JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Spartans take everything to the next level.
Remember the movie 300? That was King Leonidas of Sparta and a force of 300 fighting men holding off the entire Persian army for, like, three days during the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
Sure, some liberties were taken in the storyline but Spartans are still kinda badass. The bar-raising Spartan attitude is still alive and well all over the globe and in Jackson Hole. These kindred hard bodies train to compete in grueling obstacles courses that make the Tough Mudder look like schoolyard hopscotch.
These Spartan OCRs, as they’re called, aren’t so much timed events than tests of survival. And for what? At the end of most events, participants might get a t-shirt or a banana. That’s okay, the rest of the pack got a ride to the hospital.
These Spartan Races are held all over the world—more than 200 events in 30 countries last year. The events range from Sprint (3 miles that will change your life) with about 20-23 obstacles spread judiciously throughout a 3- to 5-mile course, to Super (where speed meets endurance) 8-10 miles with 24-29 obstacles, to Beast (if you need to ask you’re not ready) 12-14 miles with 30-35 obstacles.
There are also Ultra, Endurance, and races for the kids.
You don’t have to be a Laconophile to admire the dedication, training, and willpower it takes to compete at this level, but you probably do have to be a little extra to become a Spartan OCR competitor.
Three local Spartans include Damir, 39; Katie, 40; and David, 61. All live and work in the Jackson Hole area and have competed and won numerous races ranging from 3-milers to 30 miles.
They are headed for Tahoe next to compete in the Spartan World Championship on September 29. Then it’s off to Italy, Greece, Australia, and Iceland this fall/winter.
