Has one of your friends finally talked you into joining them to run a Spartan Race and you have no clue what you are getting yourself into? If you want to know the ins and outs of a Spartan Race, and how to train for it so you don’t just finish, but thrive through it, you are in the right place.

In this article, I will use my experiences from 18 successful races to explain the details of different races, tips on what to eat, what to wear to a Spartan Race, and what to expect when you arrive. I’ll also give you some workout tips so you know how to train for the race. By the end of this article, you will know how to run a successful Spartan Race and have the time of your life while doing it.

At the bottom of this page, you can request a free copy of my Home Spartan Race Workout eBook by filling out the short form at the end of the article.

What is Spartan Race?

Spartan Race is a brand of obstacle course racing, also known as OCR. It combines long-distance running with obstacles that test your grip strength, upper and lower body strength, and muscular endurance. They have races all around the world. A lot of Spartan races will involve dirt and mud, increased elevation, and challenging terrain. Spartan likes to hold their events at ski resorts which means there are mountains involved. You will literally be climbing up a mountain right from the start.

They offer different distance events for different levels and styles of racing.

Stadion - 5k/20 obstacles. The Spartan Stadion is a run through some of the most popular sports stadiums and arenas around. Think Fenway Park, Notre Damn Stadium, and AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play. These races usually include running stairs, climbing over walls, box jumps, and more. If you are a sports fan then this is a really cool way to get a unique look at your favorite team’s home stadium. You’ll run through the stands and locker rooms, completing obstacles along the way. The stadion race is a great way for beginners to get introduced to the ways of Spartan Race.

Sprint - 5k/20 obstacles. The Spartan Sprint is the shortest distance race offered, making it the perfect race for people looking to start their Spartan journey. It will still be challenging but it’s a manageable distance to push yourself through. This race will be your first look at the staple Spartan obstacles like the spear throw, sandbag carry, bucket carry, barbed wire crawl, the dunk wall, and rolling mud, rope climb, the Z wall, Hercules hoist, wall climbs, and hurdles. Expect to see those obstacles at every race. The Spartan Sprint is another great option for a first-time Spartan experience.

Super - 10K/25 obstacles. The Spartan Super is the middle distance race offered and it’s also in the middle as far as number of obstacles. It will include the staple obstacles mentioned above plus 5 more. This is great for more athletic and conditioned individuals but it’s probably not the best option for a first-time Spartan experience.

Beast - Half-Marathon/30 obstacles. The Spartan Beast is the half marathon of Spartan Race and it is no joke. It includes 30 obstacles along 13 to 14 miles and it is tough. These are the races that I’ve seen some of the tougher obstacles so I do believe it’s more advanced because of the distance and because of the athleticism required. For that reason, this isn’t a race for beginners. You definitely want to get a couple of Sprints and Supers under your belt before taking on a beast.

Ultra - 50K/60 obstacles. The Ultra is basically 2 Beasts back to back. I don’t know for sure because I have never done one but that must be just under 30 miles with 60 obstacles. You should complete a couple of beasts before taking on the Ultra.

Trail - 10K or Half Marathon/0 obstacles. The trail run is Spartan races that do not include obstacles. If you are a runner and are not interested in doing obstacles on the way then this would be the race for you.

City - 3K to 5K/20 obstacles. The Spartan City takes place in major metropolitan centers. This is a great race for beginners and returning Spartans. It’s ideal to test your speed and endurance over dirt-free, urban terrain.

*In the next couple of sections I am going to talk specifically about the Sprint, Super, and Beast. Those are the races that I have done and that’s where my experience and knowledge come from so that’s what I am comfortable speaking about. This info can also be relatable for the Stadion races.

This photo was taken after finishing the Vermont Spartan Beast 21K - Killington Mountain: 2023

Registration

There are a couple of different registration options to choose from. You will find options for Elite, Age Group, and Open.

Elite - The Elite Heat is exactly that. The people running that heat are the best of the best. You actually have to pay to apply to the Elite Heat and you have to meet certain criteria to even be considered.

Age Group - The Age Group Heat is technically another competitive heat. The runners in that heat are taking things seriously and trying to place. The rules are also enforced more strictly in this heat so you have to do all of your burpees(more on that in the rules section) and you can’t get any outside help on obstacles, food, or drink during the race.

Open - If you have never done a Spartan Race then this is the heat for you. The early morning time block, morning time block, and afternoon time block are all part of the Open Heat. This is probably the most popular heat so you are bound to bump into some fun, like-minded people. The rules aren’t enforced so people can help each other out on obstacles and you don’t have to do all of the burpees if you fail an obstacle.

Rules

These are the basic rules that you need to know to be on the course with proper etiquette. These rules are specific to Spartan Race and will help you navigate the race without feeling out of the loop. If you want a deep dive into all of the rules that Spartan has in place I suggest checking out their website for more information.

Obstacles are separated into two categories, Mandatory Obstacles, and Pass/Fail Obstacles.

The penalty for failing a Mandatory Obstacle is removal from the race, but don’t worry, that’s not going to happen. These obstacles are on the easier side so you should be able to get through them, even if it is a little bit of a struggle.

The penalty for failing a Pass/Fail obstacle is a penalty loop, or a carry, for Sprint, Super, Beast, or Ultra, and 15 burpees for a Stadion. In the past, you used to have to do 30 burpees when failing an obstacle in the Sprint, Super, or Beast. But they recently changed that to a 200-meter penalty loop on flat terrain, and a 100-meter pentalty loop when there is more than 25 meters of vertical gain.

You must ring the bell at the end of a Pass/Fail Obstacle in order to consider it completed. You can only strike the bell using your arms, hands, or any other part of your body above the chest. You are not allowed to use your legs, feet, or knees to hit the bell.

How to Train

One of the most common misconceptions about Spartan races is that you need to be a good runner to do it. Instead, you want to focus on being a strong hiker with good endurance. If you are doing a race with a lot of elevation gains then you won’t be doing much running but you will be putting your legs through some serious uphill work and your cardio will be put to the test. Think of a very challenging hike with obstacles scattered throughout.

Don’t just think about running hard for 30 minutes to improve your cardio. Think about improving your ability to endure 45 to 60 minutes of cardio without being completely gassed.

In other words, you want to make sure that you have good endurance. Do this by improving your zone 2 cardio. Zone 2 cardio is cardio that is done while still being able to have a conversation. It can be done on a stationary bike(my favorite), an elliptical, or a treadmill.

Think of it like this, cardio is broken into 5 zones. Zone 1 is an easy walk where you aren’t placing enough demand on any system in your body to create change. Zone 2 is just above that. So you are working just hard enough to break a sweat and start to increase your heart rate but you aren’t breathing so heavily that you can’t carry on a conversation. Zone 3 and 4 is the level of effort that most people reach when they want to go out for a run or complete a 5K race. And zone 5 is an all-out sprint with an effort that can only be sustained for 10 to 15 seconds.

The vast majority of your cardio should be done in zone 2. A good amount of cardio training to get started would be two 45-minute sessions twice a week, and one long walk on the weekends.

As far as strength goes, you want to get as strong as you can at bodyweight movements, carrying heavy objects, and having the legs to get you through long hikes if you want to complete a successful Spartan Race.

Bodyweight movements like pull-ups, push-ups, lunges, and jump squats will help you with obstacles and muscular endurance as you navigate the course. Things like monkey bars, rings, wall climbs, and rope climbs are easier when you are strong at calisthenics exercises.

There is a lot of hanging, climbing, and pulling obstacles. Focus on exercises that build grip strength and pulling strength. If you can’t do pull-ups then you can start with inverted rows to build that strength.

Having strong legs will also come in handy. The stronger my legs have gotten the easier my races have gotten. Training squat and deadlift variations will help with leg strength during difficult elevation climbs throughout the race. Make sure to train deadlifts and squats to prepare your legs.

Carrying heavy objects will help you with obstacles like the sandbag carry and the bucket carry. These are standard obstacles that you will see at every race and they are not to be taken lightly. To train for the sandbag carry you can fill a backpack or duffle bag with heavy objects and carry it around on your shoulder for 10 minutes at a time. It may be awkward and uncomfortable but that’s exactly what the race will feel like so it’s a good way to prepare.

To train for the bucket carry you can buy a cheap 5-gallon bucket from your local hardware store and fill it with rocks. That’s exactly what you will encounter at the race. Men’s buckets are heavier than women’s. I like to fill up my training bucket to be heavier than what I expect to see at the race. That way I feel more prepared when I hit the obstacle on race day.

Rucking is a low-intensity exercise in which you add weight to a backpack while walking or hiking. This is a good way to prepare for the hiking portions of the race. A 5-mile training ruck would be a great way to prepare for a 3 to 4-mile Spartan Race and a 10-mile ruck would be a great way to train for an 8 to 10-mile Spartan Race. This could be a good way to increase the difficulty of your long walks on the weekend.

The stronger you get at hiking while carrying a heavy backpack the stronger you will be at hiking without carrying a heavy backpack.

Nutrition

If you want to run a successful Spartan Race then you are going to want to prioritize nutrition, starting with the day before the race.

Plan to eat the majority of your calories at the beginning of the day and have a small meal the night before the race. That way your food will have plenty of time to digest and you’ll be less likely to have any GI issues the day of the race. Say you are racing at 8:00 a.m., try to eat 75% of your daily calories by 3 p.m. the day before.

For breakfast, try to eat 60 grams of carbs and 20 grams of protein about two hours before your race. This is just a general guideline since I don’t have any specifics about you or your diet. I like to have a good amount of carbs and a little bit of protein before the race but I don’t want anything too filling that may blunt my hunger during the race.

If you are doing a Super or a Beast Spartan Race then it’s a good idea to bring some nutrition with you. Think quick digesting and easily edible.

My favorite race food may not sound great but trust me, it is.

Take a microwavable packet of white rice and cook it up in the morning. I use microwavable rice because I’m usually staying in a hotel or Airbnb so it’s easy to prepare. Let it cool off, then mix about a cup of that with 1 or 2 mashed-up bananas. Roll all of that up into a few small balls and then wrap them up in some foil and put them in your bag.

This is packed with carbs that you can use for energy and it’s easy to eat while continuing to move. And just as important, it’s surprisingly tasty.

Other options include Honey Stinger Waffles or packets of honey that you can eat on the go.

There are water stations placed throughout each race but if you do a Super or a Beast you will want to wear a hydration pack. I fill my hydration pack with 2 liters of water and a couple of packets of Pedialyte. The Pedialyte and water are going to be great for rehydration, replenishing electrolytes, and getting some calories and sugar in your system when you are burning all of that energy.

Another good tip to run a successful Spartan Race is to fuel early and often. I try to eat about 20 to 30 grams of carbs every half hour when I’m doing a long race like a Super or Beast.

If you wait until you are already depleted or hungry to eat something then it may be too late.

Race Day

Spartan is going to assign you a start time for your race and you will want to arrive well before that. A lot of times you will have to park in a parking lot and then walk a good distance to get to the race sign-in. Other times you will park in a parking lot and then you have to get shuttled by bus to the race. Either way, you are going to want to give yourself time to get from your car to the sign-in. You are also going to want to give yourself time to get situated, check a bag, and warm up.

Spartan offers a free bag check which I recommend taking advantage of. Make sure to bring a change of clothes, a towel, and a heavy-duty garbage bag to put your wet and dirty clothes in.

There are usually showers(hoses hooked up to a pipe system on the ground) so you can rinse off after the race. It’s nice to be able to get some of that dirt off you and change your clothes after a tough race. Then you can throw your dirty/wet clothes in your garbage bag. Don’t forget extra socks and a dry pair of sneakers or sandals because your race sneakers will be in rough shape.

When you sign in you will receive a race packet. In that packet, you will get a headband, a tracker that goes on your wrist, a wristband with your start time, and a wristband for your bag check.

Right after I sign in I like to get my headband and wristbands on immediately. Then I head to the bag check to drop off my bag and start getting mentally prepared. From there I’ll head towards the start line and start my warm-up. I like to warm up for 10 to 15 minutes before my race and if I have enough time I’ll take a very light 5-minute jog around the area.

A few minutes before your start time they will call your group to the start line and begin giving instructions. Make sure you pay attention because there is valuable information being given.

How to Race

The most important thing you need to remember when racing is to pace yourself and run your own race. Just because people are running by you at certain points of the race doesn’t mean that you need to run or go any faster than you are comfortable going.

There is going to be a lot of energy and adrenaline pumping when you start but you do not want to go too fast too soon. Especially in the longer races like the Super and Beast.

In a race that has a lot of elevation gain, they are going to send you up the mountain right away. Don’t feel pressured to run up that hill, you have a long race ahead of you.

If you are doing a sprint then you can move a little quicker than if you are doing a super or a beast.

Conserve your energy by walking anytime you are going uphill and only running when you are on flat ground or going downhill.

When you are going uphill you want to lean forward a little bit to account for the grade. The steeper the grade you are climbing, the more you want to lean forward.

Another helpful uphill strategy is to powerhike. This is when you put your hands on your knees and push your legs with your arms.

Stop running when you see an obstacle so that your heart rate can come down a bit before you start. This allows you to catch your breath while you evaluate what you have to do.

Other Tips

A couple of days before the race Spartan is going to release the course map on their website on the course-specific page. Look at the map and check out your elevation gains and obstacle locations. This is a great way to prepare your mindset for your pace, and notice how much of an incline you go up right from the start.

Go to YouTube and type in the names of the obstacles to get tips on how to do them. Use that information to your advantage and prepare as much as you can.

Do not wear anything cotton, you want to wear dry-fit or compression clothes. You don’t want any loose clothing that could get caught on things and hold you up or potentially cause an injury.

Wear trail running sneakers and either double knot them or find a pair with the pull laces that you don’t have to tie. If you feel your foot move around a bit in your sneaker when going up hills you can use a tie method called the heel lock. This will keep your foot from moving around in your sneakers.

Make sure to cut your toenails before a race. You don’t want them so short that you bleed but I know a lot of people who have left their nails too long and ended up losing a toe nail during the race.

Wake up early enough on race day to allow enough time to have a solid breakfast and a bowel movement. Sometimes it’s hard enough finding a place to pee on the course, I don’t even want to think about how uncomfortable it would be to miss a morning BM.

Be prepared to get muddy. And believe me, it’s not as bad as you think.

Final Thoughts

Spartan Race has been one of my favorite physical activities as an adult. The challenge combined with the energy and comradery of other racers is a high that I continue to chase. If you even remotely enjoy the outdoors and physical activity then you are going to love your first Spartan Race. At this point, I am extremely confident that you are prepared and know how to run a successful Spartan Race. Train hard and then get out there and have fun!

If you have any questions about this article or want any more information on how to run your first successful Spartan race, or improve on races if you have experience, then feel free to send me an email directly. I’d love to help you get ready for your race in any way I can. My personal email address is Patrick@mimathletics.com. I respond to all emails within 48 hours.

You can also download my Home Spartan Workout eBook by filling out the short form below. I created this free resource for you to use in preparation for a race. It takes the guesswork out of training for a Spartan Race so you can hit the course and have fun without worrying if you trained properly or not.

Much Love,

Patrick

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