- Spartan Race: A five-kilometre fun run with obstacles, such as afire jump, mud crawl, wall climb, javelin throw and more, Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m. at Inter River Park, North Vancouver. There will also be races for children.Info and registration: www.spartanrace.com.
Participants in this year's Spartan Race don't know what the course will look like, but they do know it will involve high walls, trenches of fire and mud. Lots and lots of mud.
"That's part of the fun, that you see (the course) on the day," said race marketer Katie Idle. "You don't really know what to expect. People have to be prepared for almost anything."
This is the second year North Vancouverites will compete in the muddy obstacle race, which takes place at Inter River Park on Saturday, May 12. This year, 2,500 people will run, jump, throw, slip and slide their way to the finish line.
Idle said the race is similar to an army obstacle race, and may involve anything from climbing over walls to jumping over trenches of fire. To prepare for the race, participants are encouraged to work on their core fitness and cardio. Idle said the intense race is both a challenge for elite athletes and doable for beginners.
"It's an adrenalin rush," said Idle. "And when you get to the end, there's a huge sense of achievement."
Volunteers will be stationed at each obstacle to make sure racers complete each challenge. If they can't do the obstacle, they will have to do 20 burpees.
Idle said elite athletes can complete the race in about half an hour, while mere mortals might take up to an hour-and-a-half to finish.
"People want to see how far they can push themselves," said Idle. "It's a huge challenge."
jstdenis@nsnews.com
