How to Prepare for Your First Sprint Spartan Race

I’ve been running obstacle course races (OCR) and mud runs for almost ten years. But it wasn’t until recently that I started doing the Spartan brand races. 

There’s a reason Spartan is the most well-known name in OCR. The Spartan Sprint is a 5k, 20-obstacle course that challenges new Spartans and elite athletes alike. 

In this article, I’ll cover everything you need to know about race day. I’ll go over training tips for Spartan obstacles, what to bring to the starting line, and everything else you need to know about your first Spartan race.

Outdoor Muscle is not affiliated with the Spartan brand and does not receive monetary compensation for promoting Spartan races. The opinions and information provided are solely those of the author and are not in any way associated with Spartan. I’m just a fan of the Spartan events and hope to help those new to OCR enjoy their first experience.

Strength Training

Strength training is the most important thing you can do to prepare for OCR events. As many a skilled runner will tell you, being a great runner doesn’t mean you’ll be great at the obstacles. Spartan uses heavier equipment than any other race I’ve participated in. The sandbag carry, for example, uses 60 lb for men and 40 lb for women. Not to mention all the obstacles that require you to pull your bodyweight up slippery walls and bars.

That’s why grip strength is one of the most important things to train for Spartan races. You need a strong grip, whether you’re swinging on the monkey bars, hoisting yourself up the rope climb, or pulling your muddy feet up the slip wall.

A good grip is useless if you don’t have the upper body strength to pull yourself up. You also need a strong lower body to run steep hills and trails.

Here are my top five exercises for preparing for the Sprint Spartan race. Note that there are dozens of other exercises you can do as well, but these make for a good foundation.

Pull Ups w/Dead Hang

Pull-ups are my number one exercise for Spartan prep. Almost every obstacle involves some form of a pull-up. Adding the dead hang will give you added grip work.

How to Do the Pull-Up

• Stand facing the bar. Raise your arms above your head. If you are tall enough, grab the bar. If not, you may need to jump or use something to step on to reach the bar. Use a pronated grip by wrapping your fingers around the bar with your palms facing away. Wrap your thumb around your fingers. Allow yourself to hang from the bar. Bend your legs if your feet touch the ground.
• Keep your eyes up toward the bar. This will help to keep your spine aligned and prevent you from hitting your head on the bar as you explode upward. 
• Pull upward until your chin is above the bar. When pulling, imagine pulling the bar to your chest. 
• Keep your core tight. This will help prevent swinging like a pendulum as you raise and lower yourself. 
• Lower yourself in a controlled fashion to the full extension of your arms. 
• After you finish your final pull-up rep, continue hanging on the bar. Grip the bar tightly and increase the amount of hang time each week.

Carries

The farmer’s carry is another great way to improve grip strength and work capacity.

• Find two weights of equal poundage, like kettlebells, dumbbells, or plates. Hold a weight in each hand.
• Keep your eyes forward, chin up.
• Then, walk at a comfortable pace.
• Keep your core tight as you move forward and your shoulders down and back. Let your arms, shoulders, core, and legs do the work.
• Pick a start point and endpoint. You will carry the weight from end to end. This is one set.

Dips

Dips can strengthen several upper body muscle groups at the same time. Dips involve the chest, triceps, and shoulders. You can do dips on a bench or using parallel bars.

How to Do Bench Dips

• Place the palms of your hands on a bench, chair, or plyo box with elbows extended. Place your heels on the ground in front of you with your legs extended.
• Lower your body so that your elbows are at 90 degrees. Pause. Then, drive yourself upward through the palms of your hands.
• Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement. Repeat.

Single Arm Rows

Single-arm rows are an excellent exercise to train for Spartan races. There will be plenty of obstacles where you pull yourself up one arm at a time.

How to Do Single-Arm Rows

• Use a bench or chair to stabilize yourself by placing your left knee and hand on the bench. Pick up a dumbbell in your right hand.
• Keeping your spine aligned, pull the weight up to your rib cage. Use a controlled motion (don’t jerk the weight).
• Squeeze your right lat at the top of the movement, then lower the weight back down. Perform all reps on the right side before switching to the left.

Walking Lunges

Walking lunges can increase strength and lower-body muscular endurance. You can use your bodyweight, dumbbells, kettlebells, or a barbell. Each time you perform the exercise, try to take a few more steps on each leg than you did the previous week.

How to Do Walking Lunges

• Keep your back straight and your eyes forward.
• Take a long step forward with your right foot, leaving your left facing forward behind you.
• Bend your left knee to a few inches above the ground, facing both feet forward.
• Stand up, bringing your left foot forward to your right foot so your feet are next to each other.
• Take a long step forward with your left foot now. Bend your right knee down to the ground
• Stand up and repeat.

Cardio Training

The Sprint Spartan race is 5k or 3.1 miles. Here is an overview of how I programmed my training for the Sprint.

Run 1: Short Intervals

My first run of a training week always involves intervals. I start with a light jog for ten minutes to warm up. Then, I usually do 200-meter intervals at about 85% of a full sprint. It should be difficult but not a max effort. Then I walk 200 meters. I start with four intervals at the beginning of the program. Then, I finish up with eight intervals by the end (8 weeks later). I end each session with another 10-minute easy jog.

​This is the perfect workout for the track or even a treadmill.

Run 2: Threshold

My second run of the training week is a threshold run. It begins and ends with 10 minutes of light jogging. After the ten-minute warm-up, I run at a difficult pace for 15-20 minutes. I try to run at the fastest possible pace without having to slow down.

This is another good run for the track or treadmill.

Run 3: Long Slow Distance

My third run of the training week is a long, slow distance run (LSD). I run at a comfortable pace for 10k or longer. I recommend doing the long run on a trail to get acclimated to the terrain on which the race will occur. Trail runs have inclines, declines, and natural obstacles like rocks and tree roots. Consider this practice for your obstacle race. I like to get out of my comfort zone with these longer runs so the race will feel shorter.

Since you will complete 20 obstacles during the 5k, you need more cardio than a traditional road race. Make no mistake, completing all 20 obstacles takes physical strength and cardiovascular endurance.

I recommend including at least one day on a bike or elliptical to give your joints a break from the running. Cross-training is a great way to improve your cardio without beating up your body.

What You Need on Race Day

Make sure to bring your ticket (printed or screenshot). You’ll check in at the booth before entering the race area. You’ll also need your driver’s license to prove your identity.

There may be some water and snacks, but bringing your own fuel is a good idea.

People have different preferences for what to wear. Some people wear shorts and a T-shirt. Men sometimes go shirtless, and women wear tank tops. I prefer wearing light, long sleeves and tights under running shorts. The bottom layer helps prevent cuts and scrapes that are common from the crawling obstacles.

I recommend wearing a pair of shoes you don’t plan on wearing again. The shoes you train in are a good option. Bid them farewell after the race because they will be so muddy that they will never be clean again. The same goes for the socks. I always wear two pairs of socks to reduce the risk of blisters because the shoes tend to get loose once they get muddy.

I always bring a pair of flip-flops to change into after the race.

Bring some towels and a change of clothes for the ride home.

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FAQs

​What happens if you fail an obstacle?

If you fail an obstacle, you are supposed to run an additional distance marked with blue tape. The penalty is burpees for other obstacles. The penalty is on the honor system because they don’t have enough volunteers to watch everyone. This brings up another point…you will see a lot of people skipping a lot of obstacles.

This surprised me the first time I did a Spartan race. Some people skip almost every single obstacle. I can understand taking the penalty on some water obstacles, but I don’t understand skipping all the obstacles. But people do it.

Am I going to have to wait in line for an obstacle?

Yes. Especially for the Sprint. The Spartan Sprint is the most popular Spartan race. Since it’s the shortest distance, more people do it than the other races. That means you are going to have to wait in line for obstacles. The first three obstacles of the Sprint tend to get bottlenecked. After that, it will open up.

Are there safety nets?

I’ve never seen any safety nets. There are a few pretty high obstacles, like the cargo net. If you are terrified of heights, you might want to reconsider participating. Going over a wet and muddy obstacle high up there can be scary, especially with other people going past you.

Are there aid stations/water stations?

There are water stations throughout the race. Be warned that even the water stations have a line at the beginning of the Sprint. Plenty of trash cans are at each station in case you want to bring a disposable water bottle. 

What is the Start line like?

When you buy your ticket from the Spartan website, you select the start time you want. About five minutes before, you will crawl through a few feet of barbed wire and hop a low wall to get to the starting area. Then, an announcer will send off a group of 20-30 runners at a time. 

What is the finish line like?

When you cross the finish line, you have the option of calling it a day or going the “extra mile.” The extra mile is an another mile while carrying a kettlebell. When you’re done, someone will hand you your finisher medal and trifecta chip. Then, you can get your finisher photo taken, and before you exit the area, you will pick up your finisher shirt.

What is the spectator area like?

The spectator area has a handful of vendor tents and a food truck or two. There is a stage, music, information booth, and a Spartan store where you can buy gear. There are also usually a handful of product vendors (energy drinks, beer, snacks, etc.) and recruiters. I’ve seen sheriff, National Guard, Air Force, Border Patrol, and other first responder/armed forces booths. Spectator tickets cost around $20. 

My biggest gripe about the spectator area is that there are no chairs or bleachers. So, if you, or your friends and family are planning on watching a race, make sure to bring a lawn chair.

Should I pick an early or later start time?

I recommend the earlier start times. Parking is better; there are fewer people, and you don’t have to worry about everyone leaving the same dirt road at the same time.

​What is the fire like?

The fire at the finish line is about 9-12 inches off the ground. You could skip over it if you want to. If you can jump up a curb or over a small log, then the fire will be a piece of cake for you.

What are the different course lengths for Spartan races?

The Spartan series of obstacle course races includes four distances:

Sprint: 5k (3.1 miles)

Super: 10k (6.2 miles)

Beast: 21k (13.1 miles)

Ultra: 50k (31 miles)

Note: There are other Spartan races, such as the Hurricane Heat, Stadion (a 5k stadium series), and trail races of various distances.

What is a Trifecta?

The trifecta is completing the Sprint, Super, and Beast in the same calendar year. There is also a special medal for those completing all three on the same weekend.

Do most people complete all the obstacles?

Your average racer will skip an obstacle or two. Most people at least attempt an obstacle before taking the penalty. 

Sprint Spartan Race

Training for a Spartan race is a lot of hard work. If you are starting from the couch, it’s a good idea to give yourself several months to train. If you work out and run consistently, the Sprint will be challenging but very doable. Consider giving one of the longer races a try.

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