Sparta Greece Trifecta Championship 11/4/24

Dec 8, 202413 min read

Updated: Feb 8

Summary

Each year, Sparta hosts the Trifecta Championship, a unique race format that draws competitors from over 62 countries. This may seem like a long way to go for a race, but with next year’s championship in West Virginia, this SitRep documents this year’s race with the intention of at least getting you to consider traveling to this location in 2026 when it is expected to return to Sparta, the cultural home of the Spartan ethos. This year’s race drew over 3,000 competitors, with the majority running all three races. About 50 racers earned their Spartan shield, but it was mandatory to run all three races to be eligible and have at least 12 Trifectas entering the races.

Sparta

The historical significance of Greece and Greek civilization needs no introduction. Greece is the birthplace of philosophy, democracy, critical thinking, theatre, and souvlaki (Mediterranean Dish, 2024). It was also one of the turning points in WWII. In 1942, inhabitants of the Greek island Crete formed a legendary resistance that preoccupied Nazi forces and forced them to divert additional and precious resources. Fighting with farm implements and using guerrilla warfare tactics that weaponized the rugged terrain, they held off the German troops and paid a heavy cost. But this fighting provided cover to relay important military intelligence to the Allies and change the course of the war (Cretan Resistance, 2024). The author of Born to Run, Christopher McDougall, wrote an excellent book on this conflict titled Natural Born Heroes: Mastering the Lost Skills of Strength and Endurance (McDougall, 2016).

In antiquity, Sparta and Athens were rival city-states during the Greco-Persian Wars. Ironically, you now must fly into Athens to get to Sparta.Modern Sparta is located four hours inland on the Aegean peninsula, surrounded by farming communities. After driving hours through a sometimes desolate landscape from the airport in Athens, I was honestly surprised at how much was in the small town of Sparta when I arrived. The town has a variety of three-star hotels (as opposed to the zero-star hotels I usually stay in) and many good and inexpensive restaurants and cafes. The town has transformed itself into a day destination for tourists, leveraging its historical significance. The statue of Leonidas and his burial site, as well as a museum, form the backbone of the town’s highlight of Spartan culture. There are no fast-food restaurants, chain stores, or much advertising in Sparta other than a local corner newsstand. During the championship, the entire town is taken over by Spartan racers, turning it into a quasi-Olympic village. I found the locals to be friendly and fully aware of the influx of OCR athletes. Several I spoke with were disappointed we will not be back in 2025. Rumors were swirling about why the races will be on hiatus until 2026; the most reliable I heard comes down to money and local politics. It appears that Spartan wants a better negotiation position for a more favorable contract with the local municipality, and the city has some heavy-duty construction that may interfere with next year’s race.

Logistics

I opted to use the preferred travel partner, Nirvana Europe (Nirvana, 2024), who handled all logistics other than my airfare (Nirvana, 2024). Nirvana picked me up at the airport, drove me to Sparta via minibus, booked me into a hotel at the start/finish line, and then drove me back to the airport after the race. They provided a discount at the merch tent, two coupons for a sports massage (which helped after the Super), and general logistical support. I thought the price was reasonable, but I also talked to several veteran Greek racers who traveled together, rented a car, and shared a hotel with no issues. Athens’s airport is not large, and customs waved us through without any customs cross-examination. I had taken precautions to pack protein powder, creatine, protein bars, nutrition, and Liquid IV in their original packages to avoid a hassle, but it was unnecessary. However, I advise racers to bring their race supplies since Sparta has no sporting goods store or a place to buy forgotten race gear or last-minute supplies. I have a checklist for my race gear and supplies, and it came in handy.

Staying in a hotel downtown was convenient; I walked to the starting line before heats, walked back to the hotel after racing, and had easy access to the nightly race briefing and awards ceremony. Plus, my hotel had a great breakfast each morning, which was a chance to meet other competitors and share tips. However, I know several athletes who stayed about 2 miles from the town center to save money; they used a shuttle bus provided by Spartan and had no issues. But, if possible, I recommend staying downtown to get the full experience.

Race Format

The races are set up differently from any Spartan Race I have participated in. On Friday, we had an afternoon Sprint; Saturday was a morning Super, and Sunday was a morning Beast with a strict 8-hour cutoff. Each race was 2-3 miles longer than their traditional length. For competitive racers, there were age group podiums for each race and an age group award for the combined lowest times for all three distances and overall champion. This was done in both female and male categories, and the format encouraged competitors to go out hard in each race. The challenge was that each race was incrementally harder, making it a test of accumulated fitness over three days in progressively longer events (Athletes Guide, 2024).

Festival Area/Race Headquarters

There was no festival area with vendors. Instead, the entire town square was the center of activity for all four days. A large stage was set up with giant LCD projection and a sound system blasting music, surrounded by Spartan operations tents. Thursday was mandatory packet pickup for all three races; you got three headbands and one timing chip that was used for all three races and handed in at the end of the third race. I put mine in the lockable hotel room safe with my passport. Spartan operations tents included the multi-trifecta medals tent, as well as the lifetime trifecta awards tent and a large merch tent. Each night at 6:30, there was a race meeting where we went over the upcoming course and reviewed rules, and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, we had awards presentations. The first and last night were extraordinary.

On Thursday evening, we gathered in the town square; the Spartan announcer and race director reviewed the Sprint Course and race rules and introduced the team captains for the 62 nations represented at the event. Each team captain was called out individually, carrying their country’s flag, and marched through Sparta to the statue of Leonidas. The USA team had the largest contingent, over 200 racers, and was led by co-team captains Cole DeRosa and Kevin Gillotti, both age group champions in the 50-55 age group. If you don’t know Cole, you should. He is a retired Army Colonel who has dominated his age group for the last several years, won this year’s Trifecta Age Group Championship, and podiums regularly throughout the year. More importantly, Cole is genuinely supportive and encouraging to everyone he meets, and he coordinated our team’s Facebook page and WhatsApp stream (Cole DeRosa, 2024).

The Parade of Nations was the highlight of the first night; all 62 national teams were announced and marched to the Leonidas statue. In a contentious election cycle, there was no mention of politics as we marched through the streets of Sparta, proudly waving the American flag and chanting USA together as one team.

On Friday and Saturday, there was a race briefing and an awards ceremony. On Sunday, the awards ceremony crowned the overall champions and all-age group champs for the Beast and the age group champions for the accumulated event. Additionally, on Sunday, a shield was officially awarded to everyone with 13 plus 2024 Trifectas; a ceremony for the para-athlete champions, recognition for 2024 and Lifetime Trifecta leaders, and an on-stage presentation that highlighted the oldest athletes in the competition. Throughout the weekend, the town square was a place where we met after the race, got intel on the next day, and celebrated the race results. It was a full hype model operation with blasting techno music and lighting that was fun and provided important information.

The Courses

The sprint was 5 miles, the Super was close to 8, and the Beast was 17.78 without penalty loops or obstacles counted. The course setup for the first three and last 2 miles was the same for all events, with a large loop for the Super added and a larger loop for the Beast. Racers who did not attend the pre-race briefing were taken by surprise, but the rest of us knew this going in and were mentally prepared, and we needed to be. The course difficulty reminded me of mileage itself, which reminded me of Utah without the extreme elevation change. There was virtually no tree cover for all three races, and the Beast was especially sunbaked. Olive tree orchards dotted the beginning and final sections, but they offered little cover. Sparta is an old land that was formed when the African tectonic plate was subducted beneath the Eurasian and Aegean plates (TechnoPhysics, 2013). This tectonic plate activity was accompanied by heavy volcanic activity, creating the limestone and marble that dominated the landscape. The Aegean peninsula is still home to active volcanoes and earthquakes. During the race weekend, a 4.4 magnitude earthquake occurred in northern Greece (Greece Earthquakes, 2024). The entire Aegean peninsula and associated islands are exemplified by an arid climate and rocky, sandy ground cover that makes farming difficult and accounts for Greece’s relatively sparse population. How the olive tree thrives in this climate is remarkable, and when we were running through the olive orchards, it was not lost on me how tough this vegetation is.

Part of all three courses was supposed to take us through a river, but due to virtually no rain since May, the riverbed was bone dry and filled with countless loose rocks and eroded boulders, as well as plant reeds that were tricky to navigate. Though there were no tree roots, the rocks and terrain were technical, and you had to pay attention to avoid tripping and falling. The middle part of the Beast took us up three major inclines using switchbacks that brought us up to a ridge that had little footing on both sides, and it was pretty freakin' epic. You could not see any civilization for miles and felt like you were running on Mars for periods. But what I will always remember is the final section, where we ran through the historic part of Sparta that housed archaeological ruins just before running into town and finishing the last section on the streets of Sparta. Though running on streets is common in many European races, it is uncommon in the US.

Obstacles

One of the reasons I ran a race in the UK earlier in the season was to get used to the obstacles in the European series, which are much different. This recon informed my training leading up to the race and gave me a level of confidence when I encountered these differences in this race. Herc Hoist, Inverted Wall, 8 Foot Walls, Balance Beam (Slack Line), Slip Wall, and Multi-Rig, Bender just felt constructed differently and required a specific technique, at least for me. I am usually able to get a leg up initially on Inverted Walls, but it seemed higher when I ran in the UK. So, leading up to this race, I practiced jumping up to a higher pull-up bar and practicing a chest-to-bar pull-up. These little things made it possible to conserve energy for the rest of the race, though this may not be an issue at all for many OCR Kings subscribers based on their fitness level. My mindset is to think of each endurance race as using matches; I don’t want to waste matches and keep at least one in reserve. So, anytime I can be more efficient, it gives me a better chance.

Although all the races shared parts of the course, they swapped out obstacles each day. For example, on the Sprint, there was a bucket carry in the last 2 kilometers that turned into a chain carry during the Beast. This way, running three races meant it was not just an extended course each day but a different obstacle setup. All races had penalty loops that included carries of some form or another. But for most of us doing all three races, the Beast course had the most memorable obstacles. First, a 30 lb. log carry over a full kilometer up a hill and back down through a ravine. About 2 kilometers later, we then had a 70 lb. marble brick carry through hilly terrain that was cumbersome and awkward to carry. It took me a while to figure out that a front-loaded carry was easier than a shoulder carry, and it brought back memories of 2019 when we were not allowed to shoulder the bucket carry. They also made an effort to Beast-Up several obstacles, including Slip Wall (shorter ropes) and Multi-Rig (made it higher). I should also mention that the Atlas Ball was at least 120 lbs. for all races, clearly heavier than the US standard, and it came right before Spear Throw.

Spear Throw …. The buzz at the pre-race meeting was all about the Spear Throw. The announcement was made that a missed spear throw was a mandatory 30 burpees for all divisions, with cameras set up to monitor completion. Good times are back, my friends! They even did an over-the-top tutorial on what a completed burpee looks like to add to the growing concern in the crowd that had gotten used to penalty loops. Got your attention yet? Good, because the Beast had two spear throws, one at the top of one of the last climbs where it turned out to be windy when I rolled in. For those keeping score at home, this meant there were a total of 4 spear throws over three days. But don’t fear the reaper (Blue Oyster Cult, 1976) because Shank’s Gym has had mandatory spear throw practice on Saturdays leading up to the event. I had two rules when I came up on Spear Throw. Rule one – Breathe and bring down your heart rate. Rule two – Don’t look at the people doing burpees.

So, we all knew the deal after the race debrief. The referees were strict, and there were going to be consequences. So, I said hello to each referee coming into the obstacle to make sure they were watching me, and I confirmed completion before I left. This was more than being friendly. All the volunteers spoke Greek, and I honestly couldn’t tell if people were encouraging me or yelling at me, so I made sure all the accounting was verified before leaving the area. The race briefing added to this concern since they threatened DQ with all age group racers not meeting the standard.

The final city section for all the races was Herc Hoist, A-Frame, 8 Ft. Wall, Slip Wall (with water sprinklers on top), and Multi-Rig. The penalty for Multi-Rig was carrying a 30 lb. weight under a wall four times (back and forth), which was easier than it sounds. After that, it was a short sprint to the finish to get your medal; on the last day, we earned a Trifecta Medal as well. Multi-trifecta medals were given out at the town square.

Hydration and Course Nutrition

It is now confirmed that stupidity is a challenge worldwide. Leg cramping was prevalent on the Beast course due to the lack of tree cover, sandy terrain, sunny skies, and zero clouds, but largely caused by a lack of preparation. I saw several racers on the Beast vomiting, which is a serious hydration symptom. I talked to several Open racers who severely underestimated the amount of water that had to be consumed during the Beast, which only had 4 (it could have been 6) water and nutrition stations, which didn’t seem like enough. I ran with a water bottle with extra packs of electrolytes and hydration tabs and had no issues. I made sure I came into each water station with an empty water bottle, so I would not forget to fill it up. With no river on the course, there was no dunk wall, and we never had time to cool off, making things worse for some and bringing the 8-hour cutoff into play. If you got sick or hurt, there was no way you were going to stagger in and complete the race because at 6:30, it was dark, and the course closed. DQs were due to outright injury and injured runners who couldn’t pull it together to make the cutoff in the Beast. This was not an issue with the Sprint and Super.

The water stops all had food, and it was served buffet style. Figs, homemade small cakes, ON Nutrition protein bars, and bananas. Wow. I brought my own Honey Stinger Waffles, which I think take less energy to chew, so I knew what to expect from the gastrointestinal perspective. I am glad I did. This was not a race to experiment with different foods, but you got to love these European races; they don’t have a utilitarian approach when it comes to eating.

Fellow Racers and OCR Kings Subscriber

I met over 50 fellow racers at the event whom I had met at races earlier in the season. The entire Team USA was a tight-knit group. It was also fun introducing myself to international racers who spoke limited English, but we were still able to connect and wish each other luck. My favorite might have been a guy who said he was from Austria but spoke no English. When I said, “Arnold?” he said, “Ya.” When I said, “If it Bleeds, We Can Kill It,” he laughed and said, “Get to the Choppa!” The language of knuckleheads knows no language or borders.

More importantly, I ran into my good friend, fellow OCR King subscriber, and overall good guy Dustin Bieber, who crushed his 2024 season goal. I saw Dustin at several races this year, and he had a great season, earning his shield. Congrats, Dustin, on your hard work and perseverance. Respect.

Summary

We all have to decide what we want out of our race calendar. Hats off to everyone who finished their first Sprint, their Trifecta, their local 5k, or their latest marathon. The World Trifecta Championship race has been a personal goal of mine since last November, and I trained and saved money to make sure I had a puncher’s chance to succeed. From my perspective, it is the ultimate Spartan event from the team approach, the level of international competition, the race format, and the overall experience. Travel makes it more expensive, but booking early can save money. It is not an easy venue to get to; however, starting in 2025, American Airlines will start flying directly from Charlotte to Athens, making the connection domestic and easier. Next year, with the championship in West Virginia, the opportunity to experience this race weekend may give you the urge to travel to Greece in 2026, when it is rumored to return. Whatever you decide to do, best of luck with your 2025 goals, and wherever and whenever you see me on the course, remind me to “Get to the Choppa.”