Photo Courtesy of Spartan Race
With the Spartan Race Boston Sprint over 2 months in the rearview, Saturday’s round 2 of the “unofficial” 2016 Carter and Stevens Farm series began with participants submerged in a 90 degree heat wave for the duration of the 8.1 mile Spartan Super. To our surprise the course took racers through previously unvisited parts of the property including a lap around the owner’s home and a 2 mile run through a spongy floored wooded trail. However, to no ones surprise, the elevation free terrain became an unrelenting fast paced footrace catering to speedsters from all walks of life. With the exception of the Barbed Wire Crawl before and after the Rolling Mud, single load obstacles were mere speedbumps where a double sandbag carry or other doubled obstacle could have made the elite heat more exciting and better suited as prep work for the impending Wintergreen, Breckenridge, and Killington races, not to mention the fast approaching 2016 World Championships in Squaw Valley.
Nevertheless this is the type of friendly track where you could feel comfortable inviting first time Spartans without fear of losing their friendship forever as opposed to the back breaking, hamstring pulling, and calf cramping races in the mountains of Sparta.
Photo Courtesy of Spartan Race
Shortly after 8:30pm the forecasted high winds and torrential downpour began and continued through the night. I was able to spend most of the evening with Spartan Staff and witnessed their commitment to our safety first hand. After a few short hours of rest, Course Manager Woody Peters and other staff walked the entire course assessing risks to participants associated with the monsoon-like conditions and making the repairs necessary to safely launch day 2 of the Boston Super Weekend. I remain impressed by these folks who truly take pride in the OCR product they represent and the brand that we thoroughly enjoy.
By 5am Sunday morning order was restored in Sparta and at 6am the flurry of activity at the registration tents made way for the flood of participants itching to put their training (or lack thereof) to the test. The course was re-groomed and an exact replica of the day before without a need for modification. The fact that handfuls of obstacles were clustered together left plenty of open field for runners and provided the much appreciated shady tree coverage for everyone.
Photo Courtesy of Nelson Runaway Diaz
Within a few minutes of the start of the elite race the slightly reduced heat and humidity ushered in yet another storm for the second time during a Spartan Boston race this year. This has become a predictable storm appearing on race day Sundays and is rather welcomed by New Englanders. This Nor’Easter engulfed the podium again…as in another Team Nor’Easter OCR male podium sweep and beyond with Miles Bartlett 1st, Joshua Fiore 2nd, Michael Miraglia 3rd, Kiaran McCormack 4th, and Shane Leighton in 5th while Kelly Sullivan finished 1st place for the Elite women. Not sure how many 1st place Team results these folks have captured but they are a straight 4 for 4 on home turf this year alone. In a few short weeks they’ll know just how well they stack up against the more recognizable names in the sport during the October 1st Spartan World Championship. 
Photo Courtesy of Nor’Easter OCR
Rapcouragement:
Most Spartans are average couch to mountain top folks
Living life from the canvas, backs burned from the ropes
Though many stand outside the ring watching for you to get choked
You prevail when you pave your path with hard work and hope
So Hope On Spartans!!
God Bless & Keep Running…
[spartanracerate]
Nelson "Runaway" Diaz
Latest posts by Nelson "Runaway" Diaz (see all)
- 2017 Spartan Race Killington Beast: Out Of Sight But Within Reach! - October 1, 2017
- 2017 Spartan Palmerton Super – Adversity Rehab - August 17, 2017
- Spartan Race: 2017 Citi Field Stadium Sprint…Swimsuits Required - May 27, 2017
