TM obstacles are fun and interesting and you look forward to seeing the next one. Spartan ones instill fear in you as they tower over the hill that you're climbing up on.
Just found out about all of them recently. Been actively going to the gym for almost a year now and running long distance. I've got spartan coming up in june and savage in july. I've ran cross country 3 years in high school so very excited. This is the kind of challenge I didn't know I need. Trying to get a group together.
@@obstacleactivist9741 starting with a 5k for now. Want to eventually get stronger for the longer runs. Training is going well and finding many helpful youtubers.
@@SmileyFBA just went to savage and made it through 25 obstacles. Did the full. Had a lot of fun and bought a friend. Going to try attend spartan this November.
I started with a Spartan Sprint and was hooked. When I want an easier, fun, ocr then I run Rugged Maniac. Only a 5k with easy obstacles. It is a great beginner ocr.
My personal opinion (yeah, I'm biased too): 1) FIT Challenge (nice block in the background there!) and Bonefrog (mentioned in another comment) are close to each other at the top 2) Savage Race 3) Tough Mudder 4) Spartan Race That being said, I have nothing against Spartan per se, but they do get pretty repetitive, whereas the other series I mentioned definitely innovate more with their obstacles.
Couldn't agree more. Only reason I didn't mention fit challenge is because it's still a "local" race and I've actually only ever ran one bonefrog. Definitely trying to get more in for the future. They just never line up right with my schedule
I've done FIT Challenge 5 times now, including this April's inaugural Ultra FIT; that one will definitely remain a "local" race (although no longer part of #racelocal?). Done Bonefrog 4 times (3 Challenges and a Tier-1), all at Berkshire East, and looking forward to trying the new (for them) venue at Carter and Steven's Farm in Barre later this summer; bigger series than FIT, but still a small series race, and this one is part of the #racelocal Grand Prix.
Of the ones I've done, ive ranked them from easiest to hardest: 1. 5K Foam Fest: (Easy) hurdles and inflatables a family run. 2. Rugged Maniac: (Fun) If you love fun and bang for buck, this is an awesome race. 3. Warrior Dash: (Fun) Still in the fun category, but maybe a hair more challenging. 4. Savage Blitz: (Challenge/Fun) A great mix of challenges. Seems upper body focused but not designed to wear you down like a Spartan. 5. Savage 10k: (Challenge) Same as above, just longer. Awesome mix of obsticals and the length makes this a challenge. 6. Spartan Sprint: (Challenge/Difficult) I've only done 1, but given this 5k was on a championship course located on the side of a mountain and rock quarry, this race I felt tried to wear your body down with each obstacle. I've done more but too local to mention here. I too have loved Savage races, they are a good challenge for those wanting the ninja warrior feel but the obsticals aren't designed to kill your strength like Spartan races. So I'd probably pick Savage as my current favorite.
I did the Tough Mudder back in 2013. It was my very first OCR. This was when the Tough Mudder was big before the Spartan Race gained a lot of popularity.
I did this near a military base in California when I was in high school back in 2007 are Cross country team glad more ppl like it we just loved running have not ran since 2010
I've participated in many OCR sadly Savage Races have never come near my surrounding state, so my favorite would be the Spartan Race (between tough mudder and spartan race). I earned my Trifecta years ago, enjoy the spartan races because they have a more competitive vibe during the first runners. Course layouts are not always the best, and volunteering for spartan races is not as welcoming or organized as some other OCR usually are, but the races and enviorment is fun.
Anyone in the NJ area needs to try Goliathon. It is really Ninja Warrior-esque They also use a band system, but do something I have not seen at any other events. They have 3 tier difficulty obstacles where you can choose for each which to attempt. You only get 1 try, but depending on which difficulty you complete, you get a different colored band. 12 obstacles in total. It's also point based, not time based like most of the races. The obstacles are serious. Out of 1,200 people who attended the event I went to only 3 completed all of the most difficult ones.
@@obstacleactivist9741 Sweet! I did my first one in June. I loved it. I attempted all of the G3 and completed 6 of 12. After the rope traverse my hands were torn up. I'm planning on doing it 2x a year. Hopefully in October I can bag a few more G3
I'm a fan of the Conquer The Gauntlet races. 4 miles/25 Obstacles. Grip strength and stamina are definitely tested there. Also, NO BURPEES. You have to give up your Elite Belt if you can't complete the obstacle (similar to Savage). You should definitely check them out.
The downside to the Spartan is the 3 races are priced $20-30 more or less but you are running the same course but it is condensed to 1/2 the distance or more and fewer obstacles but you still paid more than $100 for a 3-5 mile run. Trifecta is worth the bragging rights but not the money.
I personally believe they are the best beginner OCR series in the industry. Great race with the best festival area in the industry. Mechanical bull, pie eating contest, pull up contest, corn hole, ect. Highly recommend for a fun day
Agree. I'm new and did the the Rugged (fun!) in July. Then did the Spartan in the mountains in September (cold, wet, exhausting, empowering). Rugged is awesome and fun, great for a team. Spartan....know what you're getting into; it's no joke.
@@LeGregoryDykesSrMPA One tip. If you've not climbed a rope for awhile, go practice that. I forgot how to do rope climb and had to do burpees, immediately followed by bucket brigade. Avoid burpees!
...? If you're referring to me eating halo top, it's not product placement as I have no affiliations or contracts with them and recieve nothing for that. I just enjoy halo top wayyyyyy too much and is what I'm known for with my friends lol
You and The Crew should check out Newbsanity as well. It’s a permanent course in Binghamton, NY (about 2.5-3 hours from philly, 4-5 from Mass [if I correctly remember where the crew is based]). They have races of all distance in a series format with scoring for season rewards as well as race awards.
Obstacle Activist with the closing of the classic shale hill I think we may now be best permanent course in the region (biased opinion it’s my hometown haha), and they are definitely the largest local training team
Obstacle Activist yeah, Utah is my birth state and I barely turned 16 so I can really only do races in Utah as of right now. Hoping a tough mudder or one of the others come to Utah sometime. But yeah, deffinently come down sometime. Utah's cool
Good vid overall - I liked hearing the difference cuz I'm only familiar with Spartan. I wish you had added where they are generally located. I looked up Savage faces and there isn't a single one reasonably close to the Mountain West or West Coast. Tough Mudder has better availability. Spartan too - maybe the most events a year and the most widespread I think.
yeah spartan is the largest both nationally and internationally followed by tough mudder. Savage is still in its growing phase as they are continuing to add venues each year and are growing at a pace that they can maintain. unfortunately they are only on the east coast as of right now, but will most likely expand more westerly over the upcoming years. If you ever get the chance to travel to the east coast, I highly recommend them. Conquer the gauntlet is a good one that is more south/southwest that is worth checking out
Nahhh, I've had every protein ice cream on the market and halo top is still my.all time favorite. Best macros and taste in my opinion. That said, I'm buying whatever is on sale when I can! Haha
Eh, they're the same as sprints. Only recently this year did they give then their own category of "stadion" with a different shirt and everything. Previous years they were considered sprints
I haven't run a savage race, but I've run about 5 or 6 spartans and 2 tough mudders. Personally, I like the Spartan Races more. Here's why: 1. Signing up for the races and the check in process for Spartan has been more seamless than tough mudder. I also found it much easier to build a team on their site. 2. From consuming Spartan content vs tough mudder content I feel like the Spartan owner's message and intent with the race is more genuine. I feel like he really wants to transform peoples' lives and I think he accomplishes that well. I don't get the same feeling from Tough Mudder. 3. The last tough mudder I ran was the full. The way they set up the course it lapped over earlier sections of the course, so the morning waves were running into the afternoon waves towards the end. Then some of the obstacles repeated and you get stuck in lines at the obstacles. So basically I paid more money to run the same course twice and stand at obstacles with lines of people. 4. Some people complain with Spartans that the obstacles are the same from course to course, but I like that because I can gauge my performance by my finishing time since it's a consistent challenge. And I still struggle with the spear throw haha 5. Tough mudder usually has been more expensive in my experience, which is fair given the complexity of their obstacles, and they have fewer events in my area. The tough mudder is fun to do as a team, but if you really want to physically push your limits, I think Spartan is the way to go. Yeah I know I'm biased but whatever lol.
apologies for the late reply Peter! i completely agree with you on your points and perspectives. If you ever get a chance to run a savage race, i highly recommend it, they're a well laid out race series with the best customer support in the game right now. The only thing i will say i disagree with on what you mentioned above is the CEO Joe desena and his message. that used to be his and spartan's message of "getting people off of the couch" and still is to an extent, but ive watched them go from that to just major corporation and seeing dollar signs instead of racers and people. for those reasons i have begun to distance myself from spartan more and more each passing year. They have also begun to water down their races this year which is depressing. That being said, they're still some of the more physically demanding races out there solely for their venues and mountainous terrain
@@obstacleactivist9741 No worries man, I understand how it is getting back to comments. I'll have to check out the Savage Race sometime. Can you point out some specific examples where the spartan race has gone to seeing dollar signs rather than the actual experience for racers? I don't disagree with you entirely on that perspective, I'm just interested in your insight. They have gotten pretty big and I guess you gotta fuel the machine somehow. I have noticed the discounts they provide honestly are not great because you end up paying $30 in racer insurance and service fees, which negates a lot of the savings. That part I can relate to, and it is annoying. However, compared to Tough Mudder, I felt they are much less salesy, I had to unsubscribe from TM because everyday I was getting a discount email from them. I know you gotta get people in the races but give me a break haha. By water down their races I'm guessing you mean "making them easier"? I do notice that somewhat. I remember that you originally had to fill up your own bucket with gravel on the bucket carry, Now they're all prepackaged and standardized. Maybe that was to make it easier, or to just make course flow more efficient. Also they don't do as much hype up at the starting line as they used to. I guess they're trying to lower the barrier to entry and trying to get more people to race who haven't necessarily trained for it, which is why they aren't strict on the burpees anymore in the open race categories. All the races have their pros and cons for sure.
@@Jawz123 I understand that spartan is ultimately a business and a business needs to grow and make money, but they have exponentially increased their costs far more in the past two years than any race series without providing any new innovation or reasoning. i mean $300+ for an ultra is absurd. They also built in a "merch and bag check/parking" fee into their price which is $3-15 depending on the venue which i personally hate because i was never one to use bag check in the first place. Many people also carpool so now they are charging every single person for parking despite someone not needing it or wanting it. They're forcing costs. Those are just two easy examples When i say watering down their races i do mean making them far easier. This year alone they have taken out their only technical obstacles such as olympus, twister, beater, ect out of all sprints. Their reasoning being that this is their "beginner" race and that supers and beasts add in these obstacles. My gripe here is that regardless of distance, a sprint shouldnt have less or less challenging obstacles because there are elites and racers who specialize in short course (myself included) who never race a beast or even a super. Now we don't even get to see those obstacles in a race and instead have to settle for nothing more than a "multi rig" that consists of all rings. It's a joke
@@obstacleactivist9741 You make very good points. I've never looked into doing an ultra because it looked like it was just doing the same course twice. I didn't realize they were that expensive. And I agree the Merch/Bag/Parking Fee is not good. I think it benefits some and hurts others. I found the bag check helpful, but the merch discount is bad. I did notice some obstacles weren't in the Sprint this year like they were last year, and I can see how that would be frustrating if you're only running the sprints. It paints a pretty clear picture of their business model. So I agree with you that it is more run like a business with the sprints being more of a lead generation for them to get people into the racing culture. However I still feel the core purpose and intent behind the race is there. Maybe they got too many survey complaints that the sprint was too hard. Maybe it's because it's no longer a niche sport and they're trying to appeal to a broader audience. I'm not sure. It is unfair they removed obstacles for sure.
did Savage get rid of the electric obstacle crawl? Did a Savage back in the day (2013) and they had electric obstacles. It was very much like a mini-Tough Mudder, untimed, no penalty for skipping obstacles ... that's why I've done mostly Spartans. I like being timed, I like 30-burpee penalty to keep people honest. One of my favorite races was the BattleFrog. Do you know what happened to them?
Savage is very, very different now than what it was in 2013. Highly competitive pro wave with every wave, pro or open, being timed. I personally hate the 30 burpees in Spartan because it means nothing to race elite then if you can't complete and obstacle and everyone in open just skips them. Battlefrog was my favorite as well until they went under two years ago. They spent millions on a commerical that ran during a college bowl game that was horrible and ineffective. They sent an email out a month or two later explaining they are no longer going to have public races and that season passes and races for that season would be refunded, though I never got my refund like many others. Savage is the closest thing to what battlefrog used to be in my opinion
They're based in Florida! I heard their Florida race weekends are their best ones, was going to try and get down there next year for one. I live in PA as well.
I like that you can repeat the obstacle as many times as you want (like the BattleFrog). Explain the white band thing ... so if you give up, u turn in the band and are out of placing, is that right? I never understood why people would sign-up for a OCR and skip obstacles -- do a 5k or something ...
The honor series and stadium series are the same as sprints, only recently have they categorized them and labeled them differently. This video was also made long before their standard trail series was ever released
Train time on feet over anything. As in, don't focus your runs on how far you go, but instead focus on the how long your runs are. Get a good 2 long runs in each week if you can. If you're running Killington beast, focus on hills and hill training as well. Don't have a hill to train on, get on the stepper at your gym and go until you can't go anymore
Time on your feet and hills are a must. I ran a beast as my first obstacle course race, and dang I wish I had trained more for it. Personally I've found that trail running + hiking for long spouts helps me the most in prep for spartans. I was an idiot and wrecked my ankles by going too fast on the downhills, so make sure to pace yourself and run smart. A hydration pack or a running vest is usually highly recommended. The obstacles are still there, but the real obstacle in a beast is the elevation - they'll send you up that mountain again and again.
spartacus the true beast I have the beast at killington coming up as well which I have done before. Nothing is exaggerated when people say it’s hell. Pure hills and if it rains, good luck. But some tips bring a pair of rubber grooves or xc spike shoes. As well as mustard and salt packets to help with cramps mid run.
They definitely share similarities but also many key differences. The best way that I would explain on how to train for them is this...running. running is still 85% of an obstacle course race. if you're a strong runner, you're already ahead of the curve. They all share this aspect. The obstacles is where they differ. For tough mudder you're going to want to focus on team building (open waves) and also your grip strength. If you're doing a spartan race, focus primarily on the heavy carries and the mountainous terrain training (hill repeats and rucking). Lastly, for Savage you're going to want to dedicate nearly all of your training to grip strength training and technical skill. Hope that helps point you in the right direction!
In terms of obstacles or just with other series? Not sure about tough mudder, but I know Spartan has differing obstacles in various countries. For example, Australia has "the fort" obstacle which is not in the US. Certain races also have slightly varying obstacles. I know Savage race rotates obstacles at venues so they're never the same race
For open you can either keep trying or just continue on, no penalty. For pro wave, it's mandatory obstacle completion so you have to keep trying until you get it, or surrender your band and finish as non-complete
In the pro wave you're given two timing chips, one for your race and one for obstacle completion. If you're unable to complete and obstacle and chose to give up, your surrender that timing chip band. It's just how they track 100% obstacle completion vs non-complete. If you get 100% completion you are given a wristband to keep that says Savage pro. Only 100% complete are eligible for awards for the pro wave
@@jubii4 there's ocr enduro championships in australia, spartan ultra championships in sweden, viking 24 hour in rhode island, and a few others i'm forgetting. there's a lot of 12 hours ones too like fit challenge
I fully enjoy bonefrog! I just personally don't think they're as popular as these 3 series in terms of size. That being said, I have another video planned for them 😎
Your explanation of Spartan Race obstacles being one attempt is not accurate. In fact most of the Spartan Race obstacles are multiple attempts. It is true that there are several obstacles that are one attempt, it is usually about a fourth of the obstacles that are one attempt.
What obstacles have more than one attempt? Other than walls and obviously carries, no actual obstacle has multiple attempts. Granted if you're in an open wave no one cares and polices it. That's coming from someone who's been racing since 2014
When I'm referring to obstacles I'm referring to ones that you would have to burpee if you fail. All of them are one try. You can change lanes on obstacles, but once your feet leave the ground and/or start the obstacles, you only have one attempt. Per elite standards
I've done Tough Mudders and Spartans and I prefer the Tough Mudder. I think it really does test you more mentally. Your cold and wet and your body wants to cramp up. Also on Spartan (open) I noticed a lot of people don't even do all the burpees. Spartan is definitely more physically challenging. I would definitely rather run 3 Tough Mudders a year then the Spartan trifecta. But Spartan gives you a participation trophy (metal) and makes everyone feel so millennial lol 😂
Actually it’s a Finisher medal. You have to finish the race. If you don’t finish the race (DNF) then you get no medal. I’ve seen a lot of people quit, but that’s mainly on the Beast. I think 20% at a Spartan Beast in Temecula, CA one year. It was about 105 degrees and so many hills. Like you I have done the Spartan, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Rugged Maniac. Tough Mudder is the most fun, but it’s less fun if you run solo. Spartan is the toughest and it looks like the best athletes compete there like Faye “Stunning” Stenning, Lindsay Webster, Ryan Atkins, and a bunch more. And Warrior Dash and Rugged Maniac are good beginner OCR’s. They were a bit too easy in my opinion. But just remember, they are Finisher medals, not participation medals.
You don't get a participation trophy for Spartan. What are you talking about? What's the difference in someone in the open skipping burpees after failing and obstacle and someone walking off when failing an obstacle in Tough Mudder? Not sure that's a good arguement.
you definitely DO NOT get a participation medal for spartan. I attempted an ultra and did more distance than a beast but did not complete it so i walked away with no medal or anything even though i technically completed a beast i received nothing.
@@obstacleactivist9741 Not really....I did a Spartan super near ATL last wknd and it was billed as a 10k(6.2 miles). However, the Spartan spokesman at the starting line on the microphone was providing race rules to each wave informing that the 10k distance was "fuzzy" and it may be longer than advertised like most Spartan races. At the end, my garmin and others near me showed it was 7.5 miles.
They don't count the carries and penalty loops. They are still "standardized" compared to previous years. There will still be some discrepancies between races by a bit but not by much. Previous years sprints were 3-5 miles, supers 8-10, and beasts 13+
Spartan race is the nba in ocr. that's simple.
I was excited about the quick intro and diving strait into the content... then I was treated to a full minute filler of halo top ice cream...
Sorry, I like my ice cream 🤷♂️
TM obstacles are fun and interesting and you look forward to seeing the next one. Spartan ones instill fear in you as they tower over the hill that you're climbing up on.
Also, love the finger snap to change to race type. Thank you for the explanations on the different races.
Just found out about all of them recently. Been actively going to the gym for almost a year now and running long distance. I've got spartan coming up in june and savage in july. I've ran cross country 3 years in high school so very excited. This is the kind of challenge I didn't know I need. Trying to get a group together.
What races are you planning on doing?
@@obstacleactivist9741 starting with a 5k for now. Want to eventually get stronger for the longer runs. Training is going well and finding many helpful youtubers.
@@jrivera8678 how did you manage with your first OCR
@@SmileyFBA just went to savage and made it through 25 obstacles. Did the full. Had a lot of fun and bought a friend. Going to try attend spartan this November.
Tough mudder you have me never at "artic enemas" and "electrocution". I love you SPARTAN!!!!! AROOOOO!!
I started with a Spartan Sprint and was hooked. When I want an easier, fun, ocr then I run Rugged Maniac. Only a 5k with easy obstacles. It is a great beginner ocr.
Rugged maniac is definitely the best beginner OCR in my opinion. Great festival area
My personal opinion (yeah, I'm biased too):
1) FIT Challenge (nice block in the background there!) and Bonefrog (mentioned in another comment) are close to each other at the top
2) Savage Race
3) Tough Mudder
4) Spartan Race
That being said, I have nothing against Spartan per se, but they do get pretty repetitive, whereas the other series I mentioned definitely innovate more with their obstacles.
Couldn't agree more. Only reason I didn't mention fit challenge is because it's still a "local" race and I've actually only ever ran one bonefrog. Definitely trying to get more in for the future. They just never line up right with my schedule
I've done FIT Challenge 5 times now, including this April's inaugural Ultra FIT; that one will definitely remain a "local" race (although no longer part of #racelocal?). Done Bonefrog 4 times (3 Challenges and a Tier-1), all at Berkshire East, and looking forward to trying the new (for them) venue at Carter and Steven's Farm in Barre later this summer; bigger series than FIT, but still a small series race, and this one is part of the #racelocal Grand Prix.
Of the ones I've done, ive ranked them from easiest to hardest:
1. 5K Foam Fest: (Easy) hurdles and inflatables a family run.
2. Rugged Maniac: (Fun) If you love fun and bang for buck, this is an awesome race.
3. Warrior Dash: (Fun) Still in the fun category, but maybe a hair more challenging.
4. Savage Blitz: (Challenge/Fun) A great mix of challenges. Seems upper body focused but not designed to wear you down like a Spartan.
5. Savage 10k: (Challenge) Same as above, just longer. Awesome mix of obsticals and the length makes this a challenge.
6. Spartan Sprint: (Challenge/Difficult) I've only done 1, but given this 5k was on a championship course located on the side of a mountain and rock quarry, this race I felt tried to wear your body down with each obstacle.
I've done more but too local to mention here. I too have loved Savage races, they are a good challenge for those wanting the ninja warrior feel but the obsticals aren't designed to kill your strength like Spartan races. So I'd probably pick Savage as my current favorite.
Savage race, my man 😎
I did the Tough Mudder back in 2013. It was my very first OCR. This was when the Tough Mudder was big before the Spartan Race gained a lot of popularity.
Just did my forst Spartan. I see exactly why you prefer Savage! Literally no comparison.
Savage is so much better in my opinion on almost every front
I did this near a military base in California when I was in high school back in 2007 are Cross country team glad more ppl like it we just loved running have not ran since 2010
Get back out there! They've gotten so much better since then
I've participated in many OCR sadly Savage Races have never come near my surrounding state, so my favorite would be the Spartan Race (between tough mudder and spartan race). I earned my Trifecta years ago, enjoy the spartan races because they have a more competitive vibe during the first runners. Course layouts are not always the best, and volunteering for spartan races is not as welcoming or organized as some other OCR usually are, but the races and enviorment is fun.
This was by far the most informative video I have found in these races. I’m signed up for tough mudder.
Awesome! Glad it helped. Good luck and have fun!
Anyone in the NJ area needs to try Goliathon. It is really Ninja Warrior-esque
They also use a band system, but do something I have not seen at any other events. They have 3 tier difficulty obstacles where you can choose for each which to attempt. You only get 1 try, but depending on which difficulty you complete, you get a different colored band. 12 obstacles in total. It's also point based, not time based like most of the races. The obstacles are serious. Out of 1,200 people who attended the event I went to only 3 completed all of the most difficult ones.
Yup! I do goliathon every single year and love it. I'm on the crew OCR who won the most recent one
@@obstacleactivist9741 Sweet! I did my first one in June. I loved it. I attempted all of the G3 and completed 6 of 12. After the rope traverse my hands were torn up. I'm planning on doing it 2x a year. Hopefully in October I can bag a few more G3
I'm a fan of the Conquer The Gauntlet races. 4 miles/25 Obstacles. Grip strength and stamina are definitely tested there. Also, NO BURPEES. You have to give up your Elite Belt if you can't complete the obstacle (similar to Savage). You should definitely check them out.
I've heard nothing but good thing about conquer the gauntlet. Been wanting to get down south to try one
Awesome video man! Very good explanation of the 3 races and their differences
Thanks Matthew!
Great video, thanks for all the info!! Looking forward to my first tough mudder :)
You're going to love it!
The downside to the Spartan is the 3 races are priced $20-30 more or less but you are running the same course but it is condensed to 1/2 the distance or more and fewer obstacles but you still paid more than $100 for a 3-5 mile run. Trifecta is worth the bragging rights but not the money.
Great video!
Wow. Very well done!
How does it feel to eat ice cream and not share?
Pretty great 😂😂 NO ONE gets my halo top, no one...
@@obstacleactivist9741 Sharing is caring
...but not with my halo top! Haha
great video :D
Thanks!
Thank you for that break down.. but how do you rate the Rugged Maniac Race?
I personally believe they are the best beginner OCR series in the industry. Great race with the best festival area in the industry. Mechanical bull, pie eating contest, pull up contest, corn hole, ect. Highly recommend for a fun day
Agree. I'm new and did the the Rugged (fun!) in July. Then did the Spartan in the mountains in September (cold, wet, exhausting, empowering). Rugged is awesome and fun, great for a team. Spartan....know what you're getting into; it's no joke.
@@MrJasoncklein thanks... I will be doing my first Spartan next week... the Sprint.
@@LeGregoryDykesSrMPA One tip. If you've not climbed a rope for awhile, go practice that. I forgot how to do rope climb and had to do burpees, immediately followed by bucket brigade. Avoid burpees!
wow product placement has come along way!
...? If you're referring to me eating halo top, it's not product placement as I have no affiliations or contracts with them and recieve nothing for that. I just enjoy halo top wayyyyyy too much and is what I'm known for with my friends lol
You and The Crew should check out Newbsanity as well. It’s a permanent course in Binghamton, NY (about 2.5-3 hours from philly, 4-5 from Mass [if I correctly remember where the crew is based]). They have races of all distance in a series format with scoring for season rewards as well as race awards.
We definitely need to! We've talked about it several times before and have always heard great things
Obstacle Activist with the closing of the classic shale hill I think we may now be best permanent course in the region (biased opinion it’s my hometown haha), and they are definitely the largest local training team
I got my first Spartan in July of 2020. I would love to do a tough mudder but there isn't one in my state yet.
Which Spartan are you doing? Good luck!
The Utah sprint. I'm going to work my way up to the ultra
@@wolf-mv1dr jealous! i'd love to get out to utah some day. race or not
Obstacle Activist yeah, Utah is my birth state and I barely turned 16 so I can really only do races in Utah as of right now. Hoping a tough mudder or one of the others come to Utah sometime. But yeah, deffinently come down sometime. Utah's cool
Good vid overall - I liked hearing the difference cuz I'm only familiar with Spartan. I wish you had added where they are generally located. I looked up Savage faces and there isn't a single one reasonably close to the Mountain West or West Coast. Tough Mudder has better availability. Spartan too - maybe the most events a year and the most widespread I think.
yeah spartan is the largest both nationally and internationally followed by tough mudder. Savage is still in its growing phase as they are continuing to add venues each year and are growing at a pace that they can maintain. unfortunately they are only on the east coast as of right now, but will most likely expand more westerly over the upcoming years. If you ever get the chance to travel to the east coast, I highly recommend them. Conquer the gauntlet is a good one that is more south/southwest that is worth checking out
Thanks!!!
Thanks for watching!
I was waiting for the halo top to make an appearance
All about my ice cream 🍦
Nice video! Thanks for the great comments. Say hi in Maryland! - Bo
Will do!
Enlightened >>> Halo Top!
Nahhh, I've had every protein ice cream on the market and halo top is still my.all time favorite. Best macros and taste in my opinion. That said, I'm buying whatever is on sale when I can! Haha
Have you done War X yet?
You forgot to mention about the stadium series from Spartan.
Eh, they're the same as sprints. Only recently this year did they give then their own category of "stadion" with a different shirt and everything. Previous years they were considered sprints
I haven't run a savage race, but I've run about 5 or 6 spartans and 2 tough mudders.
Personally, I like the Spartan Races more. Here's why:
1. Signing up for the races and the check in process for Spartan has been more seamless than tough mudder. I also found it much easier to build a team on their site.
2. From consuming Spartan content vs tough mudder content I feel like the Spartan owner's message and intent with the race is more genuine. I feel like he really wants to transform peoples' lives and I think he accomplishes that well. I don't get the same feeling from Tough Mudder.
3. The last tough mudder I ran was the full. The way they set up the course it lapped over earlier sections of the course, so the morning waves were running into the afternoon waves towards the end. Then some of the obstacles repeated and you get stuck in lines at the obstacles. So basically I paid more money to run the same course twice and stand at obstacles with lines of people.
4. Some people complain with Spartans that the obstacles are the same from course to course, but I like that because I can gauge my performance by my finishing time since it's a consistent challenge. And I still struggle with the spear throw haha
5. Tough mudder usually has been more expensive in my experience, which is fair given the complexity of their obstacles, and they have fewer events in my area.
The tough mudder is fun to do as a team, but if you really want to physically push your limits, I think Spartan is the way to go. Yeah I know I'm biased but whatever lol.
apologies for the late reply Peter!
i completely agree with you on your points and perspectives. If you ever get a chance to run a savage race, i highly recommend it, they're a well laid out race series with the best customer support in the game right now. The only thing i will say i disagree with on what you mentioned above is the CEO Joe desena and his message. that used to be his and spartan's message of "getting people off of the couch" and still is to an extent, but ive watched them go from that to just major corporation and seeing dollar signs instead of racers and people. for those reasons i have begun to distance myself from spartan more and more each passing year. They have also begun to water down their races this year which is depressing. That being said, they're still some of the more physically demanding races out there solely for their venues and mountainous terrain
@@obstacleactivist9741 No worries man, I understand how it is getting back to comments. I'll have to check out the Savage Race sometime.
Can you point out some specific examples where the spartan race has gone to seeing dollar signs rather than the actual experience for racers? I don't disagree with you entirely on that perspective, I'm just interested in your insight. They have gotten pretty big and I guess you gotta fuel the machine somehow.
I have noticed the discounts they provide honestly are not great because you end up paying $30 in racer insurance and service fees, which negates a lot of the savings. That part I can relate to, and it is annoying.
However, compared to Tough Mudder, I felt they are much less salesy, I had to unsubscribe from TM because everyday I was getting a discount email from them. I know you gotta get people in the races but give me a break haha.
By water down their races I'm guessing you mean "making them easier"? I do notice that somewhat. I remember that you originally had to fill up your own bucket with gravel on the bucket carry, Now they're all prepackaged and standardized. Maybe that was to make it easier, or to just make course flow more efficient. Also they don't do as much hype up at the starting line as they used to. I guess they're trying to lower the barrier to entry and trying to get more people to race who haven't necessarily trained for it, which is why they aren't strict on the burpees anymore in the open race categories.
All the races have their pros and cons for sure.
@@Jawz123 I understand that spartan is ultimately a business and a business needs to grow and make money, but they have exponentially increased their costs far more in the past two years than any race series without providing any new innovation or reasoning. i mean $300+ for an ultra is absurd. They also built in a "merch and bag check/parking" fee into their price which is $3-15 depending on the venue which i personally hate because i was never one to use bag check in the first place. Many people also carpool so now they are charging every single person for parking despite someone not needing it or wanting it. They're forcing costs. Those are just two easy examples
When i say watering down their races i do mean making them far easier. This year alone they have taken out their only technical obstacles such as olympus, twister, beater, ect out of all sprints. Their reasoning being that this is their "beginner" race and that supers and beasts add in these obstacles. My gripe here is that regardless of distance, a sprint shouldnt have less or less challenging obstacles because there are elites and racers who specialize in short course (myself included) who never race a beast or even a super. Now we don't even get to see those obstacles in a race and instead have to settle for nothing more than a "multi rig" that consists of all rings. It's a joke
@@obstacleactivist9741 You make very good points. I've never looked into doing an ultra because it looked like it was just doing the same course twice. I didn't realize they were that expensive.
And I agree the Merch/Bag/Parking Fee is not good. I think it benefits some and hurts others. I found the bag check helpful, but the merch discount is bad.
I did notice some obstacles weren't in the Sprint this year like they were last year, and I can see how that would be frustrating if you're only running the sprints. It paints a pretty clear picture of their business model.
So I agree with you that it is more run like a business with the sprints being more of a lead generation for them to get people into the racing culture.
However I still feel the core purpose and intent behind the race is there. Maybe they got too many survey complaints that the sprint was too hard. Maybe it's because it's no longer a niche sport and they're trying to appeal to a broader audience. I'm not sure. It is unfair they removed obstacles for sure.
Why did you have to disrupt the video to show yourself getting ice cream?
I eat ice cream, it's what I do
did Savage get rid of the electric obstacle crawl? Did a Savage back in the day (2013) and they had electric obstacles. It was very much like a mini-Tough Mudder, untimed, no penalty for skipping obstacles ... that's why I've done mostly Spartans. I like being timed, I like 30-burpee penalty to keep people honest. One of my favorite races was the BattleFrog. Do you know what happened to them?
Savage is very, very different now than what it was in 2013. Highly competitive pro wave with every wave, pro or open, being timed. I personally hate the 30 burpees in Spartan because it means nothing to race elite then if you can't complete and obstacle and everyone in open just skips them. Battlefrog was my favorite as well until they went under two years ago. They spent millions on a commerical that ran during a college bowl game that was horrible and ineffective. They sent an email out a month or two later explaining they are no longer going to have public races and that season passes and races for that season would be refunded, though I never got my refund like many others. Savage is the closest thing to what battlefrog used to be in my opinion
Also yes, no electric obstacles at savage
They're based in Florida! I heard their Florida race weekends are their best ones, was going to try and get down there next year for one. I live in PA as well.
I like that you can repeat the obstacle as many times as you want (like the BattleFrog). Explain the white band thing ... so if you give up, u turn in the band and are out of placing, is that right? I never understood why people would sign-up for a OCR and skip obstacles -- do a 5k or something ...
November, Dade City, FL ... gonna do it ... probably volunteer Sat and run Sun or vice-versa
Barber Beast on the Bay Erie Pa
Hello, you missed a few spartan races... like the ultra, the honors series, stadium series, the latest trail series.
The honor series and stadium series are the same as sprints, only recently have they categorized them and labeled them differently. This video was also made long before their standard trail series was ever released
What kind of light is that in the background?
linked in the description for ya!
Thank you😊
spartan all the way.
Atlas ball was way harder than the spear throw
I'll take 100 atlas carries over a spear throw any day haha
I see you have the spartan beast I'm about to do my 1st any thoughts or advice?
Train time on feet over anything. As in, don't focus your runs on how far you go, but instead focus on the how long your runs are. Get a good 2 long runs in each week if you can. If you're running Killington beast, focus on hills and hill training as well. Don't have a hill to train on, get on the stepper at your gym and go until you can't go anymore
Time on your feet and hills are a must. I ran a beast as my first obstacle course race, and dang I wish I had trained more for it. Personally I've found that trail running + hiking for long spouts helps me the most in prep for spartans. I was an idiot and wrecked my ankles by going too fast on the downhills, so make sure to pace yourself and run smart. A hydration pack or a running vest is usually highly recommended. The obstacles are still there, but the real obstacle in a beast is the elevation - they'll send you up that mountain again and again.
spartacus the true beast I have the beast at killington coming up as well which I have done before. Nothing is exaggerated when people say it’s hell. Pure hills and if it rains, good luck. But some tips bring a pair of rubber grooves or xc spike shoes. As well as mustard and salt packets to help with cramps mid run.
Is there a difference in training for all three
They definitely share similarities but also many key differences. The best way that I would explain on how to train for them is this...running. running is still 85% of an obstacle course race. if you're a strong runner, you're already ahead of the curve. They all share this aspect. The obstacles is where they differ. For tough mudder you're going to want to focus on team building (open waves) and also your grip strength. If you're doing a spartan race, focus primarily on the heavy carries and the mountainous terrain training (hill repeats and rucking). Lastly, for Savage you're going to want to dedicate nearly all of your training to grip strength training and technical skill. Hope that helps point you in the right direction!
Do different locations/countries have something differrent to offer for tough mudder and spartan race
In terms of obstacles or just with other series? Not sure about tough mudder, but I know Spartan has differing obstacles in various countries. For example, Australia has "the fort" obstacle which is not in the US. Certain races also have slightly varying obstacles. I know Savage race rotates obstacles at venues so they're never the same race
You should check Tough Guy the original ocr
It doesn't exist anymore unfortunately
Obstacle Activist it still dose but not in its original form of 5000 + runners is scaled down to a 1000 runners now I've signed up for the 2019 run
Sooo if you can't accomplish one of the obstacles is ok you can continue no penalties......
Depends, which race series are you referring to and which wave?
For open you can either keep trying or just continue on, no penalty. For pro wave, it's mandatory obstacle completion so you have to keep trying until you get it, or surrender your band and finish as non-complete
Ok thank u much
But what u mean with the band? Sorry my first-time doing this race!!
In the pro wave you're given two timing chips, one for your race and one for obstacle completion. If you're unable to complete and obstacle and chose to give up, your surrender that timing chip band. It's just how they track 100% obstacle completion vs non-complete. If you get 100% completion you are given a wristband to keep that says Savage pro. Only 100% complete are eligible for awards for the pro wave
No love for Goliathon :-( but I suppose only 1 venue twice a year doesn't constitute as a big boy.
Yeah, just focused on the big dogs for this one. butttttt have plans in mind for goliathon, don't you worry
#SAF 🏅 Hell yeah !!!!!!
What's your favorite flavor of halo top? LOL
Great review.. Stay #SAF!!
dislike for that bs ice cream break
Not sorry that I like my ice cream ;)
i gave you a thumbs down cause you put icecream in the microwave
Is there a alternative to world toughest mudder?
Alternative meaning other endurance OCRs or 24 hour OCRs?
Other 24 hour ocrs :)
Like worlds toughest mudder
@@jubii4 there's ocr enduro championships in australia, spartan ultra championships in sweden, viking 24 hour in rhode island, and a few others i'm forgetting. there's a lot of 12 hours ones too like fit challenge
Okay thank you:)
can you just eat before recording dude
Nah, I eat 24/7 and like my ice cream
No love for Bonefrog 🙄
I fully enjoy bonefrog! I just personally don't think they're as popular as these 3 series in terms of size. That being said, I have another video planned for them 😎
Your explanation of Spartan Race obstacles being one attempt is not accurate. In fact most of the Spartan Race obstacles are multiple attempts. It is true that there are several obstacles that are one attempt, it is usually about a fourth of the obstacles that are one attempt.
What obstacles have more than one attempt? Other than walls and obviously carries, no actual obstacle has multiple attempts. Granted if you're in an open wave no one cares and polices it. That's coming from someone who's been racing since 2014
When I'm referring to obstacles I'm referring to ones that you would have to burpee if you fail. All of them are one try. You can change lanes on obstacles, but once your feet leave the ground and/or start the obstacles, you only have one attempt. Per elite standards
I've done Tough Mudders and Spartans and I prefer the Tough Mudder. I think it really does test you more mentally. Your cold and wet and your body wants to cramp up. Also on Spartan (open) I noticed a lot of people don't even do all the burpees. Spartan is definitely more physically challenging. I would definitely rather run 3 Tough Mudders a year then the Spartan trifecta. But Spartan gives you a participation trophy (metal) and makes everyone feel so millennial lol 😂
Completely agree shifty
Actually it’s a Finisher medal. You have to finish the race. If you don’t finish the race (DNF) then you get no medal. I’ve seen a lot of people quit, but that’s mainly on the Beast. I think 20% at a Spartan Beast in Temecula, CA one year. It was about 105 degrees and so many hills. Like you I have done the Spartan, Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, and Rugged Maniac. Tough Mudder is the most fun, but it’s less fun if you run solo. Spartan is the toughest and it looks like the best athletes compete there like Faye “Stunning” Stenning, Lindsay Webster, Ryan Atkins, and a bunch more. And Warrior Dash and Rugged Maniac are good beginner OCR’s. They were a bit too easy in my opinion. But just remember, they are Finisher medals, not participation medals.
You don't get a participation trophy for Spartan. What are you talking about? What's the difference in someone in the open skipping burpees after failing and obstacle and someone walking off when failing an obstacle in Tough Mudder? Not sure that's a good arguement.
He dont know what he's talking bout lol
you definitely DO NOT get a participation medal for spartan. I attempted an ultra and did more distance than a beast but did not complete it so i walked away with no medal or anything even though i technically completed a beast i received nothing.
Buck furres
Agrees
US infantry any of them. And then spec ops.
What?
Sadly distances on spartan have been standardized 😑
Yeah unfortunately that has changed :/
@@obstacleactivist9741 Not really....I did a Spartan super near ATL last wknd and it was billed as a 10k(6.2 miles). However, the Spartan spokesman at the starting line on the microphone was providing race rules to each wave informing that the 10k distance was "fuzzy" and it may be longer than advertised like most Spartan races. At the end, my garmin and others near me showed it was 7.5 miles.
They don't count the carries and penalty loops. They are still "standardized" compared to previous years. There will still be some discrepancies between races by a bit but not by much. Previous years sprints were 3-5 miles, supers 8-10, and beasts 13+