Since the beginning of the Spartan Race World Championships in Glen Rose, Texas back 2011 one constant has been the drama of the sport. Over the weekend, this year's Spartan Race World Championships was no exception. The obstacle racing world saw Hobie Call become the first three-time Spartan Race World Champion as well on the women's side the first two-peat champion Zuzana Kocumova. The drama continued as the second and third place women Lindsay Webster and Faye Stenning battled it out in a burpee off finishing eight hundredths of a second between each other.
Hobie Call wins his 3rd Spartan Race World Championship
In the men's race Hobie Call once again showed the sport of Obstacle Racing that he is truly the godfather of the sport. Call is one of the winningest athletes in the history of the sport. In 2011, he won every Spartan Race except the first Beast in Killington, Vermont where this year's Ultra Beast Champion Marco Bedard would make his entrance into the sport. Since Call returned to working fulltime in heating and air repair he has had to pick and choose the races he attends. Prior to the Spartan World Championships, Call had won all previous races this year which included two Bonefrog Challenges, a Spartan Race, and BattleFrog.
Mud Run Guide spoke to Call in the finish line about his race schedule he told us that he travels to races when he can afford to race and when they are in traveling distance from his home outside Salt Lake City, Utah. He truly is the every mans athlete. This weekend his journey came full circle as he was crowned this year's World Champion for the third time as he will begin the 2017 entering into the masters age category.
Atkins Crosses the finish in 2nd Place
Ryan Atkins would once again finish in second place at a Spartan Race World Championship race and Robert Killian, the 2015 Spartan Race World Champion, would take the third spot.
Robert Killian Jr. Collapses at the finish after finishing 3rd
Elite Men
1st place $15,000 – Hobie Call (2:25:33)
2nd place $10,000 – Ryan Atkins (2:25:59)
3rd place $5,000 – Robert Killian (2:28:10)
4th place $4,000 – Jonathon Albon (2:29:30)
5th place $3,000 – Cody Moat (2:32:20)
Zuzana Kocumova smiles as she knows she has clinched the World Title for a second year
In the women's race Zuzana Kocumova the former Olympian and politician from the Czech Republic would take home the title of Spartan Race World Champion for the second year in a row. Kocumova powered past the rest of the women with her strong downhill running skills and ability to power through the half mile bucket carry. Kocumova dominated the women's field with her win once again.
Faye Stenning and Lindsay Webster share smiles after battling to the finish
The story of the day in the women's race came was the showdown between Lindsay Webster and Faye Stenning as they raced for the finish. Stenning had a small lead over Webster going into the last rig before the finish. Stenning struggled on the rig and eventually fell off and took the burpee penalty. Webster seeing this made the strategic move to drop off the rig as well and do burpees side-by-side with Stenning. Webster started her first burpee with a jump which in the end gave her the edge over Stenning as she crossed the finish line eight hundredths of a second ahead of Stenning winning by about half a footstep.
The burpees heard around the world…
Elite Women
1st place $15,000 – Zuzana Kocumova (2:46:56)
2nd place $10,000 – Lindsay Webster (2:58:25)
3rd place $5,000 – Faye Stenning (2:58:25.8)
4th place $4,000 – Alyssa Hawley (3:03:03)
5th place $3,000 – Rose Wetzel (3:03:38)
Look for all of Mud Run Guide's Coverage of the 2016 Spartan Race World Championships coverage here as well as past years.
*All Photos Credited to Spartan Race