic hopeful Claude Godbout took 1^st place.  (What is it about Canadian biathletes anyway? Maybe it’s the Timbits?)  Make no mistake; this loss motivated the take-no-prisoners Jenny to refocus her training in the mountains near her home in Boise, Idaho, in a calculated and determined mission to reclaim her title at Killington.    Both Jenny and Claude finished in the Top 10 overall in PA proving that Spartan women racers can challenge their male counterparts.   Jenny’s professional career in Xterra and Ironman proved that she is a money player, and she really likes collecting checks.    She has declared that she is aiming for 1^st place in both the Beast and UltraBeast distances.

Claude Godbout would be expected to challenge Jenny for pre-race favorite, but like her compatriot and fellow national biathlete

Claude Godbout

Marc-Andre Bedard, Claude (and just like Marco, coming fresh off a win at Spartan Slovakia) is not racing Killington this weekend, removing one of Jenny’s biggest obstacles to a back-to-back Championship repeat, but the multisport veteran will still face strong challenges from an amazing group of racers.

Jacklyn Rust

Included in that group is the woman who finished second to Jenny at the Texas Super Championship Race last December, Jaclyn Rust. An All-Conference collegiate runner, Jackie was slowed down in Texas because she had to do 150 burpees.  Jackie decided on her strategy last year to train secretly and Killington will be her only Spartan Race since then, and she is going all-in to pull off an upset.

Ella Ann Kociuba

Another Texas challenger is the 19-year-old phenom Ella Ann Kociuba.  Ella’s athletic talent was obvious when she debuted in the Spartan Texas 2011 race clocking a time faster than champion Jenny Tobin in Glen Rose but in an open heat, not eligible for the cash prize.  For all her promise, Ella has had to show more grit than grins as she has battled injury after injury.  Sadly it is a common theme for Ella.  We featured Ella’s battle back from a debilitating horseback riding injury as a teenager to become a true Spartan competitor.   But Ella had to pull out of the 2012 Spartan Death Race in June with a leg injury, and when she recovered to race in Pennsylvania, another injury derailed her quest when she crashed on the trail soon after the race started breaking her shin open on her already injured leg.  Despite the pain, and with blood gushing from her wound she battled on to finish fifth, surrounded by some of the same women who came to compete against her.  Ella has warned she is fully recovered, and now sponsored by Flag Nor Fail clothing, she is determined to show the doubters that the only thing between her and the podium is a race without catastrophe.  Fair warning to Ella and all other racers:  that may not be possible in Killington.

Amanda Czapa

Another young-gun who hails originally from Texas, Amanda Czapla has in fact won more races in the USA 2012 than any other Spartan woman: first-place in Miami, Carolinas and Texas, so she could establish herself as the best female obstacle racer in the world with a win in Killington.  But she admits that she doesn’t know how to swim, in which case some of the Killington obstacles might prove more daunting and distressing than otherwise.  Amanda is one of the strongest runners in the field, but the now resident of Florida could be undone by the mountainous course – not a lot of hills to train on in the Sunshine State.  We hope she was able to find a tall office building with a staircase to the roof!

No such dilemma for Margaret Schlachter of Dirtinyourskirt.com.  Margaret has home field advantage, as

Margaret Schlachter

she is a Killington local, and she showed her endurance bona fides with a third place Beast finish in 2011.  Margaret has dedicated herself unlike many others to the sport of obstacle racing, and her ultra-distance training for this year’s Death Race will mean that she will be undaunted by the Killington distance and terrain.   One of the most popular obstacle racers in the fastest-growing sport in the world, Margaret has taken a leading role in the transformation of Chris Davis as he also toes the line at Killington in his quest.  We acknowledge Margaret’s dedication to another Spartan athlete.  The Spartan Code tells us that a Spartan gives generously, and Margaret demonstrates that quality like no other.

Rose-Marie Jarry

The only racer with more wins than Amanda Czapla is Canadian Rose-Marie Jarry, who has an amazing four wins in 2012, three north of the border capped off with an impressive showing at the recent Tri-State New Jersey Super.  Rosie’s pedigree is competing as a national 800 meter runner, representing her country on the international stage, so for sure she has the speed, and the second place finish at the Ottawa Beast coupled with winning in New Jersey Super show she now has plenty of endurance.  Rose is also leading the 2012 Spartan Race Points Series competition and is determined to maintain her standing with a strong showing in Vermont.  She is well known as the owner of all-natural sports nutrition brand Kronobar and now is sharing her healthy food recipes for training and living on the Spartan Blog.  Amazingly she has run 21 Spartan Races since 2010, earning at least a cake at Killington, maybe?   Knowing her, the competitive fire that has fueled her athletic success will not be satiated with cake; her sights are more set on devouring her competition.

Andi Hardy  has had a real breakout season, registering multiple wins and multiple podiums, but

Andi Hardy

more than that, transforming herself to a serious contender at every race she contests.  Her enthusiasm for the sport of obstacle racing has seen her embark on a veritable Summer of Spartan tour, a self-funded road-trip that included 8 races across the map, with more on the calendar, and made her into a one-woman roving Spartan ambassador.  She is currently 2^nd on the Spartan Points Ranking table but more than results, Andi represents the best of Spartan racing and what makes our Spartan athletes incredibly special, always pushing herself to the limit, pursuing her passion to new realms of performance, and proving in action what is possible when you decide to change your life.

Grace Cuomo Durfee

For all the favorites above, we know there will be surprises to come to challenge the experienced racers?  Grace Cuomo Durfee suffered though 40 miles of brutal tests over 2 days during the 2011 Death Race, showing incredible physical and mental strength to finish 4^th overall and 1^st female. At Killington, she is expected to compete ferociously during the 26-mile challenge of the UltraBeast, and could blaze her way through the Beast field as well.

First time Spartan racer and recently retired professional Ironman triathlete Kate Pallardy is confident about her chances.

Juliana Sproles

And last year’s first female finisher at the World’s Toughest Mudder, Juliana Sproles has been preparing for the Vermont race by scouting and training runs at Spartan PA and MA, and the long course format of the Beast will suit her well.  Now a bona fide member of Spartan Chick’d Nation, Juliana is sure to leave it all on the course as she pursues Spartan glory.

Some other names that could shake things up include Spartan300 athletes Liz Law, Leyla De Cori, Sue Luck, Angela Reynolds, Corinne Kohlen and Irene Call.  All have raced well in 2012, and they too will be out to tame the Killington Beast and claim their place in the pantheon.

An intriguing battle awaits.  Any of these women will be worthy Spartan champions.  We know that the Amazons were a nation of all-female warriors in Greek mythology and Classical antiquity.  But for my money, it is modern Spartan Race Women that carry the battle to new heights of accomplishment and inspiration.

Tags: Andi Hardy, Claude Godbout, Corinne Kohlen, Ella Ann Kociuba, Grace Durfee, Jaclyn Rust, Jenny Tobin, Juliana Sproles, Kate Pallardy, Margaret Schlachter, Rose-Marie Jarry, spartan beast, spartan death race, Spartan Ultra Beast