What is Spartan Race? A race to challenge your limits by running and going over obstacles! This is a page with videos and records of my participation in the SPRINT race held in Niigata, Japan in September 2022. Please forgive me if some of the videos are a little strange, as they are from when I first started making videos.
About Spartan Race
Spartan Race
About Spartan Race
The Spartan Race is one of the world’s premier and largest obstacle races, with more than 170 races held annually in 40 countries. It was first held in Japan in May 2017 in response to the recent rise in popularity of health-consciousness, running, and training.
The Spartan Race is characterized by the fact that each event is a tough race with 20 to 30 obstacles set up in addition to runs of 5 km to 21 km or more in each event, which are overcome solely by the participants’ bodies to reach the goal.
During the race, participants are allowed to help each other clear the obstacles, but if they cannot, they must complete a prescribed number of burpee jumps (training consisting of a series of squats, push-ups, and jumps as one set).
(Source: https://spartanracejapan.jp/about/)
In this way, the contestants run on a prescribed course and cross over set obstacles. The course is not always flat, and in the case of Niigata, it is up a ski slope, so it is not always a simple distance. The obstacles vary from simple ones to ones that require the same level of training as firefighters. The obstacles are not always the same every year.
The race is so intense that participants may think they are dominatrixes, but once they have tasted the rush of excitement when they finish the race, they will participate again and again.
This time, I participated in SPRINT in September 2022 in Gala-Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture.
Category
There are three main categories of Spartan Races in Japan: there was one called STUDION in the winter of 2022. I participated in SPRINT this time!
- BEAST : 21km+obstacle30
With a distance of 21 kilometers and 30 obstacles, the Spartan Beast will test your muscular strength, endurance, and unwavering determination. The unpredictable and skillfully designed course and obstacles are so demanding that you will have to break your own limits to achieve them. - SUPER : 10km+obstacle25
For tough athletes who are dedicated to fitness and will push themselves beyond their limits in any situation, the Spartan Super features 25 obstacles on a steep 10-kilometer course that will keep the Spartans on their toes. - SPRINT : 5km+obstacle20
This is the shortest of the Spartan Races. It is popular among first-timers to the Spartan Race and participants who want to perform better than last time. 20 obstacles await you on the 5km course.
(Source: https://spartanracejapan.jp/about/)
Outside of Japan, there is also ULTRA (50km + 60 obstacles), which is even more intense than BEAST. I wonder if such a thing can be completed in a day….
Records & Photographs
Records
Finish time was 3 hours and 21 minutes.
Photographs
The following is a list of photos and other information taken during the race. The order is a mess.
Course Map & Race Guide
Course Map
Here is the course map. 2022 is a SPRINT participation, so I ran this red line. As you can see, the BEAST (green line) is a very fast course. If it were flat, it would be better, but since it runs around the ski slopes, it goes up and down. Since the start of GALA-Yuzawa is at the end of the ski downhill and the gondola is on the mountain side of the gondola, the course as a whole has a lot of uphill.
Race Guide
This is the race guide that will be emailed to you before the race.
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