Project Unbreakable: The World’s Largest Virtual Race, powered by Rakuten Posts Big Numbers for World's Leading Endurance Brand
BOSTON, Mass. (June 1, 2020) – Spartan, the world’s leading endurance and extreme wellness brand, succeeded in hosting its biggest event yet – seeing more than 40,000 athletes cross the virtual finish lines in more than 100 countries during “Project Unbreakable: The World’s Largest Virtual Race, powered by Rakuten.”
The event unfolded in the homes, backyards and neighborhoods of athletes on six continents — the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. Athletes from weekend warriors to pros tackled virtual editions of Spartan’s four signature obstacle course races, including the 5k, 20-obstacle Spartan Sprint; 10k, 25-obstacle Spartan Super; half-marathon, 30-obstacle Spartan Beast; and 50k, 60-obstacle Spartan Ultra. Spartan Kids races were also offered ranging from half-mile to 2-mile distances for kids ages four to 14.
Created for indoor or outdoor completion, the brand saw athletes hit the virtual course for a total of 65,802-hours, covering 231,488-miles by running — or through a provided alternative such as stationary bikes and rowing machines — as well as exercises such as bear crawls, jump rope and stair climbs. The obstacles were made up of a series of bodyweight and aerobic exercises, such as push-ups, mountain climbers and more.
The success of the event was underscored by the use of Spartan’s virtual race hashtags on social media. There were more than 35,000 posts about the event throughout the weekend, with the tag #spartanprojectunbreakable used 17,000 times alone. All participants earned a global leaderboard spot and virtual medal.
Spartan holds more than 250 events in more than 40 countries, with 1.2 million annual participants. The brand partnered with World OCR — the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) — with member federations in 129 countries, to reach athletes around the world and help them stay fit and healthy.
Project Unbreakable is Spartan’s latest effort to keep its community connected and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the event, Spartan saw close to 20,000 entries in weekly virtual races, which began in April. The brand quickly pivoted from race events to digital content, creating SPARTAN UNBREAKABLE, a 24/7 content engine providing a schedule of live and on-demand at-home workouts and wellness content.
About Spartan
With more than 250 events across more than 40 countries on six continents, Spartan is the world’s largest obstacle course race (OCR) and endurance brand. Providing transformation through sport, Spartan attracts more than one million annual participants across all fitness levels, from beginners to elite. More than five million participants have finished Spartan events, creating a lifestyle that extends beyond races including health and wellness products, training and nutrition programs, and popular media content, which has made OCR one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Spartan events feature races at various distances, Spartan Stadion® and Spartan Sprint®: 5k and 20 obstacles; Spartan Super®: 10k and 25 obstacles; Spartan Beast®: half marathon and 30 obstacles; and Spartan Ultra
About World OCR
World OCR, the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO) is an independent association composed of national federations in 100 countries that represent the needs of their athletes worldwide. The members of FISO are organized into continental associations including OCR Africa (OSFA), OCR Americas (PAOSF), OCR Asia-Pacific (OSFAP), and OCR Europe (EOSF). FISO is the international governing body and sole competent authority for obstacle sports and related disciplines throughout the world.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jonathan Fine, 781.248.3963, jonathanf@spartan.com