So Many Spartan Races, So Little Time.
I’ve done a few Spartan Races. A couple at the same venue, some out of state, and country. I’ve had a different experience at each place and want to share with you a couple things I’ve learned by trying the different race locations.
Some of the race locations I’ve been privileged to visit are Washougal (2), Seattle (3), Sun Peaks Canada (1), and San Jose (1). I would have to say Sun Peaks was my favorite, just because there was snow. I had planned to do a Beast in Montana but ended up injured beforehand, so it’s still on my bucket list of race locations to visit.
I guess I should also mention that all of these races now have kids races. They’ve even stepped them up since I started. They have three different race distances for the kids so that they can be a little more competitive for the older kids who can’t sign up for the adult races yet. I’m hoping to get my 13 year old son to try out one of the longer more competitive kids race this year so he can give me feedback on the new style. Aren’t they sooo cute???
Washougal, Washington 2014 & 2015
This was my very first Spartan Race destination and they say “You’ll know at the finish line,” which was absolutely true, I was hooked. At my first race, I was muddy and covered in bruises, and I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear. The Washougal/Pac West Sprint is always in August, and both times I ran here, I was pretty hot.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Washougal as one of your race destinations…
- Heat- Make sure you’re hydrating well over a week ahead of the race. There will be water stations but it’s easier to fight heat stroke if you’re hydrated ahead of time. If you have plans to wear a hydration pack, make sure you take it off for under water visits. Otherwise, keep your mouth piece in your mouth so you aren’t drinking the dirt. Unless you’re good with that.
- Mud- It’s mostly a lot of slippery clay. Don’t be wearing your slick tennis shoes out here. It seems that the race course designers enjoy making slippery hills to climb up. It’s much easier climbing over the mud hills if you have some aggressive shoes.
Seattle, Washington 2015, 2016 & 2018
Seattle has two venues. I’ve only been to the one in Snohomish. It’s horse country, aka horse poop country. I raced here in the late fall and in the early spring. It is a crazy rainy area, duh, Seattle… I’ve heard that on other dates they had people actually run in the river, but I didn’t have to do that because the rain had the water too high.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Seattle as one of your race destinations…
- Mud- It’s EVERYWHERE! For reals, tie your shoes tight, you might loose them going over a wall. (It happened to a friend of mine.) Don’t be expecting to beat any previous race times if you were able to race before this. Running uphill, downhill, flat land, is all difficult because it’s a mess. If you can get an earlier start time you may be able to beat the mess a little bit.
- More mud- One thing to consider is grip strength. When monkey bars, ropes, and all those obstacles have muddy hands grabbing at them, it’s hard to stay on if you don’t have a good grip. Practice and practice it, hold on to small things, big things, ropes, chains, everything.
Sun Peaks, Canada 2015
If you go to a race in Sun Peaks, make sure you take a few days to visit the surrounding areas. I had so much fun being a tourist. There was a suspension bridge, a beautiful golf course (that was for my husband), and lots of beautiful views to be seen. The venue was actually a ski hill, and they had a cute little village to wander around. I’d really like to visit here again, not for a race, but to be able to enjoy the ski season.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting Sun Peaks as one of your race destinations…
- Baby it’s cold outside- Yes, it was actually snowing at the top. I’m glad I wore leggings, and I’m glad that all the water obstacles were closer to the end.
- For the love of hills- I can’t say this enough, run hills! Your knees will thank you. I was already having difficulty from a knee injury but didn’t want to miss out on my trifecta. Running downhill was a beast, I ended up walking most of the way down.
San Jose, Diablo Grande, California 2019
I didn’t train for this race. I did the Sprint here, which I’m really glad about because the Super map looked rough. They had lots of hill to climb on the Super. I enjoyed not freezing my booty off because it was so warm outside, I actually was stoked for anything that involved cold water.
A couple things to consider if you’re planning on visiting San Jose as one of your race destinations…
- Here comes the sun- It was actually in the 70’s and warm. I was debating wearing a tank top because that’s what I brought, but didn’t want to get cold. I ended up borrowing a long sleeve shirt, and I’m glad I did. Don’t forget the sunscreen! My face and neck got a little on the sunburnt side.
- Less mud- This was a positive for me. Less mud means the obstacles aren’t as slippery. I only failed the spear toss, which meant I only had to do 30 burpees, compared to the over 100 I had to do on other races.
Which is my fave?
I could tell you what my least favorite obstacle is, but I don’t really have a fave venue. Each one had things I loved and things I didn’t love so much. My first was probably my favorite due to the fact that I had such a rewarding experience with it. I’ve never felt more strong and capable in my life. Seattle is my go to race location because it’s close to me, plus they usually have a Sunday race. But there is a part of me that loves traveling so, I’ll probably visit other venues in the future.
My last two races, a Sprint at Seattle and a Sprint at San Jose, were pretty cool because I had friends to run with me. Having a “team” to help you when you need it, whether it be physically over an obstacle, or mentally to help keep you focused to keep pushing up the rope, is pretty awesome.
Have you done a Spartan Race? Which was your favorite venue and why? Or which one are you planning to race for your first?