I took part in my inaugural US Spartan race recently. Going in, I felt both thrilled and apprehensive. There were numerous obstacles I'd never encountered before. Some appeared absolutely terrifying (yes, A-Frame, I mean you. The height isn't what bothers me, it's the prospect of tumbling) whilst others I was genuinely keen on (talking about the Dunk Wall here!).
Prior to competing, I hadn't anticipated the races would differ so substantially. Since Spartan is one organisation, I'd have assumed consistent standards and procedures across locations. However, I discovered some notable distinctions between the races held in each nation.
**Some of this information may not be accurate. I have only done 1 Spartan race in the US and 6 in Australia. All accounts below are my personal experiences with Spartan thus far**
Organisation
My apologies Oz, but the American Spartan races are exceptionally well run. From collecting your race kit to start times through to the finish line, the Spartan SOCAL was a finely tuned operation producing Spartan Warriors as if they were marching into combat.
The only drawback, you couldn't slip into an earlier wave. I made the error of believing my start time was 12:30, not 1:30 and got to the venue quite early. I tried to join the 12:30 wave since I'd arranged the rest of my day for a 12:30 start time but wasn't able to. Never mind, I still had an excellent run on the track!
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The Obstacles
This was probably the most thrilling aspect. There were distinct challenges compared to any of the Australian races I'd previously completed. Challenges that were more recent to America (Olympus, Z-Wall and the Atlas Carry), had been in Australia since I started competing. Yet I hadn't attempted the Bucket Brigade, A-Frame, or Dunk Wall. Please please please could the Twister arrive in Australia? I've been keen to tackle this challenge for some time but haven't got the chance.
Despite other variations, Australia still features the Gladiators and Balance Beams. The country also includes the Fortress, an impressive rock climbing wall you must climb over to avoid doing burpees.
I really enjoyed the robustness of the Multi-Rig during my American race. Australia predominantly features Monkey Bars, so it was enjoyable to experience the Multi-Rig. Australia recently announced they'd be adding 12 fresh obstacles to their races, and I'm quite keen to see whether any match obstacles I completed during my SOCAL Sprint.
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The Consequences
DISCLAIMER!!! What follows is purely my observation. I acknowledge that everyone competes their own race unless they're in the competitive or elite divisions. I'm absolutely not criticising anyone's choices about how they run THEIR RACE!
In Australia, if it's your first race, you're given a Rookie Pass. This means that if you don't complete an obstacle, you're exempt from doing burpee penalties. I reckon this is a fantastic way to introduce people to the sport. It makes the race feel less daunting and encourages people to have a crack at it.
Although the Rookie Pass isn't available in the US, I was somewhat astonished by how many competitors I observed bypassing their penalties. Only a handful of people I spotted actually completed their penalties in any form. I've had to modify my own penalties and switch to squats after injuring my wrist during a race, yet I still performed some kind of penalty when I missed an obstacle.
In Australia, it was uncommon to see someone skip their penalties. There are plenty more variations of the penalties, particularly in the Sprint, though they were still completed.
Ultimately, it's your race. You do what you're able to whilst still challenging yourself. You're already a champion for getting yourself on the course and having a go.
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The Camaraderie
The camaraderie is arguably the most extraordinary element of a Spartan Race. It's not every individual for themselves, you complete this as a group. The collaborative spirit was evident in both the US and Australia. The sole distinction was at the SoCal Sprint, participants waited for you to request assistance with an obstacle. In Australia, the moment someone notices you're struggling they extend their help. Either way, all Spartan racers stand ready to help you achieve your greatest potential.
No matter which nation you find yourself in, why not test yourself and register for a race. Yes, it's daunting. Yes, it will push the
Until we meet again...
AROO!
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