Race is already incredibly too expensive for something that is literally no different than any of the other races. Then, if something comes up and you can't attend the race and try to transfer the ticket, you have to pay a $35 FEE. WTH is that for???? $35??? Oh, and then when you transfer the ticket, that person you transfer it to still has to pay the insurance instead of being able to just transfer that over. Literally just a company that is stealing your money. How they made a big name for themselves, I don't know. Garbage company. Will never give them anymore of my money. read more

They have terrible customer support. They rescheduled our race for 9 months later than would not let us reschedule. Wasted $300

My cousin and I did a Spartan Sprint in Houston, TX March of 2017 and we both really enjoyed the race itself, however it was HIGHLY UNORGANIZED!!!! Their system kept going down and they never seem to have a backup plan to counteract that. We decided to sign up for the Super in May of 2017 in Burnet, TX and we were planning on saving up the money to purchase the tickets. I would check the website daily to make sure it wasn't sold out. When checking it one of those days I noticed it said there were only 13 openings left so we signed up a little earlier. Come to find out I go on the website the very next day and it is says there are almost 100 openings still available?! What?? So that was red flag number 1. We get to the event and we aren't even allowed to finish it!! First we were sitting in traffic for about an hour just to get into the venue. We finally park only to find out the registration was delayed over an hour because their system went down yet again! Come on guys...you are out in the middle of nowhere...why are you relying on internet to get people registered?! Think about this!! They tell you to get there an hour and half early, but even when you leave "early enough" you still won't be on time. My heat was at 1:15 pm while hers was at 1:30 pm and we left at 10:30 am since we were about 40 minutes away....plenty of time to get organized right?....WRONG!! Then when we got onto the course we only got to mile 1 and they chased us off because of rainy weather and lightning which none of the runners said they saw..... seriously?! The sun came out about 10 minutes after the rain started. When they took our time chips it says we finished in 3 and 4 seconds....come on now!! On top of that no one would give us any information!! Their statement was "Check your social media for any updates and that will let you know." I don't even have any social media!!!! It was about an hour and half later that they said people were allowed back on the course, but they were not allowed on certain obstacles.....what is the point then?!! By the time we would have finished it at that point it would have been after dark and they say that "anyone on the course after dark without a head lamp will be kicked off." Many people were leaving angry and they supposedly don't offer refunds. Bull!!!! When I tried to get at least some of my money back, their customer service didn't seem to give a hoot about any issues that anyone came to them with. They have only one concern. Which is making more money. Never ever signing up for one of these again!!!! read more

Spartan Race - Over an hour in this line!!! - Races & Competitions Near Me

1 Star is far too generous 1 Star is far too generous. COVID-19 hits and they cancel all races. I'm active duty military and will be moving to a different post by the time things normalize; I was going to attend the race with friends, but after the event was postponed (four weeks before the start date), I asked for a full refund, since I don't have any interest in a make-up race at a different time/location. They refused on every customer service platform they had, and wouldn't give me information to speak to anybody in management. I filed a complaint with the BBB. Yes, there was an absurd waiver that basically said, "once you pay us, there's absolutely nothing you can do to get your money back even if we do not fulfill a single part of the agreement." My fault. This company should be avoided at all costs; absolutely criminal business practices. I strongly discourage anyone who values integrity from attending an event administered by these greedy, soulless people. read more

I'm American and come from the luxury/corporate world. Because my background is big name companies, who put a lot of care into their image, I've been trained to have impeccable service skills. They're billion dollar companies that had an image to uphold so "white glove service" was required. This is not that company. It's like going from an Aston Martin to a Pinto. If you have a strong customer service background, a sense of urgency, empathy, and are committed to doing everything you can to help customers and keep them happy and loyal, this is not the place for you. I was hired because they had over 22k emails for Tough Mudder UK (which Spartan owns). The training was bad. It can't even be called training because their training department is non-existent so if you expect to learn how to do your job, forget it. And the head of the department, Aja, will tell you things like "these people are just buying races, it's no a big deal". How can you be expected to respect a company when they treat their customers so insignificantly? The training consisted of 3 days, but only 2 hours a day with someone. The rest is "on your own", and because we were told we could only work on one type of ticket (transfers), we were only "taught" how to do that one thing. There were 6.6k transfer emails in the UK inbox. My first week on my own (read 4 days) I got through 500+. I had positive feedback from customers (which they showcase in a Shoutouts Slack). But I was told I was working "too fast, slow down" by the head of the department. Seriously if you're a customer reading this, stop giving them money. They don't care about you. Anytime I had a question about the job, no one would reply. You had to work when the Filipino office was on because they were the only people who would answer you. And with so little training, you're going to have a lot of questions because the emails are not always straight forward and the system they use (Active) is not properly taught. Your training is awful so you're already starting off on a bad foot. If you are someone who likes to know how to do your job, and not be completely in the dark from the word go, don't work here. You also can't trust a company that uses GoogleDocs as their database. They so badly want to be the WeWork of race events, but they're the LulaRoe of events companies. They even talk about their founder like a cult. It's creepy. As this isn't a perfect world, you can reply to a customer and then they will reply back asking for a refund, or help with another issue because it's been 6 months since they wrote. If you ever tried to help someone beyond "here is a transfer code for you to use in 2022", you would get in trouble. And these are angry people who have been ignored for months. It's distressing seeing them reply, and reply, and never get an answer. You want to let them know "I will do everything I can to help resolve your issue". But you'll get in trouble for it so again, no one cares about these people and if you're cool with that, apply here. The team lead of Spartan UK and Tough Mudder UK was probably the most incompetent person I've ever worked for. Apparently she used to run the department by herself. Which explains why customers always complained about how bad the service was. And they do not want to fix it so don't even try. I say this because I tried. I have a lot of experience with luxury companies who consistently win awards and are #1 for CS, so I feel like my sense of urgency, and ability to answer quickly and efficiently is useful. Nope, I was constantly told "ignore them, skip them, do not touch their email". It's appalling the way customers are treated. I would tell any customer who is thinking of buying a ticket to run far away to another company. I'm surprised no one has filed a lawsuit. People in the UK, who are protected by consumer laws, unlike their counterparts in the US, had been waiting for refunds for 9 months or more. We were always told if they wanted a refund to offer them a transfer instead because the company had already spent their money. Because UK customers never had to pay to transfer, our only job was to provide transfer codes, or if they wanted a refund, you're supposed to convince them to transfer, and not ask for their money back (but you're also supposed to ignore their emails when they bring up the word "refund"). If you needed codes to transfer racers, you would be waiting 4, 5 days to get them. Mind u this is your only job, so if you can't give codes, you can't answer people. You'll sit on emails for days. Personally I never let a customer wait more than 24 hours for a reply. Here? Ignore them. Because no one here actually has a customer service background, it's like inmates running the prison. You can be terrible at your job. As someone who takes pride in their work, exceeds at it, and likes to do a great job, this wasn't the place for me. I was fired for "not fitting in" & not being terrible at my job like everyone else. read more

Race was cancelled and I had never received an email about its cancellation. I paid for a race and had been preparing for it for months. I went online to get more information about the location and read that it was cancelled; however, had never received an email saying it was cancelled. I contacted a representative and they told me everyone should have received an email regarding the cancellation if they paid for the race, which was false. I went through all of my emails, including the one that I received the confirmation from. They then said it would take 2 months for a refund. I have never heard of this before. If you cancel a race, there should be a refund within 7 days, not 2 months. Beware before joining these races. read more

spartan race sucks! i hate your program now. your deferral program is a money scheme! you pay $38.99 to only get a deferral coupon for $65.99? that's ridiculous! which means you only get $27 credit? i paid $187 for the medal and spectator and i dont even get anywhere near that. you get a net $27 credit after paying that $38.99 fee. fuck spartan this deferral crap is spartan's way of taking more money from you. you get $27 credit after paying a fee to pay for another $200 race. fuck that. read more

Well it looks like a lot of other people are having the same unfortunate experience I am. That is, dealing with the Spartan Race customer service amid the Covid-19 pandemic. There's nothing like troubling times to show a company's true colors... So, 2 weeks ago I asked for a refund immediately after they cancelled my early April race. I knew there was slim to no chance I could make up the race because I am scheduled to leave for the military in June. I got a response from an actual employee asking me to wait a couple days when they announce the new race dates to see if I could, in fact, reschedule my race. Fine, I waited. I waited a whole 2 weeks, no announcements. So I contacted them again requesting a refund for the same reasons. This time I get an automated response saying that my registration will transfer to the rescheduled event for free, and if I can't make that date then I can transfer my registration to a race in 2021. How do I know this was an automated email? Well, I responded explaining that there is no possible way for me to know if I can make a race in 2021 because I have no idea where the military will have me living in 2021. And guess what happened? Yup, I received the same exact email almost immediately. It's like they've completely given up on trying to help there customers. I will be following up with the BBB like other reviewers. read more

Really horrible company. They make it near impossible to get in contact with them, they simply will not offer refunds, even in the case of long covid!! Absolutely absurb, and borderline illegal if you ask me. I've read several other reviews also regarding them not offering refunds where THEY cancelled the race. Really nasty company. read more

Paid for Super Spartan far ahead of time, received email less than a month prior to event with new rules regarding vaccine requirements, mask rules and no guests allowed. Completely changed expectations of what I had experienced at prior races with minimal warning. Could not reschedule or get refund due to "my tag had already been ordered." I will NEVER sign up for another Spartan and I know many other veterans who feel the same way from their own experiences. read more

Moved v.i.p in the worst area this year. The massage guns everyone used them and not once were they sanitized nor were there disinfecting wipes for use when done or before. It will be over 2000 people Sunday and those guns been in the sweaty hands and bodies of thousands of people. So many people used those massage guns today when I ask a lady name Hailey why no sanitation wipes for them she was nasty and mean with me I will never be going back to Spartan ever again. The tables and chairs in v.i.p were filthy they were sat out just like that to sit in. Who ever put this event together half stepped and could of at least wiped the 2 yrs of dust off the tables and chair but instead they set up on top of all that dust just filthy smh. read more

Terrible customer service. I am only just trying to purchase a ticket with the advertised discount and that's proven extremely difficult. I was originally trying to do the 25% discount for military/first responders, but it wasn't applying at check out. Customer service rep was useless and ultimately apologized for incorrectly informing me that the discount had expired in January...even though I sent him a screenshot of the 25% discount advertising that was in front of my eyeballs with no expiration date. I ended up finding a Groupon deal that was better, but noticed Groupon and the Spartan Race (SR) site had two different locations for the San Antonio race on March 24. Some Groupon reviews stated that the voucher wouldn't work...but I reached out to SR via the chat function. The rep clarified that the location had changed, but if I purchased the Groupon and had issues SR should be able to apply it somehow. I made the mistake of buying it even though customer service had been terrible and just now I read other reviews here of others also recieving bad service. Now I'm going back and forth on why my voucher wont work. They continue to act like I can't read so I have to send snapshots of everything to show what I'm talking about, or they sincerely just pull stuff out of thin air. I'm just gonna try and get Groupon to refund the money. Even if they don't, I'm over SR. PS: I literally only reactivated my Yelp account to leave this review. read more

Amazingly exhilarating! I didn't do any hard core preparation for this race except run 7 miles at the most. I was still recovering from surgery, but I decided to give it a go! Upon signing up for this race, my friends have advised me to train with them. I just smiled and thought, "Hey, I could run 20 miles... I can do this!" But really... this race, described as brutal by many, is nothing like running! My friends told me to watch Youtube videos, but I didn't want to psych myself out - until the night before. My jaw dropped. My heart pounded! The question of what I got myself into kept circling in my head! The morning of the event, I woke up to the sound of rain. Oh how I love the rain - except that morning! Rain makes everything muddier, more slippery & more dangerous! Of course, it's not Sparta without they heavy rain, cold winds, 40 degree weather, and uneven terrain! At this point, I kept telling myself that it's not too late to quit. However, I also knew I would regret not doing it! So, I end up hopping on that Suburban and driving through the Valley traffic. It took us over an hour to get to Malibu. Then, we had to take another trek on the bus, which took us deeper into the canyons/hills. I was in Diva mode (scared to get wet or be out in freezing cold, don't want mud on me, in utter disbelief that I'm not wearing an ounce of makeup in public - that kinda mode). It wasn't until we were picking up our race packets when I finally shook off the diva in me. As one of the reviewers said, "Shiz gets real in a Spartan race!" Walking towards the bus were finishers - some decided to stay covered in mud, shivering from the cold, lips bluish and face as white as a ghost, but they all displayed a proud look as their medals hung in front of their chests. I keep saying to myself, "Snap out of it lil' girl, just keep moving forward and think Hunger Games!" So after we checked in, we started to trek to the start line. We had to jump a 4.5 foot fence to get to the start line. Say what!?! I was cool with that obstacle until a guy right in front of me climbed the fence, lost his grip, and face planted to the ground. Way to break my confidence buddy! Thanks - a - lot! I will not describe each obstacle coz, frankly, I do not want to remember some of them. I was told the obstacles change every year except for a few exceptions. These exceptions include: 1) The 10+ feet walls & other different types of wall climb with/without ropes involved. 2 )The muddy swamps - this hurdle will cause your entire body to feel pins and needles as soon as you get out of the water. Stay in the water too long and you'll feel the water get cooler. 3) The uphill crawl through interminable sharp rocks/pebbles and barbed wire- immediately placed after the muddy swamp. Pay very close attention to the barbed wires. They are close to two feet above ground, but because your palms and forearms and knees get too scraped and sore during the crawl (happens around halfway up), you may get the tendency to change your position. Before you know it, there goes a bloody clump of hair or a piece of skin from your back on the barbed wire. Many of the obstacles require a lot of climbing. A few on the ground obstacles include the uphill bunny hop (ankles are tied together) and there's the 40 lb. bag uphill hike through uneven grounds, through trees. I did skip the 100 feet rope climb because I could not get traction on the rope (yes, 30 burpees). Burpees are definitely harder to do on mud! The terrain also has a tons of uphills. Did I mention that? A lot of folks clog up the trails due to leg cramps. Downhills can cause you to slip if you're not careful. So pay attention to every step you make during this race. Make sure you wear trail runners. Hang on to your shoes coz you can lose them in the mud or in the water and you'll have to do the race in socks or barefooted. One great thing I learned about humanity from participating in this race? Chivalry is not dead. There are a lot of guys out there who are willing to stop and help you out or even offer to carry you. They can't do the obstacle for you, but they can sure make it a lot easier to do. LADIES, please take note... many of the guys who participate in this race are super fit and strikingly handsome. Like blindingly gorgeous! Some guys you'll meet will spit out a pick up line or two, but it's all in fun. Again, this race is nothing like running a marathon! It can be highly addicting. If you want a different kind of fitness challenge... try a Spartan race. And come prepared, some folks wore knee and elbow pads and used gloves with grips. I know it's sexy to bear skin while doing this race, but be smart. The more skin you expose, the more you are susceptible to get sick or scraped up = infection. Many folks wore long sleeves and long pants - no cotton anything! Don't say I didn't warn you. See you in 2014! read more

See all

Coming into this, you got understand that this is no " fun run". $#!+ gets real! Every step, jump,crawl, climb, stroke, and lift on this course is meant to break you. God did I love it! The event itself was organized pretty well. The shuttles weren't a hassle, although we did have to get picked up a tad far away, so it took a while but no nagging here. Packet pick ups flowed nicely without any delay and all the staff present knew what they where doing. The free duffle bag full of Gaspari Nutrition Supplements was a extra sweet treat for me, and I got to say these products are legit. The actual race itself started of with a trickle because so many people had to run through a narrow pathway. But then, as stated earlier, $#!+ got real FAST, because right after that little jog we where instantly presented to dip ourselves in neck deep ice cold water. For those who haven't tried it, ice cold water makes your body freak out, so you start scrambling to escape, this is the part where you have to focus and remember to keep calm down otherwise you'll panic and possibly drown. Did I mention you do this twice? After that lovely little wade, your are repeatedly subjected through multiple steep muddy inclines and declines. Some you have to hop up with your legs tied together (I am a bunny), and others you'll lug around 40lbs "pancakes". Then of course there's one where you have to crawl across these sweet little pebbles that like to make love deep inside your skin while you avoid barb wire to the face. Some obstacles where meant to make you do burpees, case in point, that damn spider crawl that had inch long slippery little nubs that just wanted you to kiss the mud 30 times. After that was the spear throw where it become more evident that I am more Tim Tebow than Aaron Rodgers. Hahah But once you cross the final hill you start hearing music and you get a rush of exuberant feelings knowing that it you made it to the finish line and that it is all over. But wait there's a fire pit to jump over and a couple of big guys waiting to sandbag the crap out of you. Here you have to pull whatever last ounce of adrenaline you have left and just bum rush em! A couple beatings here and there, you open your eyes and all of a sudden you passed the finish line. You walk up and there's people congratulating you, placing the medal your neck, and you also receive your shirt, that you've so rightfully earned, that says YOU'LL KNOW AT THE FINISH LINE. You know what? I did. You can bust my chops for making that cliche line, but I dare you to try and cross that finish line and tell me otherwise. It was to hell and back, and I felt alive walking out of that event. A true life experience, and I can't wait to do it again. read more

Spartans. Born bad asses. If you want to play Spartan for a day, do this race. It will satisfy your thirst for a legitimate physical and mental challenge. I did the Warrior Dash earlier this year and it is pretty similar, although the mountainous terrain & a few obstacles in this venue were far more challenging in comparison. I'd say they were both equally fun. Had a blast. Ran this with a team of 8 and we all agreed that no (wo)man would be left behind, so we all stayed together & waited for team members at obstacle points. I usually ditch the people I race with but this time I was a good team player & just had fun with it rather than try to get the best time. Besides, it would be difficult to be competitive in this race from the starting line because of a narrow pathway that funnels participants single file style. The first wall jump obstacle creates further bottle necking when you find yourself waiting in line for those with zero upper body strength to get their muscle atrophy laden bodies over it. Be prepared for A LOT of uphill running. It's going to take solid endurance and strong glutes to get you through this one if you want to keep the pace going, so train accordingly. This race added a twist by including a series of challenges in addition to the obstacles. If you failed or refused either, you're punished with 30 burpees. What's a burpee, you ask? If you have to ask, you're fucked. Most challenging obstacles: -River cross/swim: Holy frost balls, Leonidas. That H20 was hell frozen over. And..you mean, not only do I have to wade in it waist deep, I actually have to coax my ice cold body to SWIM to the other side? Frozen fucking hell. The good news is that it's a short cross, so man up and just get it over with. My muscles were so tensed up and they didn't warm up for the remainder of the race. Play the mental game & move on.. -Barbed wire crawl: By far the most impressive crawl I've encountered in any race that I've completed that has this type of obstacle. It was a loooong crawl. Not only was it muddy, it was rocky as fuck. The barbed wire was strung low, so there was little to no room for error or cheating. Oh, except for those people with the sideways roll strategy. The crawl forked off into two final stretches that brought you on a slight incline. Wear pants long enough to cover your knees and you'll get through it with just a few scratches and mostly just bruising from all the rocks. This was my favorite obstacle because it was one of the most challenging. I dig. One of the end obstacles is a javelin throw: Not really a javelin. And they were muddy and slippery. It was more luck than skill that will get your javelin to stick in the hay target. Long live team MFWIC (mother fuckers...who's in charge?) Aroooo. read more

Poor experience in terms of billing. Customer service is very unfriendly and very slow.

Proud to have done it and really enjoyed the race as the execution of a brilliant concept. Harder than I expected and more rewarding as a result. Great people and passion and real camaraderie at the site. That all said... for a hundred and twenty bucks, the event management was a bit wild west, to say the least. - 'Shuttle buses' from a carpark you pay for (not included in the cost) and a forty minute ride to the event!? An hour line up to get back to the carpark? People driving up and parking at the site anyway? For the money Spartan Race would've made over both days, pretty sure they could have afforded a few more buses and a continual, timely stream of transport. Friends who'd arrived 90 minutes early at the carpark, as advised, and missed their scheduled time, were simply told 'you can run when you get there'. Which is great, but a shame again as it meant we raced separately. - Water stations: on a gruelling 5 mile course, for which the organizers themselves continually advised to 'stay hydrated', ONE water station roughly halfway through the course, and one at the finish. Seriously? - Staffing levels: this was mindboggling. They were obviously severly underprepared and understaffed. It was a little disconcerting - and backed up on the day - when they sent an email asking for volunteers on the Thursday before the race! Our kids also did the Spartan Kids race, and as we're taking photos at the start line, THEY SAY THEY NEED PARENTS TO SUPERVISE THE COURSE! Ten of us run out to stand watch over various obstacles - including a water crossing - that kids as young as four were attempting. It's genuinely worrying to think what could have happened had they not had enough free support. - Spectator passes: bought three, Useless. Nobody was checking for your ten-buck armband, and it got you a view at the finish line. Nothing else. Why can;t spectators be free, or be shown options for various viewing areas? - Facilities: it rained most of the day, which nobody can control. And a bit of mud never hurt anybody, and you know what you're in for when you sign up. But it seemed again they had not factored the possibility of this weather into their planning, so there was room for about twenty people under cover. You're selling food, but there's nowhere to eat it! I saw kids using raincoats as tents to eat while it pured above them! Any merchandise tent had people milling around its edges just for cover. What's a huge tarp cost to set up? Relatively miniscule compared to what you're making from entry fees. I'm not a pro athlete, not a veteran of these events, but I thought it was a shame that with a bit more planning and foresight - especially from such an experienced group - the event could have been absolutely brilliant, as opposed to a great challenge in the middle of a lot of a hassle. read more

The race itself was great. It was very challenging and all the obstacles and trails was very well put together. The obstacles were evenly spread out so you had time to recover during your trail run/walk to the next obstacle. I ran the 1PM heat so by this time, the trail was completely muddy and beat up, I would recommend running the earlier heats if you want to put down a decent time. This is not a positive review. I would give them zero stars if I could. Now for the lows. In the beginning, we arrived 1.5 hours before our race and waited in the back of the line to take our bus to the course. We arrived nearly 2 hours later and missed our original heat. The next part is the race, see above. After the race, there is a section to wash off all the mud. They setup a regular garden hose to a splitter that splits it into 12 other hoses. What happens when you split a regular garden hose into 12? Well - you get no water pressure! We all had to lay down on the ground to clean ourselves, which needless to say is counter productive. If you lifted the hose 3 inches off the ground, it would stop flowing. Once we got cleaned up, drank our beers, and talked about the race for a bit, we set off to wait in line again for the bus ride back to our car. This was the worst part of it all. We waited nearly 3 hours, in the cold rain BTW, until we arrived at the parking area. Oh! and I can't forget all the other fees! Once you pay your registration fee, you have to pay $8 for parking, $15 per spectator, and a ridiculous $5 to check in your bag. Most airlines will check your bag in for free, and they'll fly it across the country. All they did was put my bag on the muddy/wet ground. This was poorly organized, and it showed. They clearly tried to maximize their profits by not hiring enough buses for the day, a single garden hose to clean thousands of people, and make you pay for every little service that most, if not all, marathons provide for free. read more

MALIBU SPRINT: So I did this one this past weekend... I thought if I ran enough, this would be enough training... but it's not. It's really a tough run because you're not just running on flat land, in mud, and with obstacles... you're climbing up mountains and sliding down mountains. Nothing really prepares you for this unless you do a lot of cross-fit and hiking/mountain climbing. So seriously, do some of those before you begin. You're climbing mountains, so make sure you have shoes that work on gripping and mountain climbing. There are tons of loose rocks that could make you slip. So GRIP and TRACTION are your best friends. As we were climbing the mountain, I noticed there were not enough volunteers in each section. I thought about the people who have gotten injured or psychologically scarred who may need help... but there was no one there to help them. They really need more volunteers every few feet in the mountain to radio in that they need help. Not everyone has their cell phone (because it will get wet)... so we really need more personnel in case of emergencies. That was my problem with this. PARKING: You park your car in a designated spot and then they take you to a location 20 minutes away - Calamigos Ranch in Malibu. YOUR STUFF: They give you white bags to use to put your stuff in there and check it in in the bag area for $5 (you will get $5 credit at the Spartain store too). The bag check in is pretty safe. I was able to get my stuff back in one piece. WHAT TO WEAR: Wearing LONG PANTS and being covered up helped me A LOT. When sliding down the mountains (because it's so steep) would had caused a lot of scratches and bruises on my back and legs. Wearing GRIP GLOVES helped me a lot on pulling myself up with rope and climbing. Without it, expect a lot of calluses. I wore vibrams because they work amazing in mud and rope climbing, but they did not help at all during my climb up and down the mountain because they have no GRIP or traction for the mountains. So, try to find some shoes that work well with that AND MUD. Bring extra clothes and a towel - there are COLD showers for you to rinse off and then change in a small enclosed room... so do that. WHAT TO EXPECT This race really tested me psychologically because of my fear of heights. I cried throughout most of this race, but I was very fortunate to have a good team AND have the support and help from fellow racers. Everyone was really supportive and helpful. I had so many guys and girls help me through the mountain and through many of the obstacles. This is true human kindness through tough times. So, you could always call for help. People are so helpful and it's motivating. AFTER PARTY They had a lot of vendors and it was awesome getting some free swag. There are cool photobooths and FREE BEER. But the only problem is that they run out of the GOOD beer as the day goes on. So be sure to get in line early. THANK YOU: Thank you those who helped me through my first Spartan. I know I have a lot of training to do if I decide to do another... but I'd probably stick to stadium ones because of the heights factor. SWAG: The medal and the shirt you get is pretty sweet... good quality. read more

Spartan has about 300 dollars of my money and will offer no refunds or even the opportunity to race again without paying about $100 more dollars. I missed a race because they never responded to my registration concerns. The worst customer service of my life. There is literally no one to call and even if you email, it will take a week for a response. Spartan won't be around much longer with the way they treat people. It will soon catch up to them. I will certainly do my part and word of mouth alone will cost them more than $300. read more

I ran my first and only spartan race last year... and NEVER again!! When I registered for an event last year... I messed up and entered twice (doesn't matter why... my error!!) As soon as I realized what I did, I contacted the organizers... no refunds For a fee I can transfer the entry to someone else, or (for a fee) I can use that entry at a later date. Ok... my mistake... I'll use it later! Race day comes... only one entry (and no credit under my name) It was an ordeal to get that second entry back As the races for this year (2019)didn't open until the fall, I was told to wait if I wanted to use the credit for this year (2019). There was no time line put onto this credit, so I assumed I had some time. Especially after the summer that I had (two major life events happened within months of each other). Come Dec, I get into an auto accident and realize, due to my injuries, I will not be ok to participate in the event that I wanted. So again, I contact the organizer to see if I can extend my entry. And yet again... for a fee But wait... there is no longer a credit to my name... again!! The organizer deemed ' the entry for 2019 doesn't open until the fall of 2018' as a deadline to use their (sorry MY) entry that I paid for. Yet again a lot of back and forth to regain my entry (remember there are NO credits) For the cost of these entries, and the training that goes into them, you would think the level of organization would be at par... but it isn't. I wish my story was unique ... again it isn't. I'm not saying 'don't enter into the spartan race', but I am saying be aware!! With how much this event costs... and if any goes wrong, how they have an added fee for EVERYTHING, maybe look at other obstacle races instead. I will never give any more of my hard earned money to this organization!! Thank you for taking the time to read my lengthy rant... feel free to share it!! Regards Kris Clarke read more

23 oz brew for your hard work and strong finish... here you go men, enjoy this or a water read more

Spartan Race - Races & Competitions Near Me

I'm a big fan of Spartan races and I look forward to competing whenever I can. I believe that it's a great way to push your limits and challenge yourself. Lots of cool people participate and you feel a sense of accomplishment afterwards. I'll be running again October 28th at Big bear read more

Probably one of the hardest races i've done in my life! Much harder than the Warrior Dash or the Gladiator Rock n Run. I placed first for women my age and 6th for women overall in the 2011 Malibu sprint so I am pretty fit and not over exaggerating. The race goes through the Malibu mountains and is primarily uphill with some steep downhill slopes. I think the hardest part is jumping in a freezing lake and actually having to swim, not very far, but still pretty f'ing cold. I highly recommend doing this, way more rewarding and entertaining than any type marathon. Be a badass and go for it! Tip- You need to wear pants that cover your knees or your legs are going to get all cut up from crawling on the ground. Also, don't wear tennis shoes you care about because your going to jump into a lake at the very beginning and get them all muddy. Bring a change of clothes and towel for after the race when you need to hose yourself off. read more

I'd like to comment not to be negative but to be constructive. I've done two races now and received such a feeling of accomplishment that can only be experienced not described. That being said: Things that could be improved (IMO): WATER STATIONS!! I did the sprint in Malibu and the Super in Temecula. There was one station in the sprint and 3 in the Super. Considering the amount of time it takes to navigate one mile of terrain here one station every two miles or more just seems in poor taste to me and dehydration was prevalent everywhere. Obstacle creativity just wasn't impressive. There was a redundant amount of walls to jump and many of the obstacles were just very small and not that challenging. The terrain was 100% the hardest part. At the end of the race when asking people what was the hardest obstacle for them everyone said the hills not the obstacles. Most people I talked to could do all of them accept the spear throw. No swag. Not gonna lie, I like the free stuff. Any other race loads themselves up with sponsors and vendors. Here you will get a bud light and half a banana. Everything else must be purchased from the "souvenir tent". They were giving out something at the 1st water station apparently but by the time the 12:30 heat got there they had run out. I'm guessing they knew how many people were running and it's pretty disappointing to see empty wrappers. Things that were great: The people! So many amazing people of all challenge levels are there supporting those around them. The vibe that everyone puts off is fantastic. You see some people dressing up and it looks great to see though I pity what they're about to put themselves through. The staff. These guys rocked! Smiling, pumped up, encouraged and encouraging they really make you feel good about the challenges you're facing. The terrain is fiercely beautiful while it's trying to kill you but you earn it. The trail was very well thought out and while your dying and questioning why the hell would I pay someone to do this, you look around and see very clearly why. I complained about the creativity of the obstacles but at no point will I ever think that bigger wouldn't be better for this race. I loved quite a few of the challenges I'd just like to see the ropes taller, traps wider, monkey bars longer, things to that affect. These I found fun but with out the run they would not be challenging. The overall race its self is something that everyone should do once in their life and good luck not wanting to do it again. I think they could improve some things (mainly water) but that's not enough to stop me from coming back as often as possible. There is a sense of accomplishment here that can not be understood, only experienced. read more

I got bamboozled into this race 3 weeks before, without even knowing what is was! The only physical activity I do is Brazilian jiu jitsu, so I didn't train for this at all. I finally looked at a video of it on YouTube and thought what the hell did i get myself into! I was nervous and excited at the same time. Race Morning: The morning of the race went very smooth. When we got to the parking area, the buses were already parked and ready to take us to the race site. After a 25 min drive, we arrived at the site and signed our waivers. The race grounds were festive and the energy was one of anticipation, excitement, and dread lol. The Race: Right from the beginning you will know this isn't a regular run. Straight up the side of a muddy mountain. That's when you know....shit bout to get real! Big walls, monkey bars, more mountain sides, weight carrying, rock climb obstacles, two leg tie bunny hop through mud, etc. The game changer for me was when we had to go through the ice cold neck high pond. OMG!!!! That water will make you panic and freeze up if you're not mentally prepared for it. There is nothing you can do to relieve the shock of it except get to the other side. Even when I got out of the water, my whole body was numb, shaking, and hurting at the same time. It took all of my strength and coordination for the remainder of the race. After the water, the race is really a miserable hell. I stayed cold for the rest of the race and my legs started cramping badly. The barbwire crawl is torture. Not only is it slippery, muddy, and uncomfortable, but your knees and elbows will get destroyed because of the jagged rocks and pebbles mixed in the mud. There's more water and walls, a spear throw and then you hear the music and crowd near the finish line and realize it's almost over. Once pass the finish line, I was glad that I did this race and finished it. You will be tested, but it will be worth it! I saw all types of people doing this race. In shape, out of shape, pros, everyday Jo's, and the cool thing was that a lot of strangers were helping each other through it. The spirit of spartan was in effect. This race is worth everyone doing once. I was spartan....for a day :) My little tips If it's in the cold: Don't wear cotton. wear gloves with good grips. Bring a change of dry clothes to change into after the race. Know that the water will be ungodly cold!!!!! It was fun as a team. read more

This was an awesome race. The obstacles were well planned - there wasn't a backup or line at any of them. The hotel suggested by the race website was nice and comfy and the race provided a discount code. Be prepared for hills if the course is at the same location next time. Also, be prepared for the coldest freakin water you've ever been in. I ran this on a relatively hot day but swimming across that little pond, literally took my breath away because it was so cold. That water was PAINFUL. Other than that, the race was awesome. Hopefully next year they'll have more water points (to drink, not swim through :) I'll be running this one again. read more

Horrible customer service. Their team is non-responsive. On multiple occasions, I had to send 3-5 emails before getting a response. Even their corporate/group sales department is bad. Would not recommend it. If you give them your money, you're SOL if anything goes wrong because they offer little to no support. read more

The barbwire crawl was not fun at all. To the people who decided to roll sideways... up a mountain no less... in mud... I commend you for your lack of judgement. I would have gladly taken the option to do 30 burpees and bypass this obstacle although I didn't see that option presented. Anyways, fun times, I will definitely do again! read more

The event was fun and challenging. I do think they have a much better set up than the Tough Mudder. Equally challenging but it seems that lines for obstacles are always much shorter for Spartan (Completed 3 tough mudders 1 spartan super and 1 beast). I love that they let you have the pictures taken during the race for free. The only reason for only 4 stars is that the web site is pretty horrible. It is one of the more confusing website set ups I have seen. The picture retrieval has been both a hit and a solid miss. Fix your website. It is bad, really bad. It is not bad as in not modern. It is bad because it seems you try too hard to fit a bunch of junk (yes junk) on the available window space. read more

To date, I have completed 2 Spartans: Malibu Sprint and The SoCal Super in Temecula. I have done a small number of other mud runs and obstacle races, and Spartan puts on by far the most challenging events I've tried. Both of these races involved steep muddy hills and difficult challenges. I come way bruised and battered, but with a real sense of accomplishment. Spartan Race is a work in progress, and they are committed, I think, to making improvements. It's a young sport, and companies that put on these types of events are still learning. Spartan got a recent boost with a sponsorship form Reebok, so I expect it's just going to get better and better. read more

In January, I bought 2 Spartan race tickets for my husband and I. This was going to be our first obstacle course race and we were very excited! Then COVID-19 hit, and started shutting things down in March. My race was supposed to be in July, and was then later cancelled. Soon after, I got laid off of my job. All of the events that I purchased for this year have automatically offered the option of either exchanging for different dates, or requesting a full refund, even though they typically have a "no returns/ no exceptions" policy. I contacted Spartan and explained my situation so that I could get a refund, with the full intention that I would buy a race either late next year, or the year after, when I felt safe enough to return! Despite my sincere explanation, all Spartan has told me is "NO". I have made numerous attempts to request this refund through facebook, and through email. All they do is send me a very short response, and the same link to very complicated instructions on how to change the date to a new date next year. The problem with that is I don't even know if that date will work! They only allow 90 days to choose a race, but 90 days from now would be the month of August which is much too far in advance to know if it works assuming the schedule for 2021 is even up by then! I have never been one to request refunds against a strict "no refund" policy, however given the circumstances, there should be some sort of leniency in the policy during a rare occasion, such as a pandemic! I am so disappointed how insensitive the company has been during a time of crisis. I, as the rest of the world, have been enduring a larger amount a stress than usual, emotionally and financially. All companies have seen that, and have been so kind a gracious towards their clients, all except Spartan. Due to their poor customer service, and lack of empathy, I will never recommend a Spartan Race to anybody! read more

Paid for 5 people to team at the Notre Dame race. They have cancelled the event but not give refunds for an event they cancelled. Another huge money making company sticking it to the individual. read more

Customer service is terrible, so i hope you have no issues because they're not interested in fixing them. It's email only so if you expect something fixed quickly, good luck. I changed the email on my account, apparently you can't do that, and none of my stuff works, such as the passes, store credit etc... I've been dealing with them all year trying to get it fixed and they just give me the run around. They tell me, "we contacted our team and it should be working now." I email back that it's not, and they literally say the same thing. "I contacted our team and they say it's working now." I literally sent them step by step screen shots of me doing what they suggested (use a desktop, clear my cache / history) and I get the exact same response. 2 weeks ago I tried again, and got the "director of global customer engagement" I haven't heard anything since. read more

If I could give less stars I would. I would love to review the race, but my race was cancelled, and I have been trying to get in contact with them for a refund ever since. There is virtually no customer service and I have waited weeks for a response and still received none. They have no phone number and a couple of hard to find email address and when you do they send you through a bunch of BS. I am seriously considering a breach of contract lawsuit because this s*** is getting old. Basically if anything goes wrong just assume you won't get any help at all. Worst company I have dealt with in quite a while. read more

I wish I could rate them lower. They have done a terrible job managing racers and lied to the everyone when they said they would refund their 2020 races. They are only offering partial credit for their store read more

December 2, 2012 was my first race ever. I not complaining about the time it took the buses to reach their destinations, although it was a little longer than anticipated.....because its on the participants to arrive earlier. I arrived 3 hours prior to my race. I like to get to events early because you never know what to expect. So my advice would be to simply get there 2 hours prior to race time. I didnt know what to expect but I freaking had such a good time! I am definitely hooked and already bumping myself up to the longer Super Spartan in April. Mind over matter works here. I had dislocated my right knee 4 days prior to this race, which I was anxiously preparing for so come race day, I was extremely nervous about my knee. The conditions were very slippery and way more muddy. Not ideal for an injury like mine. Pretty much rained all day. But even though it was cold, I acclimated quickly to the weather. I prevailed and loved every minute of it! I loved the atmosphere and the people were really friendly and they motivated you as you made your way through the difficult really thick, shoe stealing mud!!! I am a Spartan. Aroo!!!!! read more

I signed up for the HI race for 8/18. I signed up early as we have to book airfare/hotel. I paid $205 for 3 people and $185 for another. I was looking at website and noticed they dropped the entry fee to $150 (I'm assuming for low turnout). I asked for refund of difference and Spartan told me "NO" that their policies don't allow it. After some back and forth, I gave up. So in essence, don't book too early as they price will drop even though they advertise on their website "Only 20 spots left." It says that all the time. This will be my last race with them as they can't see the human aspect of their "Policies." read more

Very poor customer support. After I explained my issue they just kept repeating the same thing over to me, "it's our policy". What a weak excuse to say to just keep my money. After charging me extra to defer my race (within 4 hours of booking the original ticket) I wanted to change because of a scheduling mix up, and they said once you purchase it we can't do anything for you. So I pay another fee to defer the race only to get some of my original payment back and put toward the next race, instead of the full original amount. Total rip off. If you charge a deferral fee, I should get my full amount paid back. Not just a portion. read more

Haven't even done a race yet, but the 1-star rating is for the horrible customer service alone. I had to defer my race to another date. The amount of back and forth emails just to get nothing accomplished was pretty ridiculous. They already took my money for the deferment fee, but of course still have not resolved my deferment issue. There's no way to speak to a human being about it either. I'm pretty sure their deferment fee is a scam to generate revenue. It looks like other people are experiencing the same problem as me, from the reviews on here. Wish I didn't waste my money on this. read more