Spartan and the USA Functional Fitness have joined forces to host the USA Functional Fitness National Championship at the Spartan North American Championship in Glen Jean, West Virginia on August 25-26, 2018. The announcement combines both worlds of functional fitness and obstacle racing.
USA Functional Fitness (USAFF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization acting as the national governing body for competitive functional fitness in the United States. For many athletes in the obstacle racing already have links to functional fitness for their training. This brings two championships together on one weekend.
USA Functional Fitness (USAFF) and Spartan have Joined forces to host the USA Functional Fitness National Championship competition in conjunction with the 2018 Spartan North American Championship in Glen Jean, West Virginia taking place August 25th and 26th. USAFF is the national governing body for competitive functional fitness in the United States of America and Spartan is the largest obstacle race (OCR) and endurance brand in the world.
The USAFF National Championship is a 2-day competition featuring the country’s top functional fitness athletes as they compete for the title of National Champion and a spot on the USA Functional Fitness National Team. Athletes will compete in six tests, which showcase the range and breadth of their abilities in areas such as aerobic capacity, strength, power, and skill proficiency. Athletes selected for the USA Functional Fitness National Team will be invited to represent the United States at the International Functional Fitness Federation World Championships held October 5-7th in London, England.
“We are excited to be a part of the activities at Spartan’s North American Championship event,” said USA Functional Fitness President Josh Plosker. “This is an incredible opportunity to create additional excitement for both events, adding to activities at Spartan’s race festival – and it allows athletes from both the functional fitness world and the Spartan world to cross and broaden their athletic horizons.”
The competition will be held in the race festival of Spartan’s North American Championship at the Summit Bechtel Reserve, a training, Scouting, and adventure center for the millions of youth and adults involved in the Boy Scouts of America.
The North American Championship is the culmination of Spartans U.S., Canadian and Mexican National Series, which will see the best endurance athletes from the three countries competing for cash and prizes on the road to the World Championship. The event is presented by Wild, Wonderful West Virginia and is part of Spartan’s 2018 Global Championship Series, with competition unfolding across more than 30 countries.
“In addition to the on-course action, Spartan events are designed to provide a unique experience for spectators and racers alike, and the addition of USAFF’s championship is an exciting addition to the festival at our North American Championship,” said Spartan General Manager of U.S. Events, Brian Duncanson. “The two events will bring some of the continents best athletes together to form two-days of no-holds-barred competition and we look forward to watching it all unfold in West Virginia.”
Functional fitness workouts are performed at a high intensity and are based on functional movements, which aligns with Spartan’s training philosophy, emphasizing strength, endurance, and mental grit. Spartan events focus on sport and athleticism, pushing the bodies and minds of competitors to the limit across miles of unforgiving terrain while they conquer signature obstacles such as the Spear Throw, Monkey Bars, and Barbed Wire Crawl.
Athletes wishing to participate in USA Functional Fitness Nationals must qualify through one of three methods including receiving an invitation based on performance at the USAFF Performance Camp in mid-April, being a current member of the National Team, or through an online qualifying event to be announced shortly.
For qualifying information for the 2018 Spartan North American Championship, registering for an open heat and purchasing spectator passes, visit Spartan.com