Could I WIN a spartan race?

Give it a try...you never know. One of the top American women last year just started doing these races last year...she sort of fit your profile (fast runner with some upper body strength..).

4:15 high schooler here with the same thought, I'm definitely gonna try to win one in the summer

moneymoneymoney wrote:

I am a high school runner that has gone 15:20s in the 5k and I'm experienced on the trails. I'm low on cash and have pretty good upper body strength (I can do 15 pull-ups and 5 muscle-ups on any given day). Could I win the elite spartan race and get some $$$?!

You can do 5 muscle ups but only 15 pull ups? That is surprising.

Anyway, good luck getting some spartan race cash.

Drainthefecesswamp wrote:

moneymoneymoney wrote:

I am a high school runner that has gone 15:20s in the 5k and I'm experienced on the trails. I'm low on cash and have pretty good upper body strength (I can do 15 pull-ups and 5 muscle-ups on any given day). Could I win the elite spartan race and get some $$$?!

You can do 5 muscle ups but only 15 pull ups? That is surprising.

Anyway, good luck getting some spartan race cash.

muscle ups is when you push yourself above the bar...much harder than a pull up. But anyway OP with that speed id say you have a real solid chance. Most of those races are like any other local road race and are choc full of hobby jogging scum looking for something to post on FB and then throw in a couple "Alpha Bros" who think they can "out yoke the compitition no cap bruh"

You might but not all of the aces have cash and it isn't typically that much if it's available. Plus you need to come up with the entry fee which is pretty pricey.

The rigs and spear throw stymie a lot of folks so account for a lot of wasted time doing burpees.

Make a spear and practice your throw.

ALL elite races DO have cash and it will really depend on where you go and who shows up: almost exactly like a road race.

I will say this; and I’d love to hear a report back but know I’ll never get it. If you do nothing but pull-ups and muscle-ups and running to train for this thing, you 100% will not win money. I’m so confident that I’d give you the offer of doubling your earnings if you did.

Spaticus wrote:

ALL elite races DO have cash and it will really depend on where you go and who shows up: almost exactly like a road race.

I will say this; and I’d love to hear a report back but know I’ll never get it. If you do nothing but pull-ups and muscle-ups and running to train for this thing, you 100% will not win money. I’m so confident that I’d give you the offer of doubling your earnings if you did.

No, they say they do but they actually have fine print exempting them from actually having money. Field size being the main one.

He 100% could win with nothing but pull-ups and muscle ups. Might take a couple of races just to experience the obstacles but you don't need to exactly duplicate them in training. None of the spartan obstacles are really difficult.

I do core and weights a couple of times a week to supplement my running. I just told you guys how many pull-ups I could do as an indication of my strength.

moneymoneymoney wrote:

Spartancus wrote:

No, they say they do but they actually have fine print exempting them from actually having money. Field size being the main one.

He 100% could win with nothing but pull-ups and muscle ups. Might take a couple of races just to experience the obstacles but you don't need to exactly duplicate them in training. None of the spartan obstacles are really difficult.

I do core and weights a couple of times a week to supplement my running. I just told you guys how many pull-ups I could do as an indication of my strength.

And that will be plenty. The hardest Spartan obstacle is probably about the same as doing 8-10 pull-ups. Keeping in mind you're doing it within about tempo pace, but still.

Spartan races are pretty well runner-proofed by having a lot of obstacles that are centered on upper body strength. If you fail at any of these obstacles, you have to do a bunch of burpees, which very quickly takes away your time advantage from running. The atlas ball carry is designed for people who do lots of squats and deadlifts in the gym. Hercules hoist rewards those doing lat pulldowns with lots of weight. If you are not doing a lot of these with some decent weight in the gym, you will fail and be doing burpees. A lot of the other obstacles can really be good for runners if they really improve upper body strength because they are designed to work against your body weight. It take a lot more work for a 190 lb guy to pull himself up a rope than for a 135 guy. But a 135 guy who just jumps in and does not do any specific training for a Spartan race will get their but kicked.

Spaticus wrote:

ALL elite races DO have cash and it will really depend on where you go and who shows up: almost exactly like a road race.

I will say this; and I’d love to hear a report back but know I’ll never get it. If you do nothing but pull-ups and muscle-ups and running to train for this thing, you 100% will not win money. I’m so confident that I’d give you the offer of doubling your earnings if you did.

A guy in my group does elite spartans and finishes quite well. I think he's around a 16ish 5k runner now, was much faster in college. He runs a decent amount, but he also does what seems like a million burpees a week, carries tons of sh*t, ring work, the aforementioned pullups, throws weird objects, etc.

To do well in the races, you truly have to have an amazing balance of aerobic fitness and all around strength fitness and specific strength skills. It aint easy.

I'm not saying don't do it. Check it out. But check any ego you have about your speed and pullup prowess first.

Largely Horsecrap. None of these are very difficult. I don't even go to a gym and can probably only do 12 pull-ups. I had no trouble with any of the obstacles you mention.

The guy who jumps in with no specific training will just be more alarmed how the effort at the obstacles kind of deadens their running ability.

Spartan races are still actually dominated by the best runners in the field.

dbsquirtNXC21 wrote:

Drainthefecesswamp wrote:

You can do 5 muscle ups but only 15 pull ups? That is surprising.

Anyway, good luck getting some spartan race cash.

muscle ups is when you push yourself above the bar...much harder than a pull up. But anyway OP with that speed id say you have a real solid chance. Most of those races are like any other local road race and are choc full of hobby jogging scum looking for something to post on FB and then throw in a couple "Alpha Bros" who think they can "out yoke the compitition no cap bruh"

I have done 17 Spartan races, from Sprint to Beast, and am usually in top 5 age group (I am 59).

I think it is great that you want to try, but just know that the elite runners are REALLY good!

Muscle-ups and pull-ups are great, but most of the difficult obstacles are NOT body weight based.

If you are a skinny 115 pound distance runner type, you have to carry the same 50-75 pound buckets, sand bags, or logs as everyone else. In my most recent race, the tires for the tire flip were estimated to be 400 pounds.

In the elite division, there are penalties for not completing any obstacle.

Also, Spartan Race considers the course to be one of the obstacles. You could have a course with 2000 - 3000 of climbing.

Again, I would encourage you to give it a shot.

Spartancus wrote:

moneymoneymoney wrote:

I do core and weights a couple of times a week to supplement my running. I just told you guys how many pull-ups I could do as an indication of my strength.

And that will be plenty. The hardest Spartan obstacle is probably about the same as doing 8-10 pull-ups. Keeping in mind you're doing it within about tempo pace, but still.

Let's see you line up and give it a shot Spartancus.

You are guaranteed to get your a$$ handed to you.

Alternate Reality wrote:

Spartancus wrote:

And that will be plenty. The hardest Spartan obstacle is probably about the same as doing 8-10 pull-ups. Keeping in mind you're doing it within about tempo pace, but still.

Let's see you line up and give it a shot Spartancus.

You are guaranteed to get your a$$ handed to you.

I have twice and did pretty darn well considering my running shape at the time held me back more than any of the obstacles. In similar caliber races of other "brands" I have twice qualified for the Elite wave at the North American OCR Champs next year and I am almost 50.

So no, I am not going to get my a$$ handed to me. I know what I am talking about

Pretty sure if an old rookie in about 19 minute 5k shape can get up there, a kid of similar strength and much faster at running will do fine.

How did you do?

hahaahahaha. yes pay the extra $$ to enter the elite wave and let your boyfriend GPS track you to come recover your carcass. Trust me, I had the same thought, looked kinda easy on TV, those dudes make it look easy but oh no. Throw a 80 lb sandbag on your back and hike a Blue diamond ski hill at altitude. Go to the gym and flip a 250 lb tire (its not the weight its getting a grip that is difficult

. save your money, go in a later wave and see if you can win that wave and compare times

ohmygiveit atry wrote:

hahaahahaha. yes pay the extra $$ to enter the elite wave and let your boyfriend GPS track you to come recover your carcass. Trust me, I had the same thought, looked kinda easy on TV, those dudes make it look easy but oh no. Throw a 80 lb sandbag on your back and hike a Blue diamond ski hill at altitude. Go to the gym and flip a 250 lb tire (its not the weight its getting a grip that is difficult

. save your money, go in a later wave and see if you can win that wave and compare times

There's all sorts of intermediate races too you know. Sure the final big one is daunting but you can do a stadium events, sprint etc and cater to your strongest distance.

If you're just jumping in one the elite wave is the one to be in for a clear shot at the obstacles. Especially if your running is already at a higher level.

"Elite" Spartan racer here - I say go for it. Pick your course wisely - I'd suggest a Beast - while there are more obstacles, there's way more running, so you can make up for any obstacle failure by being fast. Also pick your terrain - if you aren't a skilled mountain runner, the races at places like Big Bear, Palmerton, etc., will crush you, especially with double sandbag carries.

I always encourage fast runners with some upper body strength to get into Spartan - there's tons of money to be made. You may not win right away, but stick with it for a few races, and you'll get the hang of the obstacles quickly. Good luck!

Drainthefecesswamp wrote:

moneymoneymoney wrote:

I am a high school runner that has gone 15:20s in the 5k and I'm experienced on the trails. I'm low on cash and have pretty good upper body strength (I can do 15 pull-ups and 5 muscle-ups on any given day). Could I win the elite spartan race and get some $$$?!

You can do 5 muscle ups but only 15 pull ups? That is surprising.

Anyway, good luck getting some spartan race cash.

Just saw this comment but I’ve done 22-23 pull-ups before but usually I can only do 15 after intervals then lifting some. I can’t seem to do more than 5 muscle-ups even when fresh.