I participated in the 2014 Spartan Race on January 25th. This was my first time doing the Spartan Race event although having been a seasoned road and obstacle racer. Pre-Race was easy. The drive to the venue on the 79highway took a little while as the road becomes a single lane. However, it was not a parking lot and we were always moving. Parking is 10 Dollars unless you volunteer which is free. When we parked, you need to walk an additional 1/2 mile to the venue, which wasn’t a problem at all. It was fun seeing participants running while getting to the venue. There was also a man made arch which you walked under for entry and participants climbed over, which was cool to see! Packet pick up was easy as there was only one person in front of me at the time. In the packet you receive your spartan head band, bib number, free beer ticket, timing chip and wristband. In the festival, there were a handful of vendors, a dj (festival stage), plenty of Porta Potties, food trucks and tables with hay bales to sit on. I enjoyed that some of the course could be viewed from the festival area so people could watch appx 4/5 obstacles now having to walk any more than 400 meters from the festival area. The Course was very fun and challenging! If you haven’t run at the Vail Lake Resort in Temecula, expect lots of hills (steep ones). Prepare your hip flexors! There are a variety of obstacles you’ll encounter which will test your mental and physical grit. I encountered participants on the course who were supportive and cheering random strangers, which was awesome! When you get to the finish line you’ll earn yourself a 1/3 pie cut shaped medal that’s magnetized to snap to the other 2 pieces that you can earn to create the coveted “trifecta” medal. Additionally, if you choose, you may do an additional 40 burpees to earn the original circular medal. Post-Race, at teh finish line you can choose to receive Clif bars, Bananas, and/ or Core Power Protein drink to refuel and replenish any nutrients. This was a challenging & fun course that I’ll definitely be revisiting. Spartan Race, you’ve won me over! Thank you for a great experience!
