💪SPARTAN RACE GUIDE Extra by Happy Runner
Editor’s Note
Tomorrow will witness the first Spartan Race of the 2017 season for Asia at the Semenyih Eco-Venture Resort.
Left: Race Director, David Tully
After having visited the race site and having chatted with Race Director, David Tully, I can safely say that this could well be the best Spartan Race in Malaysia because for the first time, the race venue is surrounded by Mother Nature in one of Selangor’s beautiful greenery of Semenyih where there will be no less than 4 water crossings, some trees providing cooling shade from the expected hot sun, and a new water-based obstacle.
Moreover, this event will include the launching of the NEW & EXCLUSIVE Trifecta Club where all Trifecta Finishers will be given a special pin in order to gain access to a special area opened ONLY to Trifecta Finishers.
On cue, you can expect a tough physical challenge with lots of mud and sweat. As they say, Pain Is Weakness Leaving Your Body 💪🚶
To get you in the mood and perhaps, for the newbies to calm your nerves, here are some of my Personal Tips on how to ‘Race Like A Boss’! 😎
There will be a total of 20+ Obstacles which are scattered over an 8 kilometre route. To wet your appetite, I have video taped and previewed FIVE of the expected obstacles below…
🏃🏊NEW SPARTAN RACE COURSE!
EXCLUSIVE FIRST PEEK at Spartan Race Malaysia’s Brand New Obstacle, and Better Still Score Hot Tips🔥How To Beat It👊
💪SPARTAN RACE TIPS
🏊 The newly introduced Swim obstacle will strike fear in the heart of Spartans who are afraid of open water. However, there is no need to panic because ONLY those Spartans who are in the Elite or Competitive Category are given the OPTION to swim the 60m length.
If these Elites & Competitive Spartans decide to swim, then they will need to utilise the WIDER swimming lane on the far left (refer to VIDEO).
For the majority who are in the Open Category, they MUST wear a LIFEJACKET first in order to pull themselves along using the ropes of any of the 3 NARROWER lanes.
To Complete It SWIFTLY & SAFELY, Remember These Pointers :-
If you are not in the earlier Elite & Competitive Categories, you must wear the lifejacket provided, and don’t enter the wide lane which is reserved for Swimmers Only.
For the Elite & Competitive Spartans, don’t shove, hit or kick other swimmers, and stay inside the far right lane.
Watch-out for a high step just before exiting the water.
There will be race marshals in kayaks monitoring the Participants. If you are in distress, stay calm and call for the nearest marshal by waving your arm in the air. 🙌
Don’t be intimidated by the 60m distance because the water is not deep with maximum depth of only 4-5 feet only.
⤵⤴➡The O.ver U.nder T.hrough (OUT) obstacles are the first and easiest ones which are designed to get your blood flowing before tackling the tougher obstacles ahead.
To Complete It SWIFTLY & SAFELY, Remember These Pointers :-
For Over, make sure you get a good run-up before throwing yourself over it.
For the Under, you can crawl or roll under it
For the Through, grab hold the top frame with both hands, before jumping or pulling yourself through it.
✔ The A Frame Cargo obstacle requires good hands & legs coordination.
To Complete It SWIFTLY & SAFELY, Remember These Pointers :-
Always keep one hand on the net.
Don’t look all the way down.
Climb it as you would a ladder.
Always lean your bodyweight forward towards the netting.
Unless you have exceptionally long legs or on the way down, you should not climb more than one rung at time.
On race day, your hands will be wet and slippery, so you can wear gloves for better grip or grip the netting with both hands.
Before starting your climb, choose a line with the least number of participants for a smoother line.
The hardest part is to get yourself over the peak: As you can see from the video, when I reach the top, I move up & over sideways while reaching my one arm and one leg on the other side first.
✔ The River Crossing obstacle looks simple enough, but watch-out for the strong current and soft mud bottom.
To Complete It SWIFTLY & SAFELY, Remember These Pointers :-
Grab the rope before you descend the embankment.
Don’t jump in but step down into the water.
If the water current is too strong for you, don’t worry because there is a net downstream, off-camera, to catch you!
🐒 The Multi Rig obstacle is the one that most are dreading for very good reason, and where the BURPEES will be heavily dished out! Remember, Spartans never backs down from a challenge 👊
To Complete It SWIFTLY & SAFELY, Remember These Pointers :-
Wipe your hands dry before taking this on👋
As soon as one hand grabs the ring, quickly grab it with the other hand too.
Always keep a good swinging momentum throughout the whole obstacle.
The hardest part is transitioning from the fourth ring to the HIGHER (FURTHER) 5⃣th ring. You will need an extra wide swing and jump upwards to reach that devilish 5th ring!
👌 MORE PERSONAL TIPS⬇
📖 Read Spartan Race Guide
🚘 Arrive At Race Venue 90 Minutes Before Flag-Off
🔢 Collect Race Number At Registration Counter
🚗 Parking will be available at Nirvana Memorial Centre opposite
⚠ Don’t Leave Any Cash Or Valuables In Car
💰 Bring Some Cash For Parking & Food
😍 Check-out the Reebok & Spartan Malaysia Merchandise booths
🚑 Help-out any injured or distressed Participants if you can
💫 Do Not Overexert Yourself
😷 If you are injured, feeling giddy or sick, call-out for a Race Marshal immediately
👮 Respect Race Marshals & Follow Their Instructions At All Times
🚿 Don’t Spend Too Much Time At The Showers
📷 Do Visit The Complimentary Photo Booth
BE PREPARED FOR ANYTHING!
The actual obstacles and procedures may differ on race day at the sole discretion of Spartan Race Malaysia.
👦👧 JUST KIDDING
Kid Sized ‘A’ Frame Cargo
Spartan Kids form an important part of the Spartan Race Family, and I can envision them having a whale of a time charging through the mini 800m obstacle course which is like a miniature version of the regular one. The elder kids will need to complete 2 loops instead of one.
😘 Big Thanks To Spartan Malaysia For Giving Me The Privilege To Be The 1st Spartan To Test The New Semenyih Sprint Course- AROO! AROO!
Credit for deft camerawork goes to GARY 👏
The Ultimate Race For The Human Race!
👋TO ALL PARTICIPANTS,
Good Luck & Have A Blast..!!
AROO! AROO!
📰 OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
“SPARTAN RACE MALAYSIA GOES TO SEMENYIH SPARTAN RACE MALAYSIA kicks off their 2017 TRIFECTA season with the Spartan Sprint (8km & 20+ Obstacles) at the Semenyih Eco Venture Resort & Recreation. Spirits are high as over 5000 racers gear up for the race on 12th of March 2017. Racers can expect to receive newly designed 2017 medals, new and improved finisher shirts now in dry-tech material along with a brand-new obstacle – The Olympus, which was recently revealed at the 2016 Spartan World Championships. The Semenyih Sprint also sees the return of our esteemed sponsors; Title Sponsor Reebok, Karta Coconut Water, K’a’rcher, The Stretch Clinic, GoPro and welcomes new sponsors such as the exclusive venue sponsor; Semenyih Eco Venture Resort & Recreation, AirAsia and more. For the first time, Spartan Age Group Competitors will also be recognized during the award ceremony. The top male and female finishers from the following Competitive Age Group will be presented with non-monetary prizes: 18-24, 25-32, 33-39, 40-49, 50+. Spartan Managing Director for Asia Pacific Michael Goodwin said “We are happy to be back in Malaysia for yet another well received race. The venue is fantastic and racers can expect a challenging race with a few surprises!” “Welcome to the jungle one and all. Get ready for mud, water, more water and lots more mud to get you in the Spartan spirit.” Said Spartan Race Malaysia Race Director David Tully. “Dig deep, find your Spartan courage and chase down glory!” 2017 Also brings the launch of the Asia Pacific Championship series with the Malaysia Super on the 9th of July as the third qualifying race, leading up to the final Championship event to take place at the end of November in Australia. Elite racers will be awarded points based on their rankings from any of the 5 events of the Championship series. The top 10 male and female elite racers, as well as the top 3 male and female elite master’s racers with the most points will walk away with the grand prize money. Each qualifying event will also award prize money to the top 5 male and female elite racers, as well as the top 3 male and female master’s racers. The award-winning racers from the first 4 qualifying events will also receive a guaranteed spot in the final event of the APAC Championship series – The Australia Beast. Spartan Race is the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand and the first of its kind to feature timing and global rankings. With more than 200 events in 30+ countries in 2017, Spartan Race has more than 1 million global participants, and offers open heats for all fitness levels as well as competitive and elite heats. With more than 5 million passionate social media followers, health and wellness products, as well as a popular US television series, Spartan Race has made obstacle racing one of the fastest growing sports—and lifestyles— in the world. Spartan Race features races at three distances, 5+Kilometer/20+ Obstacle “Sprint,” 13+ Kilometer/25+ Obstacle “Super” and 20+ Kilometer/30+ Obstacle “Beast,” culminating each year in the Reebok Spartan Race World Championship. Visit www.spartanrace.my for more information, a schedule of events in Malaysia, and to register for a race…”
4,000L of water for the Participants!
*Disclaimer*
To the best of my knowledge, all of the information provided herein is accurate at the time of publishing and the views expressed are based on my own personal opinions and findings, and they don’t necessarily reflect the views of the Product Manufacturer, Event Organiser or any Third Party unless explicitly specified otherwise.
About The Author
Gus is the Founder of Running Toons and a HIIT Fitness Coach. As a freelance WRITER, he has contributed numerous insightful articles to The Star newspaper, Running Malaysia magazine, Cycling Malaysia magazine, Cycling Evolution magazine, Swim Bike Run magazine and more. LIKE Happy Runner for RUNNING UPDATES, Gus Rider for CYCLING NEWS, Gus Ghani for SPORTS INFOTAINMENT and FOLLOW gusghani @IG for LIFESTYLE.
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