13 Insider Tips for Spartan Racing
"The road to success is paved with obstacles. How you handle them defines who you are."
—Joe De Sena
Among my many races, I’ve tackled stair climbs, triathlons, trail runs, biking events, and obstacle course races. One of the reasons I like to mix it up is to challenge myself. Sure, I could keep improving my mile split in road races and aim for a better finish each year, but where’s the excitement in that?
When you’re new at something you challenge your mind and body and have to adapt on the fly if you want to do well. Someone who is green and motivated to do better also comes away with many more tips on how to improve for the next time.
I’ve shared training lessons in How to Train for a Spartan Race: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners and today I’ll delve into specific in-race strategies to crush a Spartan.
13 Spartan Racing Tips
1. Race In What You Train In
No new socks, shorts, shoes, or anything else. Wear fitted clothing including shorts that have a zipper for refueling with gels (I used something like these shorts). Although every picture of a Spartan racer seems to be shirtless, I kept mine on and didn't regret it on the barbed wire crawls. And even if you run in minimalist shoes, I wouldn’t recommend it for a Spartan.
2. And Wear Less
I bought workout gloves to wear during the race because I thought it would help with gripping the obstacles. It didn’t and it made it tougher because the gloves absorbed the water and mud so I ended up ditching them and doing better without them. I’m also glad I didn’t wear pants, compression socks, a water pack, sunglasses, or any of the other things I saw people wearing and immediately felt bad for them. Less is best.
3. Start Early, Start Ahead
Begin the race in an earlier pace group than you might typically choose. This helps you avoid bottlenecks which allows you to dictate your pace instead of being thrown off by those who are slower.
4. Use Bottlenecks for Recovery & Refueling
Early in the race, I was frustrated by frequent bottlenecks caused by the masses (hence tip #3). After the first bottleneck, however, I changed my perspective and saw it as an opportunity to slow my breath (inhaling and exhaling through the nose) and to refuel. This allowed me to conserve wasted energy with an unnecessarily higher respiratory rate but it improved my digestive absorption and prevented an upset belly than if I would have refueled near an obstacle or on a downhill.
5. Take Shorter, Quicker Steps
It’s so tempting to take longer strides when you’re going over rocky terrain but with rain the night before, dew from the morning, and rocks that are unknowingly unstable, it’s not worth the risk. Quick steps control your speed, reducing strain on joints and preventing overstriding, which can lead to a rolled ankle or worse.
6. Use Sports Psychology
I wrote an article for Spartan.com called Mindfulness and Mental Resilience: How to Overcome Obstacles on and off the Course. In it, I discuss strategies that elite athletes use for an elite mindset
Use a Mantra It may sound corny but having a mantra, or a short phrase to repeat in your head during tougher moments on the course, is a great tactic that many elite athletes practice. It's a way for your prefrontal cortex to remind your reptilian brain what to do when your body screams "Stop!" For example, I usually use "tall and quick" for running races, but during a Spartan Race, I found "Slow breath, quick feet." to be more effective. Find a mantra that resonates with you and repeat it when that frustration or fatigue burns.
Visualization Visualization, a.k.a. mental rehearsal, involves creating vivid images of racing, completing specific obstacles, and finishing the race. This technique activates neural pathways similar to those used during actual performance, boosting confidence and reducing anxiety.
Reframing Reframing is the practice of changing your perspective on a situation to view it as an opportunity for growth. For instance, seeing a difficult rope climb as a chance to test your strength helps you approach challenges with purpose and positivity, rather than fear or negativity.
Practice Overcoming Challenges Regularly exposing yourself to manageable stressors builds resilience and mental toughness. By pushing beyond your comfort zone in workouts or everyday tasks like a cold shower or resisting temptations, you train your mind to adapt, increasing your ability to handle larger obstacles.
7. Pace Yourself
During a Spartan Race, pacing is crucial. For example, a 17-year-old once sprinted past me on a narrow downhill trail, inadvertently smacking me in the face with a branch. A few minutes later, I overtook him on the uphill and didn't see him again until he crossed the finish line near the back of the pack. This pattern repeated several times, particularly early in the race when competitors had fresh energy and were aggressive on descents. Understand that the race pace won't be as linear as your training runs and your energy will wane. Terrain, obstacles, and crowd dynamics will affect your speed, requiring constant adjustments. Focus on maintaining a steady effort, conserve your energy for challenging sections, and remember that consistency and endurance often outpace early bursts of speed.
8. Stay Adaptable
Spartan Races are unpredictable, with obstacles and challenges you might not have trained for. Accept the unexpected, embrace the challenge, and move on without letting it disrupt your focus.
Elevation map of Spartan Super 10k Poconos 2024
9. Do Less on the Downhills
Mastering downhill running involves relaxing your legs and allowing gravity to help on the descent, reducing the reliance on eccentric contractions that use up more energy and strain your muscles. I didn’t learn this skill until my Freshman year of high school when we were doing hill sprints for crew practice. Once I learned it, I never looked back. While it’s not best to try this during the race, practice relaxing your legs and keeping up the momentum instead of braking. Not only will you save energy but you’ll go faster.
10. Use Your Environment
More than completing the race faster, the name of the game is injury prevention. Use your environment to do this. Grab hold of branches and trees going uphill and downhill, find those footholds when it gets steep, and consider going off of the beaten trail. If it's too worn it might be slippery so take a gander at the terrain between the path and the more overgrown areas for better grip on the trail.
11. Don't Rely on Metrics
You might have relied on your watch to get you through many a grueling workout leading up to this race but don’t view it as an ally once you cross the starting line. Knowing your heart rate, cadence, pace, elevation, and every other conceivable metric has little positive impact on your performance at this point. There are too many variables and, as importantly, it takes the human spirit out of it. Ditch the watch, race intuitively, and enjoy the views.
12. Fuel and Hydrate Strategically
Ensure a good nutritional base 2-2.5 hours before the race.
Drink enough water but not too much. You'll be tempted to chug at every aid station, but instead, listen to your body and drink to thirst. Too much water can lead to hyponatremia, which can dangerously dilute your body's sodium levels, causing symptoms like nausea, headache, confusion, and in severe cases, seizures or coma.
Get enough electrolytes. Ensure you have a good balance of hydration and nutrition throughout the race. These are my favorite sources of electrolytes.
Carry energy gels and use them on uphill segments. With a lower heart rate and less bouncing, digestion is more efficient. Grab a few different kinds to do training runs with and pick your favorite. Some of my favorites are UCAN and GU Gels.
13. Take It In
The training is done, the weather is the weather, and you're now in the thick of it. Remember that you're doing what most can't and wear it with a badge of honor. Zoom out, take it all in, and be grateful for the situation you're in.
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