THE MOTHER of all obstacle courses is coming to the UK and Ireland and there are some seriously big cash rewards up for grabs.
The Spartan races represent the ultimate test for anyone seeking an endurance challenge unlike any other.
Spread across six weekends between May and October of this year, there are open heats available to competitions of all fitnesses and abilities.
Spartans have four race options to choose from: Sprint, Super, Beast and the Ultra - all of which vary in distance, obstacle count and difficulty.
The adrenaline will be pumping as racers travel through beautiful forests, across stunning landscapes and look to conquer obstacles such as the Spear Throw, Inverted Wall, Monkey Bars and Barbed Wire Crawl.
The first race weekend of the season kicks off with the South East race weekend on the outskirts of South East London at St Clere on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th May, before travelling across the Irish Sea to Punchestown Racecourse on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May.
Next up is the Aston Down Airfield in Gloucestershire, on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June, and then Spartan returns to the home of Spartan Race UK in the Midlands on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July.
Spartan will be then heading to the beautiful Scottish Highlands around Perth for a second year on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September, concluding with the season finale, the Windsor Trifecta Weekend, on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October - renowned for being the biggest and best race of the season.
Each of six race weekends have open heats to cater for racers of all fitness and abilities, Age Group and Elite heats for more competitive racers as well as Kids races for young adventure thrill seekers aged between 4-13 years old, designed to help inspire them to be more active and get outdoors.
Spartans have four race options to choose from: Sprint, Super, Beast and the Ultra - all of which vary in distance, obstacle count and difficulty.
The Sprint puts endurance aside and will test the racers speed over a 5km course. The course is packed with 20 of Spartan’s most fun, exciting and challenging obstacles.
It’s the perfect distance for either first time Spartans who are new to obstacle course racing, or the more experienced racer who is looking to test their speed against the clock.
The Super meanwhile appeals to competitors who are seeking a new challenge and looking to push themselves further. The course spans 13km and with 25 different obstacles to conquer it’s sure to get the heart pumping!
The Beast is the perfect for the experienced athlete and involves a demanding 21km circuit across varied terrain with 30 obstacles of all shapes and sizes to navigate along the way.
The Ultra is the most challenging of the four distances is and is designed for the ultimate Spartan runner. It’s course that covers more than 26 miles, and with 60 obstacles to manoeuvre along the way it’s certainly not for the faint hearted.
All competitors have the option of taking on the course as an individual or with the support of a team of friends, colleagues or training partners, something that half of racers opted to do last year.
Completing the course as team is a great way of adding some extra fun and excitement to the race and keeping motivation going all the way to the finish line. All events are open to men and women, and last year, 40% of competitors racing were women.
This year, the UK & Ireland Regional Series will see elite racers challenge each other at the three qualifying events – the South East Super, Ireland Sprint and Midlands Super – to become the top three men and women in the Spartan world.
There is a total prize pot of £17,600 up for grabs, which includes £3,000 for the overall male and female series winners and £600 for the winners of the individual series races so competition looks like it will be fiercer than ever.
Many athletes from other sports such as CrossFit and traditional trail running are flocking to Obstacle Course Racing to try their hand at both a new challenge and to attempt to win some of that prize pot.
Spartan General Manager for UK and Ireland Sam Lansdale said: “Everybody at Spartan is absolutely thrilled to announce the schedule for the 2019 UK & Ireland series.
With three different events of varying distance on offer, as well as a special event for kids, there really is a race for everyone to try their hand at this year.
All our events will be bigger and better this year and we can’t wait to show everyone what we have in store!”
Spartan was founded by world-class adventure racer Joe De Sena in 2008 and has grown to become the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand, with more than 200 events in more than 42 countries across the globe.
For more information about Spartan and to register for 2019 events visit www.spartanrace.uk/en
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