Indiana is a venue that is familiar with firsts. This was the first Indiana event and the first Founder’s Race in 2012. It was the first on-demand race we held in that season as well. 2013 brought another first, Todd Sedlak’s turn at the helm of the race course direction. Says Sedlak, “Having completed dozens of Spartan Races myself, I wanted to bring something different to the racers in Indiana. The Indiana Spartan Sprint was designed to truly be an obstacle racer’s course, averaging one obstacle every 300 yards over five miles. Haspin Acres offered some incredibly rugged terrain, allowing for tremendous natural obstacles like chasms, ravines, mud holes, river beds and steep, muddy climbs. The Rolling Mud into Barbed Wire was the muddiest, slipperiest one I have ever seen, and all uphill.”
Sedlak promised that no one would finish in under an hour. He was wrong, but not by much. “Though 13 men did break the one hour challenge I had set, I still feel I accomplished my goal of making an incredibly challenging Sprint that would rival much longer courses. We had great weather and a great time, I’m really proud of everything we accomplished together, Spartan Race and Corn Fed Spartans.”

Results were tight on the men’s side with familiar faces Brakken Kraker and Elliot Megquier battling for first and second, separated by 9 seconds.
1. Brakken Kraker 48:01
2. Elliot Megquier 48:10
3. Alexander Nicholas 54:10

The women saw Amelia Boone atop another podium with an impressive finish ten minutes ahead of the rest of the field.
1. Amelia Boone 1:01:27
2. Jillian Kenney 1:11:08
3. Tonya Stogsdill 1:12:30

The Cornfed Spartans came with a vengeance, topping the team results and boasting over 200 participants on the day. Said one participant, “By far, the toughest Sprint course and one that people will compare other sprints to. With many of us on the course for several hours, all there to help make sure everyone got over 1 more obstacle and 1 step closer to the finish line, family was the term used by many.”

Looking good, Indiana! And now we head farther West towards Colorado and our Military Spartan Sprint! Stay tuned for more to come!

Find your Spartan finish line.  Sign up today. 

Tags: amelia boone, cornfed spartans, Indiana Sprint, Reebok Spartan Race, Spartan 300

by Carrie Adams

When we announced early 2012 that we’d be having the world’s first marathon(ish) distance Obstacle Course Race, the response was overwhelming.  Application only, thousands of race resumes flooded HQ with runners wanting to be a part of history.  When all was said and done, we had a line-up of Spartan Ultra-Beast participants that ranged from National Champion Trail Runners and Olympic athletes to first time marathoners.

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.  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.

Some of the most compelling stories on the day were of those who DNF’d the course.  For those who missed cut-offs, dropped out due to injury, excuse, or exhaustion, they shared their candid stories with us that you can read HERE.

Results:

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

Want to read the rest of the race report from the Ultra Beast?  Click HERE.   And if you want the Ultra Beast by the numbers including stats on fastest and slowest times, transitions in the pit, and average laps… click HERE. 

Not to be outdone, the Vermont Beast was the true World Championship of the 2012 season.  The monster Ultra Beast certainly captured a lot of attention, but the crowning jewel on the season was wrapped up in the Beast where a lot was laid on the line by those brave enough to race for the cash.

One look at the results board and one thing stands out immediately.  Hobie Call’s name is NOT at the top.  In our review of the male competitors coming to the race that we posted last week HERE, several names were visible at the top of the leader board that we predicted would be.  It would ultimately be Cody Moat’s day two times over, taking the top spot and besting Hobie Call in the Beast (one loop) and then continuing on and winning the Ultra Beast (two loops).  Call, nursing a hamstring injury was second on the day, finishing almost five minutes after Moat.  Other high finishers included Brakken Kraker who took third, Ben Nephew who captured fourth, and Sebastian Monette who snagged fifth.  We talk more about the Ultra Beast, HERE in this blog post published yesterday.

On the women’s side it was a tight race!  We previewed the ladies last

week HERE. The top spot went to Canadian biathlete and Obstacle Racing phenom Claude Godbout, who, like Moat, went on to a second loop capturing both race victories!  Godbout took not only top spot for females, but 7^th overall, beating all but six men on the course.  Godbout was our top place finisher in the 2011 Vermont Beast last year and was able to reclaim her first place status.  Amelia Boone was a notable racer as well in Vermont.  The Death Race veteran swept in from the windy city of Chicago and took second place in the Beast and the Ultra Beast.  Like Godbout, she out paced many of our top men, her 14^thoverall in the single loop Beast performance landed only 12 men total ahead of her.  Boone was followed by Ella Kociuba in third and Jenny Tobin in fourth a battle at the finish line.

In addition to the elite Beast heat Nearly 6,000 competitors and spectators from across the U.S. and several foreign countries representing 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 it capped off our season with one hell of an Obstacle Race with $50,000 being handed out before the day was over for the top finishers.  The most EVER given out at an Obstacle Race event.

The Ultra Beast will be making an appearance in the 2013 season.  Stay tuned, details coming soon!  In the meantime? Can’t wait to race again?  We understand.  Click HERE and find your next Spartan finish line.

Tags: amelia boone, Claude Godbout, Cody Moat, DNF, hobie call, junyong pak, marathon, spartan beast, Spartan Ultra Beast

by Carrie Adams

In 2012, the Death Race was themed, “The Year of Betrayal.”  All told, 344 would enter the race and over 82% would DNF (Did Not Finish).  The final finisher would finish in just over 67 hours.  Where 2011 saw a beginning to the race with five hours of lifting stones, 2012 began with an ultra marathon in teams carrying a heavy weight.  Denied their packs with food, water, and other precious self-support supplies, it was arguably the most grueling test to date.

Fans online remained glued to the Facebook updates as the names of those who would not finish the race piled up as the hours marched onward.  Some of our most popular posts on the year came from this remarkable challenge unlike any other on the planet.  No known start or finish time, no clue what will be asked by Race Directors Andy and Joe, it’s something you just hope to survive.

Here are the official 2012 Death Race Results, with winner Olof Dallner putting on an impressive performance (all while rocking his green sunglasses).  In addition to overall results we featured the women of the 2012 Death Race.  Notably, Amelia Boone, who finished third in the Winter version of the event, finished in second place and is planning a return in 2013.  Click HERE for more on the Women of the Death Race.

Finally, Spartan friend and Obstacle Racing Magazine editor Matt B. Davis was onsite and lent his perspective on the event from the ground level.  Awake and reporting for much of the 67 hours, his candid report gives insight into what it is like to bear witness to such a physical, mental, and emotional undertaking for the participants.  His report began with, “Betrayal. I was on site at Amee Farm less than 15 minutes when I was confronted with it directly.  I walked up to Race Organizer Andy Weinberg asking him if he had seen Todd Sedlak. I came to the Death Race to crew for my pal, Todd and I know Andy has a sweet spot in his heart for Sgt. Sedlak. Instead of being met with a smile, Andy quickly dismissed me saying, “Todd’s not here, he is out of this year’s race. If he’s not here by now, he will never catch up and finish on time”.  He then quickly walked away.  I was baffled. I had no idea at the time, but I had walked squarely into the game that was the 2012 Death Race.”

To read his full recap, click HERE.

For those of you foolish enough to want to participate, there is still room in 2013, themed, “Gambler.”  You can take your chance, roll the dice, and hope to cheat Death.  Go to www.youmaydie.com to get signed up.

Tags: 2012, amelia boone, joe desena, Olof Dallner, spartan death race, Year of Betrayal

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

The alarm goes off shortly after 4:00 AM and Amelia Boone, 28 is off to the gym before an undetermined number of hours at the law firm where she works as an attorney in downtown Chicago.  “It’s important to make time.” she explains.  “And I don’t know when else I will get the chance with my working hours.” 

A native of Oregon, Boone grew up active playing soccer and softball.  When it came time for college, she followed the path of academics in lieu of sports but stayed active always looking for something to challenge her.   She will be participating in both the Winter and the Summer Death Races in 2012.  Athletes like Amelia are redefining females in sport and giving women new heroes of the non-traditional variety.  Successful, strong, smart, and beautiful, she’s going to be one to watch this season.  She’s adding to an already strong field of female athletes. 

A self-proclaimed desk jockey, she needs an outlet from the long hours and obstacle racing and non-traditional endurance challenges have been the perfect fit.  Training for the hilly terrain she will face in Vermont while living and working downtown Chicago is a challenge but Boone has taken to getting creative.  Lugging 40lbs up stairs in her work clothes 39 stories is how she begins her work day and takes to planning while reviewing cases in her office.  She’s also recently started blogging about her racing and her unique approach to training,  http://raceipsa.blogspot.com/.

“It doesn’t hurt when partners think you’re a little crazy,” she jokes.

She’s also honing new skills.  Recently gifted an axe, she’s been working on her wood chopping skills, another challenging skill to train for while living in the downtown Chicago urban jungle.  She knows learning how to wield the axe will be an important part of the upcoming Death Race experiences so she’s getting prepared as best she can.

“There aren’t many trees to speak of.  And I think lugging an axe around town would be frowned upon.”

Her accomplishments are notable.  In addition to marathons, traditional road races, and countless obstacle races she recently completed an overnight challenge in D.C. and was also part of a well known 24 hour challenge in December 2011.  Only ten participants total would finish out of a field of 800 and only two women, Boone included. 

The mysticism and the community of the Death Race is what appealed to Boone.  “I haven’t met a community of people like it.  There is nothing like it.”  She also looks forward to her Death Race experiences, however unknown they are right now.  “I have no idea what to expect.  I’m pretty sure that’s a good thing.”  

Tags: amelia boone, death race, pittsfield