With Civilian Military Combine unveiling exciting new obstacles, Savage Race crushing numbers and levels of fun, Terrain Mud Run bringing a solid good time to everyone who was lucky enough to be there, and Spartan Race at Fort Bragg raising patriotism to a level that left the burliest of men in tears, it was a an amazing weekend to be out and playing on our adult recess playgrounds.
It is always so lovely to be in the swing of the season and see the OCR calendar come to life all over the world. In Australia, the bucket-list worthy True Grit had an amazing weekend, while in Canada, the XMan Race brought in impressive numbers. Dirty Dozen weekend in England, Warrior Race in South Africa...the entire planet appears to have been getting muddy this week!
If we were to pick two words to sum up this last week in OCR, I would have to say it was "Spartan" and "Beard". One crushing it with nationwide domination and growth, and the other...for its lack thereof. (RIP chin curtain)
March 12, just northwest of Houston, was the first time Spartan Race hit any city in Texas other than Burnet and Glen Rose. Spirits were high, as was the sun and the flood gauge. Nature decided to throw everything possible at the Spartan build crew. That means three things in Texas: rain, ants and snakes. Couple those in with a well laid out course and some great obstacle placement, you have yourself a great race for the first heats, and a progressively more dilapidated course the later you ran.
This week, BattleFrog and Rugged Maniac ruled the East Coast, and an extremely wet & muddy Lone Star State played guest to thousands of dedicated Spartan Racers. World-wide, people came out in droves to challenge themselves at such amazing events like Vanderbijl South Africa’s Warrior Race, Valladolid Spain’s Farinato Race and one of the indisputable kings of pain, UK’s The Suffering. Devastating storms and historically-high flooding wrecked havoc on eastern Texas last week, causing the cancellation of Dirty Girl Mud Run in Houston and Dallas*. Despite many areas of the Spartan Race Houston venue being waterlogged, in the true Spartan spirit the race went on!
Obstacle Racers are known not just for getting muddy but for helping others on and off the course. Spartan Race is coming up in Glen Rose, Texas this year the Lone Star Spartans are giving back in a big way for The Guardians for Heros Charity. Sean L. Valigura penned the letter below regarding this effort.
The final stop on the Spartan Race Triple Crown took place outside of Dallas Texas. This year's race came earlier than last year’s “Winter Wonderland” which was considered by many to be the coldest Spartan of 2013. Spartan split the races up by staging the 13.2 mile Beast on Saturday and the 4.8 mile Sprint on Sunday. Many came out to try to claim a piece of the Triple Crown prizes.
