Complete A Spartan Trifecta
Ticked off in October 2014
Sprint, Super and Beast in one year, for a medal that only comes together once you have finished all three.
The adventure
A Spartan Trifecta asks you to finish all three of the main Spartan distances within a calendar year: the 5 km Sprint, the 10 km Super and the 21 km Beast. Each one adds more distance, more climbing and more obstacles, from walls and cargo nets to the rope climb, the spear throw and heavy bucket carries up steep hills.
Doing all three over one weekend is the ultimate version. You might finish the Beast on Saturday with legs full of mud and scratches, then line up again on Sunday morning with every muscle aching. Every failed obstacle costs 30 burpees, so the spear throw becomes a nervous moment each time. Collecting the Trifecta medal at the end feels like the reward for a whole season of training, not just one race.
Why it’s epic
- The three races add up to about 36 km and around 75 obstacles.
- Spartan Race was founded in 2010 by Joe De Sena, with the first race held in Vermont.
- Some venues host all three distances over one weekend, so you can earn the Trifecta in two days.
- The Beast is half-marathon distance and usually has the most climbing of the three.
What it is
A Spartan Trifecta means finishing all three main Spartan obstacle race distances in one calendar year: the Sprint (5 km and 20 obstacles), the Super (10 km and 25 obstacles) and the Beast (21 km and 30 obstacles). Do all three and you earn the Trifecta medal.
How to do it
Pick a weekend where one venue hosts all three races, or spread them out across the season. Failed obstacles cost you 30 burpees.
Top tip
Practise burpees and grip strength. The rope climb, spear throw and monkey bars catch most people out.
Need to know
- All three races must be finished in the same calendar year to count.
- Train grip, carries and burpees as well as running, and add hill work for the Beast.
- Popular start waves at weekend venues fill early, so book once the race calendar is out.
Do it yourself
- HotelsBooking.com
- FlightsKiwi.com
- Adventure travel insuranceWorld NomadsWe receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using this link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
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My experience
I’ve now done the Trifecta four times:
- 2014: Sprint and Super at Pippingford on 30 and 31 August, then the Beast at Pippingford on 11 October.
- 2015: Sprint at Allianz Park in May, then the Super and Beast at Hastings in September.
- 2018: all three in one weekend at Windsor, 6 and 7 October.
- 2025: all three in one weekend at Santa Susanna, Spain, 18 and 19 October, after a Spartan Ultra in Liberec in August.
Over to you
Is “Complete A Spartan Trifecta” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.