ESPN to Air Five-Episode Series Profiling Spartan, The World‘s Largest Obstacle Race and Endurance Brand

“Spartan: The Championship Series” to Feature Race Events with Behind-The-Scenes Content, Interviews and a Look at one of the Fastest Growing Sports on the Planet

BOSTON, MA (September 20, 2018) – Spartan brings more than one million athletes annually to its races around the world to tackle challenging obstacles and technical terrain, and now viewers can join the action on ESPN and ESPN2. “Spartan: The Championship Series, “a five-episode series, features all the action from the world’s largest obstacle race (OCR) and endurance brand’s championship events and provides an inside look at one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. The first episode featuring Spartan’s North American Championship hosted in Glen Jean, W. Va, and the elite female athletes of the sport airs Sunday, September 23 at 3pm ET on ESPN2.

“Spartan athletes are among the most skilled on the planet, and the sport of OCR continues to grow, so it’s only natural we would find a home with ESPN, the leader in sports entertainment,” said Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena. “’Spartan: The Championship Series’ will introduce Spartan to ESPN’s passionate audience of sports fans who will be drawn to the intense drama that unfolds on the race course as competitors push their minds and bodies to the limit.”

The five-episode series will showcase Spartan’s most demanding events including the North American Championship presented by Yokohama; The Mountain Series presented by U.S. Airforce in Killington, Vt. and Vernon N.J.; the inaugural Para-Spartan adaptive race hosted in Laughlin, Nev.; and the World Championship and Team World Championship Powered by Rakuten, hosted in North Lake Tahoe on the rugged mountains of Squaw Valley | Alpine Meadows – home of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

In addition to the race action, episodes provide an in-depth look at the athletes who have shaped the sport of OCR with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Feature content will include profiles of Spartan’s elite female competitors, adaptive athletes and World Championship contenders. The series will also cover the origin story of Spartan, which has attracted more than 5 million competitors to-date.

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, Inverted Wall, Monkey Bars, and Barbed Wire Crawl. The unique action and growing popularity of OCR have recently garnered global attention that has spurred talk of the sport reaching the Olympic stage in the coming years.

SUNDAY, 9/23 on ESPN2

North American Championship hosted in Glen Jean, W. Va, and the elite female athletes of the sport airs Sunday, September 23 at 3pm ET on ESPN2.

SUNDAY 12/30 on ESPN

Ep2 1:00p ET Spartan: US Mountain Championships

presented by Air Force Special Ops
Take an inside look at the 2018 Spartan Mountain Series and the evolution of what many consider one of the world’s grittiest sports – Spartan! With epic mountains and fierce battles as our backdrop, discover what drives these men and women to conquer some of the most brutal mountains from coast to coast! And discover the Spartan legacy from the lips of legends.

Ep3 2:00p ET Spartan: World Championship

powered by Rakuten
13 miles, 4.000 feet of elevation gain and 34 obstacles, the lifeblood of the 2018 Spartan World Championship race. The long and winding road to the top has led over 10,000 athletes from 30 countries around the globe to North Lake Tahoe, California and obstacle racing’s biggest stage, the 2018 Spartan World Championship.

SUNDAY 1/6 on ESPN

Ep4 4:00p ET Spartan: The Para Elite

presented by Laughlin Tourism
The first ever Spartan Para Elite Heat carries the stone that will define generations of para OCR athletes for years to come. 5 miles of rugged desert terrain and 20 obstacles will weigh heavily upon these fearless teams of men and women. At day’s end, one team will find themselves on top of the podium.

Ep5 5:00p ET Spartan: World Team Championship

presented by North Lake Tahoe Resort Association
50 teams from around the globe descend upon North Lake Tahoe, California for a one-of-a-kind Spartan Race. The top echelon of the sport join forces in teams of three with the honor of representing their countries, with the goal of taking home the coveted 2018 Spartan Team World Championship title.

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