Spartan Race | 2023 Vermont Obstacle Course Races (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to complete every obstacle in a Spartan race? ›

Spartans don't skip obstacles, we overcome them.

Plus, aren't the obstacles the point of doing an obstacle course race? However, if you attempt an obstacle that you simply cannot overcome you will be required to complete a penalty.

For anyone that enters there is a 30 burpee penalty for any obstacle that is failed from 1st attempt. 30 burpees might seem ok when you think about it, but when you are tired these are devastating, especially when you keep failing obstacles.

The Spartan Ultra is our hardest obstacle course race, and the ultimate test of endurance.

Spartan Sprint is 5k and 20 obstacles. It's a great opener to the world of OCR, and is perfect for your first Spartan race. Spartan Super is 10km long, with 25 obstacles. If you're familiar with distance running or other OCR events, this is perfect for your first Spartan.

A Spartan Ultra is plenty hard, but that's the whole point. Your mind goes to all kinds of crazy places as you slog through hour after hour of running, lifting, climbing and crawling. You'll learn more than a few things about yourself, and just imagine the feeling of jumping the fire and crossing the finish line.

Spartan races are not your average 10K or half-marathon. Each Spartan race distance (Sprint, Super, Beast, and Ultra) requires aerobic endurance, muscular endurance, anaerobic endurance, strength, agility, balance, muscular power, and mental willpower to succeed.

According to Spartan founder Joe De Sena, first-time racers fail certain Spartan obstacles about 90% of the time: the Spear Throw, the Rope Climb, the Tyrolean Traverse, and the Multi-Rig. The good news? With time and practice (and the desire to avoid burpees), the failure rate improves to about 50-50.

How long should you train for a Spartan? Ideally, you should be following a spartan race training plan for at least 8-12 weeks before your Spartan challenge. This is to give you enough time to build stamina as well as upper body strength.

100 burpees is something to build up to, and it can be difficult work. You can compete against yourself to beat your time, or compete against friends and family. By the time you can do 100 burpees in a row, you are already going to be very toned and athletic, no matter what your time is.

I have done Spartan's in the past and they are a challenge, but I knew I could complete it. My body and my mind were searching for something more so, I elected to do the Vermont Killington Beast-the hardest Spartan in America. I prepared for months, training in endurance, weights, cardio, and aerobics.

Can the average person do a Spartan race? ›

Ahren Strumpf. Virtually anyone with heart, determination, and a never-quit attitude can complete a Spartan race. How easily the race is completed and the speed of recovery after the event is determined by the level of conditioning/training the individual partakes in.

Though it is impossible to completely remove the risks of contracting COVID-19, Spartan's outdoor race setting, social distancing measures, and reduced contact protocols all help to create a safer racing environment.

If racer is not bale to finish these mandatory obstacles, the racer will be disqualified. 10) Racer is responsible for stazing on the course during the race, the racer should follow the signs before verbal instructions from people.

Spartan is a true all-round physical and mental test. Ideal for runners, weightlifters, functional fitness fans, and newbies alike, there are parts of each Sprint that push you in all areas. Focus training on areas you're not so good at, and if that's all of them, no problem.

World's Toughest Mudder

The flagship of the famous Tough Mudder events, this intense 24-hour race laps a five-mile (8km) course with one obstacle every quarter mile (400m) – including an ice-filled skip and a field of live wires with up to 10,000 volts of electricity.

My goal is the “Spartan Trifecta” which can only be attained by completing all three variations of the Spartan Race within 12 months: The Spartan Sprint (3 miles), The Spartan Super (8 miles), and the Spartan Beast (13 miles).

Spartan Race's main events include the Spartan Sprint (3+ miles of obstacle racing, 20+ obstacles), the Spartan Super (6+ miles, 25+ obstacles), the Spartan Beast (13+ miles, 30+ obstacles), and the Spartan Ultra (30+ miles, 60+ obstacles). The obstacles themselves also vary from race to race.

If you missed the race and are transferring post-event you will need to contact Customer Support at us@spartan.com for help deferring your race. Please Note: You can only transfer to a race of the same distance (Sprint to Sprint, Super to Super, or Beast to Beast). Standard timelines and pricing (listed above) apply.

Most races do not have a time limit. Sign up, show up, and don't give up! AROO! However, longer races may have cut-off times for safety concerns.