If you missed the Vegas race, you missed one of the most exciting podium finishes is the history of Spartan Race. Cody Moat, the 2012 Points Series winner, and Hunter McIntyre were neck in neck almost the entire race. It came down to a photo finish, with Cody edging out Hunter for second place.

Hunter recalls, “I approached the rope climb thinking that I had lost all hope of my third place ranking I earned in Temecula. As I climbed the rope to the top I had a feeling come over me that it was go time! So I took a leap of faith, literally, and started my way towards the wall and spear throw. I reached the top of the wall and I saw Cody chest down in the dirt repping out burpees.”

He thought that he might have a shot, “I worked my way over the first spear and told myself there isn’t any room to miss, cocking back my arm I chucked a killer throw thinking I had just taken the third place metal and wrapped it tightly round his neck. When I turned to make the run in he popped up and made a move at the same time, I thought it this was an impossible series of events but there was no time for thinking it was time to move!”

Mike Morris, who oversees race production for Spartan, was in the middle of all of this when it went down. Mike was the one counting Cody’s burpees after he missed his spear throw, making sure his form was up to par.

He recounts the action, “I was crouched over next to Cody counting out loud as he did his burpees. At around rep number 20 I look up and see Hunter crest the slip wall. The crowd cheered so Cody looked up and saw him, too. Cody was literally at burpee number 28 when Hunter takes his toss and sticks it.”

By the time Hunter had turned around and closed the 40 foot gap, Cody had bounced up and the two of them were pretty much touching shoulders as they jumped the fire jump and plowed through the gladiators.

McIntyre says, “We met midair while jumping over the fire, my foot landed before his as I took a stride towards the finish line there stood one last obstacle between me and second place. 4 gladiators rose to the occasion of making sure it wasn’t going to be my lucky day, as I took on the first wave of them Cody and I were side by side. Pushing through the my first hit I thought I had it won between us as I took the second hit hard to the chest, at that point I couldn’t tell where Cody was and fear set in quickly. Looking down from the hit I saw him ahead of me by a full body length.”

2nd place finisher, Cody Moat

Mike Morris and the crowd were looking on, Morris says, “The crowd, who knew how tight of a race it was seeing hunter clear the slip wall, had gradually started cheering louder and louder with an tangible step change in celebration when Hunter stuck the spear. By the time the two of them were sprinting down the home stretch, the crowd was the loudest I’d ever heard it at one of our events, underlying how cool of a finish it really was. I’ve been to close to 30 Spartan Races and this was one of the coolest moments yet.”

McIntyre is proud of what he considers the best race of his career. He promises, “I do not hate Cody for winning, I thank him for the challenge and reason to train harder because next time we meet things won’t be the same.”

Well it looks likes Hunter has his sights set on Cody. This should make for an interesting year.

Tags: Cody Moat, Hunter McIntyre, Photo Finish, Reebok Spartan Race, Reebok Super Spartan

by Chris Rutz

The 2013 Points Season consists of races following the 2012 World Championship, beginning with the Carolinas Race October 13th, 2012 and culminating in the 2013 World Championship to be held in Vermont on September 21st, 2013. Over the course of the 2013 Spartan Race Season, we’re going to take your top 5 best races and use them to calculate your points ranking.

What are the rewards? Well in 2012 the top 20 male and female athletes split a $40,000 prize purse. The first place man and woman each received a check for $4,250. This weekend in Las Vegas we will be having an awards ceremony for the top 20 men and women to recognize their performance in 2012. Come and see some of the top Obstacle Racers pick up their prize at 11:00am in the festival area.

For the men:
1st Cody Moat
2nd Hobie Call
3rd Brakken Kraker
4th Christopher Rutz
5th Elliott Megquier
6th Walter Schmidt
7th Shawn Feiock
8th David Chandler
9th David Magida
10th Dallas Bessette
11th Joe Kauder
12th Rick Kraics
13th Shane McKay
14th John Hayter
15th Christopher Obertlik
16th Robert Coble
17th Kevin Donoghue
18th Isaiah Vidal
19th David Mick
20th Marko Vennerholm

For the women:
1st Jenny Tobin
2nd Leslie St Louis
3rd Rose Marie Jarry
4th Melinda Branch
5th Margaret Schlachter
6th Irene Call
7th Corinne Kohlen
8th Andi Hardy
9th Juliana Sproles
10th Lelya Di Cori
11th Angela Reynolds
12th Sue Luck
13th Ella Kociuba
14th Gretchen Krueger
15th Shaun Provost
16th Amanda Czapla
17th Ekaterina Solovieva
18th Raegan Chambers
19th Lauel Arnold
20th Angela Kalal

Note: Not all of the above athletes are scheduled to race in Las Vegas. Those not appearing will either get their “podium” check at their next scheduled race.

Are you ready to try to make the top 20 for the 2013 season? Here are the details.

Tags: Brakken Krakker, Christopher Rutz, Cody Moat, hobie call, Jenny Tobin, Leslie St. Louis, Melinda Branch, Rose-Marie Jarry, Spartan Points Series, Spartan Pro Athletes

by Steffan “Cookie” Cook

Reebok SoCal Super Spartan Champion
Hobie Call

The first Reebok Spartan Race of 2013 is in the books!  The Reebok SoCal Super Spartan at Vail Creek Resort in Temecula, CA was a bit shorter than last year, but the roughly 8.5 mile course was considered even more difficult. The addition of a water obstacle and the punishing hills at Temecula made the event an awesome test of wills.

Rain was an unexpected obstacle on both Saturday and Sunday, making the treacherous terrain and obstacles like the monkey bars even more difficult to navigate. It also marked the first ever collaboration with Life as Rx for WODStock! More to come on that event in a later post, but it was quite a hit!

It was an exciting elite heat, with top male competitors Hobie and Cody battling it out for the top two spots. But Hunter McIntyre was hot on their heels, finishing less than a minute behind Moat. He’s emerging as a man to beat!

Men:

1. Hobie Call 1:13:20
2. Cody Moat 1:17:01
3. Hunter McIntyre 1:17:33

On the ladies’ elite side, the top three were all over the age of 30! Familiar face and last year’s female point’s leader Jenny Tobin placed second with TyAnn Clark edging her out for first. Local Fayre Morgan nabbed third.

Women:

1. TyAnn Clark 1:47:25
2. Jenny Tobin 1:50:55
3. Fayre Morgan 1:58:52

For full results, click HERE.

The biggest team, yet again, were the Weeple Army, boasting team numbers well into triple digits.  They were our 2012 biggest team, and they are gearing up for the same honors in 2013.

Some great moments unfolded at the Super Spartan.

There was a proposal at the finish line (she said yes!) and Spider Man 3 actor Tony Besson, who first took on the hills of Malibu, returned for the punishing hills of Temecula.

There was a great story behind the appearance of Midwest Super Sunday open winner and Montana native Greg Stewart. His car died in Salt Lake City around 3 AM but he still managed to get to the race start line by renting a car at the last minute!

Perhaps most impressive was Taylor Jackson of Palm Springs. On December 11^th, 2011 he was involved in a serious car collision and as a result, had to be treated for TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) and left-side neglect. He was had broken ribs, fractured C1, C2, C3 vertebrae, collapsed lungs, and a host of other injuries. Together with his father Brian, he got physically fit again and often practiced running up to six miles to prepare and he crossed the finish line on Sunday!

We’d like to recognize our friends at Livestrong who took on the course, the crew from Biggest Loser, and Project Hope Alliance who brought 30 homeless children to take on the Kid’s Race.  With a medal, shirt, and lunch and transportation, we’re told they had a great day at the races!  Thank you to our volunteers for helping us make it a great weekend!

Our West Coast invasion will continue in 2014 with the inclusion of a Sprint AND a Beast for the first time in Spartan history!  More to come on our West Coast take-over, but take advantage of the recently added races and sign up today!

The next Reebok SoCal Sprint will be on January 25, 2014.  Sign up HERE.  The Reebok SoCal Beast, is scheduled for September 13, 2014.  A link for registration can be found HERE.

Need your fix sooner?  Next up, Spartan rolls into Arizona in just two weeks!  See you on the course!

For a peek at some photos, check out our online album!

We’re on Twitter too!  See what’s happening in our community, and follow us today!

Tags: Cody Moat, hobie call, Jenny Tobin, Reebok, Reebok SoCal Beast 2014, Reebok SoCal Sprint 2014, Reebok Spartan Race, spartan race, Tony Besson, Vail Lake Resort

by Chris Rutz, Elite Spartan Racer

This weekend, Reebok Spartan Race kicks off the 2013 calendar year with the Super Spartan SoCal in Temecula.

This is the first race since the Reebok/Spartan Race partnership was announced last week in New York City.

Many of the top athletes from the 2012 Season will be racing in Temecula this weekend for their share of the $7,500 cash purse generously provided by our partners at Navy Federal Credit Union for the Saturday Elite wave. 

Cody Moat, 2012 Men’s Points Champion

These Top 10 Athletes from the 2012 Season are scheduled to appear
this weekend:

Men:                                      Women:

Cody Moat                                Jenny Tobin

Hobie Call                                 Leslie St Louis

Christopher Rutz                       Margaret Schlachter

Elliott Megquier                         Corinne Kohlen

Shawn Feiock                           Juliana Sproles

Dallas Bassette                         Leyla Ester Di Cori

In addition to these top performers from 2012, watch out for Hunter McIntyre, who has already made a name for himself at the NorCal Beast and the Malibu Sprint, with podium finishes at each.

On the women’s side, Midwest Super champion and Ultra Beast and Beast second place finisher Amelia Boone may also make an appearance. With prize money, Reebok, and the great group of top racers, it is shaping up to be an exciting weekend of obstacle course racing. 

Many of the top athletes are excited about the agreement between Reebok and Spartan Race. We asked a few of them what they think it means for the future of the sport of Obstacle Racing.

Some quotes on their initial reactions to the news: 

Spartan emerging elite male Hunter McIntyre noted, “It will bring greater attention to the sport, coupled with stronger competition.”

On the Spartan female side top, ten athlete Leyla Di Cori remarked, “I think this is a great opportunity to give more credibility to obstacle racing as a sport.” 

Jenny Tobin, 2012 Female Points Champion

Spartan champion Hobie Call, who was onsite in New York City last week for the ground-breaking announcement, was quoted as saying, “It will be nice to have a large company come out with some obstacle racing specific clothing/shoes, and help sponsor athletes, which will help get serious athletes to more races.”

Leslie St. Louis, Spartan female elite athlete commented, “…maybe I am not thinking big enough yet, but as far as Spartan specifically, I foresee more momentum for CrossFit inspired events and obstacles, such as the WODstock event in Temecula and the obstacles at Citi Field.”

To find out more about what these and other athletes are thinking, get out to the SoCal Spartan this weekend and ask them. They would welcome the opportunity to share their passion for obstacle course racing with you.

See you at the races!  

Not registered yet?  What are you waiting for?  Join the expected 500,000 Spartans that will cross one of our finish lines this year.  

Click HERE to find an event near you. 

Tags: Citi Field, Cody Moat, crossfit, hobie call, Jenny Tobin, Joe De Sena, Navy Federal Credit Union, Reebok, Reebok Spartan Race, Reebok Spartan Race Times Square Challenge, spartan race, WODstock

by Carrie Adams

Not that you need 500,000 reasons to love Spartan Races  but they sure help!  In 2012, one of our most popular blog posts outlined our cash and prizes on the year.  Far and away, Spartan was the leader in the Obstacle Racing pack with our payouts for Champions and competitors.

Spartan Race was living large in 2012.  So large, we finally quantified it! Spartan Race HQ was proud to have given away $500,000 in cash and prizes!   Born out of the Death Race and growing rapidly since 2010 Spartan has continually worked hard to make our mark in the growing sport of Obstacle Racing.  With 34 global events in the season of 2012, and recognized as Outside Magazine’s “Best Obstacle Race” for the same year, Spartan Race, is building the sport of obstacle racing as the competition for the complete athlete – fast, strong, agile, with endless endurance, and strong of mind, body and character.  There is no doubt that Spartan is cutting edge with the world’s first and only global ranking system, an escalating race series from 5K to the first ever marathon(plus) distance race with the introduction of the Ultra Beast we worked hard to reward our Spartan community – handsomely!

When the season ended, the leader board had Cody Moat, who also won the  Trail National Marathon in Moab, UT on November 3rd, 2012, solidifying his position as an all-around athlete.  It came down to a fraction of points with the final tally for the men, Moat beating resident Spartan Champion Hobie Call by an extremely narrow margin.  On the women’s side, positioned at the top spot on the was former professional X-Terra athlete Jenny Tobin, with a first place point’s finish.  With 2013 already in full swing, check out the current points standings HERE.  To read the full details on the cash and prizes given away in 2012, click on the link HERE. 

We’ll be giving you even more reasons in 2013!  Our good friends at Navy Federal Credit Union have graciously agreed to sponsor the prize money at six Spartan Events in 2013.  The breakdown will be:

$2,000 1st Place

$1,000 2nd Place

$750 3rd Place

These prizes will be awarded in Arizona on February 9th, Las Vegas on April 6th, Burnet, Texas May 18, Washington, August 3rd, and the Mid-Atlantic August 24th.

More cash and prize updates coming soon!  You could win BIG with Spartan Race.  Don’t wait.  Register today.

Tags: 2012, Cody Moat, hobie call, Jenny Tobin, National Trail Marathon, Navy Federal Credit Union, spartan race, X-Terra

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 Jason Rita

“THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN”  SPARTAN RETURNS TO GLEN ROSE WHERE THE BIGGEST NAMES IN OBSTACLE RACING WILL BATTLE FOR THEIR SHARE OF SPARTAN’S $40,000 POINTS COMPETITION PURSE.

FOLLOW ONE EPIC WEEKEND OF LEGENDARY SPARTAN RACING AS THE SPARTAN 300 POINTS LEADERS FACE OFF IN THE SEASON’S FINAL BEAST RACE IN ORDER TO SETTLE WHO WINS THE 2012 SPARTAN POINTS SERIES COMPETITION  TOMORROW WE WILL PREVIEW THE WOMEN’S RACE.

At nearly every Spartan Race from our inception to today, one man has had the target on his back. One man was the standard of excellence in obstacle racing. One man stood on the brink last year of achieving an unfathomable athletic feat, and only the Spartan Death Race stopped him from taking $100,000 of Joe Desena’s money. From January 2011 to today, that man has won 24 Spartan Races at all distances – from Sprints to Supers to beasts. He inspired many a start-line bounty declaration, Joe Desena grabbing a megaphone and dangling amounts increasing from $1,000 to $10,000 to anyone who could beat him. He vanquished all comers. He raced everybody and everywhere, and won. He went to other off-brand obstacle races, and won. He raced with a weight-vest, and won. He raced with one arm tied behind his back, and won. He raced blindfolded, and won. He proved he was not a robot sent from the future but was in fact a human when he actually lost a race after a nutrition bonk. Such was the legend of Hobie Call.

One year ago, Hobie Call came to Glen Rose, Texas, as the undisputed best obstacle racer in the world, and went home with $10,000 as he held off the USA national Xterra champion Josiah Middaugh at the 2011 Spartan Championship race. But this year, Hobie Call’s dream of retaining his Spartan championship title and winning the 2012 crown in Killington, Vermont, was extinguished when Cody Moat raced away from him in the last mile down the Killington mountain to claim the Spartan 2012 Championship.

For nearly two years, it seemed that Hobie Call was racing only against himself. But this year, after a shock defeat in Vermont at the 2012 Championships, he arrives in Glen Rose as not the hunted, but the hunter. Now it is Cody Moat’s turn in Texas where he has the opportunity to cement his status as the world’s pre-eminent obstacle racer. How will Hobie and the other Spartan 300 obstacle racers handle Cody’s emergence as the new sheriff in town? Can someone race forward to pick up the gauntlet thrown down by Cody?

And what a gauntlet! After putting his stamp on the Spartan racing world in Vermont and claiming the Beast Championship and UltraBeast victories, Cody went on to win Spartan South Carolina where Hobie did not race due to an injury. On November 3, Cody went and showed trail runners how Spartans roll, winning the USA Trail Marathon Championships in Moab, Utah, and then being subsequently named as USA Track & Field’s Athlete of the Week. But Hobie sent a resounding signal that he was ready to race again, when he returned to form at Spartan Sacramento with a victory, albeit in Cody’s absence.

Now Hobie and Cody will toe the line in Glen Rose, their first battle since Vermont. Like two gunslingers in an old Hollywood western, high noon will be observed in Texas this weekend – except that it won’t be at 12 o’clock, it will be at 8:00 am on Saturday when the attention of the obstacle racing world will be focused on The Great Race at Glen Rose. Cage/Travolta have nothing on the Moat/Call Face/Off to see who is fastest.

As the deciding race of their head-to-head rivalry this year, a lot is on the line for these two Spartan obstacle racing champions. Each has one victory over the other, and one victory when the other is absent:

Spartan Utah Hobie 1st, Cody 2nd

Spartan Vermont Beast Cody 1st, Hobie 2nd

Spartan South Carolina Cody 1st, Hobie did not race

Spartan Sacramento Beast Hobie 1st, Cody did not race.

For the Spartan Race Points Series, a 1-2 finish for the Cody/Hobie-monster will mean that the Points Competition will come to decimal points to separate them at the top of the table. If Hobie and Cody do finish in the top spots in Texas, they will leapfrog over current Points leader, Christopher Rutz, from Team Juwi, who has already done an incredible 22 Spartan Races in calendar year 2012, the most of any Spartan athlete worldwide. Chris’s strategy was to stake his spot at the top of the points table early and force others to overtake him. Any mistakes by Hobie and Cody will see Chris claim the title of 2012 Points Champion. Assuming he does both days at Texas, as expected, Chris will be the only Spartan racer who will have done every US-based Beast race possible: Utah, both days at Vermont, Carolina, Sacramento, and Texas. He will be henceforth known in these pages as Chris “SuperBeast” Rutz.

There are several Spartan racers who are expected to have a say in the proceedings, including Brakken Kraker, Elliott Megquier and Alec Blenis, each of whom have the talent and tenacity to potentially crash the Cody vs Hobie party, and upset the expected Cody-Hobie two-man race to the top of the Points table. Alec has a lot to prove after his experience in Vermont where he went off course early and destroyed his chances at a high finish, ending his year-long quest to be challenging for the points crown. Brakken proved he can not only hang with the leaders, as when he finished 3rd to Cody and Hobie in Vermont, and 2nd to Cody in South Carolina, but can also win races, as when he won the Indiana Sprint and the Mid-West Super. A strong showing in Texas will give Brakken a shot at the Points top 3 places, as well as an age group win in M25-29. Elliott has been balancing his Army training with his passion for obstacle racing, and is on top of the M20-24 Age Group.

All the Spartans racing at Glen Rose this weekend have a lot to race for as detailed in our recent Points Series Prize Update. Stay tuned as the 2012 Spartan Points Series reaches its exciting conclusion in Glen Rose and the top male and female rankings are finalized to determine how $40,000 in cash will be given away to the best Spartan obstacle racers. Tomorrow we will post our preview of the women’s race which is headed towards a similar dramatic conclusion and count down the final hours to race morning when all the Spartans atheltes will race for glory.

AROO AROO AROO!

Tags: Cody Moat, Glen Rose, hobie call, obstacle racing, spartan beast, spartan race, Xterra

by Jason Rita

CODY MOAT IS THE REAL DEAL:  If anyone had any doubts at all about Cody Moat being an absolute Spartan assassin, an obstacle course killer, a mud race monster, his performance at the Spartan South Carolina Beast on Saturday not only laid those doubts to rest, it said last rites over them, sent them condolences and then lit them aflame in an effigy of efficiency, endurance and excellence.

The only asterisk that could cloud Cody’s dominance was the absence from the start line of a certain Mr. Hobie Call, the winningest Spartan obstacle racer over the last 2 years.  Billed as the biggest showdown since Mohammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s “Thrilla in Manila,” the tiebreaker race in SC between the two Spartan heavyweights (combined weight of Hobie and Cody is the same as one boxing heavyweight) did not materialize as disappointed fans learned that Hobie was forced to scratch on the morning of the race due to the same hamstring injury which had derailed his quest to win back-to-back Spartan Championships three weeks ago.  Hamstrung by his hamstring in the late stages of the Killington Beast, Hobie had to settle for 2^nd place that day behind Cody whom he had beaten at the Utah Beast race in June.  Now Hobie’s complete 2012 campaign lies in doubt as it is open question whether he will be ready to mount a comeback and challenge Cody in the two remaining Beast races, Sacramento and Texas, to keep at or near the top of the Spartan Point Series competition.

Racers arrived on a chilly Saturday morning happy to find a course devoid of dramatic ski mountains but if they felt relief or any sense of security, then they didn’t know Spartan Race Director Mike Morris and Course Designer Rusell Cohen who took full advantage of Carolina Adventure World’s technical terrain to create a course full of intense inclines and boggy bushwacks. With many racers still recovering from the Killington Beast beat-down three weeks ago, it was hard going from the start.

Despite the tough course, Cody outclassed a strong field of Spartans including Brakken Kraker, Junyong Pak, LeEarl Rugland, Chris Rutz and Alec Blenis, leading from the start and finishing in 1:48, more than 10 minutes ahead of Brakken, taking home the first prize of $1,500 generously offered by sponsor Navy Federal Credit Union. Like Cody, Brakken used his strong running background as a collegiate athlete to place 2^nd and win $750 thanks to NFCU.  The battle for the third podium spot provided one of the closest Spartan race finishes in memory, as Alec Blenis edged out Junyong Pak by a mere 16 seconds.  Junyong had held a lead over Alec and LeEarl Rugland for the whole race, and only had to hit his spearthrow to claim third place.  But when his spear attempt sailed just wide, it was 30 burpees, and Alec caught up to him at Burpee number 27.  They raced onto the slick wall where Alec couldn’t find traction and it looked like Junyong might reclaim the lead, but finally Alec managed to get up and over the top of the slippery wall and clear the Gladiator pummeling to exact a small measure of revenge and redemption after his Vermont debacle, as well as pocket $250.

Cody will next line up at the USA Trail Championship race in Moab, Utah, on November 3^rd, and every Spartan wishes him every success there.  AROO AROO AROO

WHO SAYS EXPERIENCE MATTERS?  Not Hannah Orders, the 22 year old Appalachian State collegiate cross-country runner who came in to the South Carolina with no prior Spartan races on her resume.  “It was my first Spartan Race, and now I’m addicted.”  Winning does have that ability to flood the serotonin pathways, but fortunately for Hannah, being addicted to Spartan Races is a healthy type of addiction, and we approve, although the rest of the competitive Spartan women might not.  Team Flag Nor Fail’s Ella Kociuba had her sights set on challenging for first place as both Claude Godbout and Amelia Boone, the 1^st and 2^nd place Vermont Champions, were absent.  While she could never get close to Hannah’s superior running pedigree, Ella’s strong 2^nd place finish ahead of 3^rd place Melinda Branch now has her well placed to challenge for the 2012 Points Crown with only two more Beast races left on the 2012 season.  The top three women also took home cash prizes courtesy of Navy Federal Credit Union of $1,500, $750 and $250 respectively, as well as Spartan museum helmets and swords provided by Atlanta Cutlery, also presented to the top three male finishers.  Spartan thanks the continued support of NFCU and Atlanta Cutlery to make the awards possible for the elite wave winners.

Tags: carolinas, Cody Moat, Navy Federal Credit Union, spartan 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.

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

by Jason Rita

There are no favorites in the Vermont Beast except maybe Mike Morris and Russell Cohen.  Whatever the result, those two are guaranteed to be laughing at the start of the race and the end.  No, they are not members of the Spartan300, they are not obstacle racers, they are the Race Director and Course Designer for the Vermont Spartan Beast and Ultra Beast, and they are promising that this race will be unlike any other Spartan Race in the past.

Throw out the stats, the results, the preconceptions, and the betting lines.   Anything can happen and probably will.   There will be carnage, devastation, tears, swearing, prayers to deities, and bargains with demons.  At the end, someone will emerge victorious; someone will earn the crown as Spartan Champion and be called the World’s Best Obstacle Racer.  The question is “Who?”

Marco Bedard

Last year’s victor was Marc-Andre Bedard, the Canadian Olympian biathlete.  Being a biathlete coming to race Killington is actually a handy skill because you might encounter both snow and wolves on race day.  Marco recently represented Spartan Race in the first Spartan event in mainland Europe, where he showed his class and dominated in the Slovakia Spartan Race.   But Marco’s Canadian national team coaches have Marco on a tight training schedule as he prepares for the 2014 Winter Olympics, and as of press time, he is not entered and not expected to race.  A cryptic Facebook post on Sunday night hinted that a Canadian storm might be blowing in from the north, so don’t be surprised if a man on skis with a rifle emerges from the Green Mountain forest on Saturday morning, grabs a bib number and toes the line.  It could be Marco.

2011 proved that Hobie Call could not master the Killington course.  The pre-race favorite was shocked by the length and toughness and finished a disappointing 9^th.  But last year’s race was barely a month after the Death Race, which saw Call put in a 40 hour ultra-effort as he chased Joe Desena’s $100,000 Holy Grail

Hobie Call

for anyone who could win 15 Spartan Races andthe Death Race in one calendar year, and recovery might have been an issue.  Call severely bonked about 2 hours in to the Killington challenge.  He still ended up winning 15 races last year, including the year-end championship held in Texas.  But so far the scoreboard reads:  Vermont 2, Hobie 0.  Call has continued to dominate the Spartan Race series this year, racking up an amazing ten wins.  Call has been winning easily, winning in style, winning even while wearing a 10-lb weight vest.  The only event where he participated but didn’t take top spot was the Super Spartan in Arizona, that one he ran tethered to his wife, Irene.   She was last year’s third place female in our World Championships in Texas. Call

has focused his training over the last month specifically to redeem his performance from last year.  But the Beast doesn’t care about resumes.  If Hobie is to be this year’s champion, he will have to do something he hasn’t done to date, and that is win in Vermont.

Junyong Pak

With the defending Killington winner uncertain of racing and Vermont being Hobie’s Kryptonite, the race does shape up as an open question.  In 2011, Junyong Pak finished 2^nd to Marco in Vermont, and 3^rd in the Texas Championship Race, and since then has not rested in his quest to become a Spartan Champion.  Winner of the Spartan Sprint in New England, JYP has also proved his long course pedigree by finishing 2^nd at the 2012 Spartan Death Race, an amazing result considering he was moving as fast at hour 60 as many were at hour one.  Junyong is one of the most passionate and dedicated competitors in the field, as well as one of the most honorable, and must be counted as one to watch.

Alec Blenis

One of the youngest competitors in the Spartan universe, Alec Blenis, has quickly become a star endurance athlete.   Already sponsored by Amazing Grass, the organic green superfood company, this 17 year old vegan has racked up some impressive road racing and triathlon wins at:  the Callaway Gardens Marathon – 1st place, Chattahoochee Challenge 10k – 1st place, Historic Roswell 10k – 1st place, Lake Lanier Sprint Triathlon, 1st place, and Red Top Roaster 15k, 1st place.

Often racing with 67 year old dad Robert, Team Blenis, usually takes home the Spartan age-group prizes.  Alec’s passion for the sport of Spartan obstacle racing is legend through his extreme workout videos on the Spartan Race Facebook page showing his commitment and athleticism.  A former pole vaulter in high school, Alec is second in the Spartan Point Series, showing amazing consistency, trailing only Hobie Call himself in the Points Competition, which runs through to the end of the year.  Is it possible that Alec could pull an upset and vault over Hobie?

Chris Rutz

As captain of Team Juwi, Chris Rutz can also be counted on to provide a tough challenge.  One of the world leaders in large-scale solar photovoltaic projects, juwi solar Inc. is the first company to sponsor team of Spartan athletes and has provided a great model for far-sighted corporations to engage with the fast-growing sport in the world.  Along with Chris, fellow Team Juwi athletes Nick Maynard, Mark Husted and Elliott Megquier have all featured on the Spartan podium in 2012.  Elliott is one of the top Spartan racers and would be expected to challenge in Killington, but this 1^st Lieutenant in the US Army is on a training exercise that prevents him from being at the Killington Beast – unless he goes AWOL.  His teammates are sure to represent him well.  Chris is on pace to earn an amazing seven Spartan Trifecta medals in 2012 and plans to complete seven Supers (five done) and seven Beasts (one done) to go with ten Sprints (eight done).  (Rest assured Chris, Spartan will honor you with a medal for each Trifecta you earn.)  As Chris writes on his blog, Live the Tough Life:  “Some think I am a little crazy for doing all of these races, but hey it is what I love to do and like the saying goes “Do more of what makes you happy”, and Spartan Racing makes me happy.”  An avid CrossFit athlete, Rutz has been training and racing for over 20 years, including triathlons, bike racing, yoga, surfing, canyoneering, rock climbing, and backpacking.  According to Scottsdale Health magazine:  “I could see the progress I was making with CrossFit, but I was still missing something. I didn’t know what I was missing.”  Rutz discovered his missing link when he signed up for the Spartan Race in February 2011.”

Sebastian Monette

While Canadian Olympic coaches might keep Marco north of the border, another threat from the land of the midnight sun, Mounties, moose and poutine (look it up) is Sébastien Monette.   Sponsored by women’s race favorite Rose-Marie Jarry’s Kronobar company, Sebastian has proven he can win at home – Ottawa Sprint, Montreal Super, Toronto Sprint – and away, recently crushing the Americans at the tough Tri-State NJ Super Spartan.  Don’t lose track of this fierce competitor.

Cody Moat

Who else can challenge?  Cody Moat who finished 2^nd to Hobie in the Utah Beast is a dark horse.  Don’t underestimate this high school teacher despite him only having only one Spartan event in his resume: Cody comes to Spartan as winner of the Mid Mountain Marathon, an incredibly torturous high altitude race that will give him great confidence in the Killington mountains.  Did we mention that Killinton is a ski resort?  That means lots of vertical…  A great mountain runner like Cody is sure to be there at the finish to upset the Spartan regulars.

Team Inov-8 sponsored athlete Ben Nephew might also have something to say about who walks away with

Ben Nephew

the top prize of $5,000 at the Killington Beast.  Notable results for Ben include 6th at the IAU World Trail Championship and 11th at the IAU World Road 50k Trophy in 2011.  He holds the course record at the Escarpment Trail Race, FKT’s for the Great Range Traverse in the Adirondacks, Devil’s Path in the Catskills, and the Pemi Loop in the White Mountains.

What is amazing about the Spartan Race series is that so many great athletes are competing.    As last year’s race showed, the winner might come from anywhere so stay tuned.  In tomorrow’s update, we will preview the women’s race where the field is deep and talented.

Less than one week until it all goes down.

Tags: Alec Blenis, Ben Nephew, Chris Rutz, Cody Moat, hobie call, inov-8, junyong pak, Marco Bedard, Sebastian Monette, spartan beast, Spartan Ultra Beast, Tough Training, vermont