Spartan Trifecta Weekend Krynica Poland

The Spartan Trifecta Weekend took place in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland on Jaworzyna ski hill on July 29 and 30, 2017.

Course Description

To begin, Saturday’s Beast race started at 8:00 am with the Elite Heat. My Suunto watch recorded 23 kilometers with 1500 meters of both incline and decline. The Beast consisted of difficult terrain: never-ending hills, steep declines, and two creek runs that were well over two kilometers in length each. The round rocks in the water made it difficult to run at top speeds. The steep declines made me feel like I was going to fall face first into the ground! They set up the course layout on the ski hill efficiently which made spectators enjoy watching the obstacles they liked most!

Obstacles that are worthy to mention:

Bib Memorization Station: During the Beast race, one had to use the last two digits of their bib and memorize six random letters/numbers which would be asked at a later distance. On Sunday for the Super race, the Spartan team changed the memorization wall to a set of new numbers/letters. This time there were eight figures to memorize! Fantastic!
Barbed Wire Crawl: Compared to the North American races, this barbed wire was really close to the ground. As a result, was difficult to roll through it without getting cut, even when crawling there were some very low points.
Hercules Hoist: This obstacle appeared in each of the three races. Typically, sandbags are tied to the pulley system, and you must pull the rope until your bag touches the top of the bar. Once it touches the top, you then lower the bag down without dropping it. While trying different ropes each time, I found inconsistent weights.
Sled Drag: The sled drag consisted of two sandbags (for men) estimating 40 pounds each. This obstacle slowed me down because the drag was on a slope and we had to pull it uphill! The pain was real!
Sand Bag Carry: Each competitor was to take a sandbag and carry it uphill about 300 meters and back down 300 meters. This was a long carry which took about ten minutes. This was no joke because for each of the three races this distance did not change.
Multi-Rig: On Saturday, the Rig was set up as follows: horizontal bar to three rings to two ropes and the bell. On Sunday, the Spartan team made this a little more challenging having the horizontal bar with 5 ropes and the bell.

Spartan Races in Poland still amaze me as they get better and better for both athletes and spectators! For example, this year they introduced a billboard broadcasting the race live! It is a very good idea and spectators seemed to love this. The billboard was running throughout the entire day.

Awards and Teams

Next, when it comes to post-race awards, Poland has it spot on! There are prizes for all waves – Elite, Competitive, Open, Teams, and Kids!! The awards consisted of cash prizes, small trophies, vouchers, and even a Garmin watch. Multiple teams were participating in the Spartan Trifecta weekend. The big difference between the Spartan Races in America and Europe is the number of teams. I had a chance to interview a team member here: https://youtu.be/LJHtOEQfe6k.

Everyone this weekend was wearing a jersey representing their group. In America, half of the runners are shirtless! The results graph posted the athlete names, times, and country of origin. It was nice to see multiple countries taking part in this event. In addition, these races are OCRWC (Obstacle Course Racing: World Championships) qualifying races!

Sunday Super and Sprint

Then on Sunday morning, athletes prepared themselves for the Super race. The Super was a replica of the Beast without the flat-running sections. My Suunto recorded over 15 kilometers of difficult terrain and a comparable 1400 meters elevation ascent! In comparison to the Sprint race in the afternoon, the course was the same. The Sprint course boasted 8 kilometers of the hills and steep declines with a long creek run, and an outstanding 1100 meters ascent! These races were hardcore! I also had a chance to interview the well known podium finisher Peter Ziska here: https://youtu.be/ySonQYcqqvE and also some Spartan Polish fans here: https://youtu.be/X3oApPZmL60

Finisher Medal

As a result, I want to congratulate whomever participated in the Trifecta weekend because Poland did something special this year! Spartan Race Poland created a unique Polish Trifecta medal for those who completed the Sprint, Super, and Beast anywhere in Poland! These medals look unique and amazing. In conclusion, I wish other countries will also create a medal for their nations during the Spartan Trifecta weekend. Find your next European Spartan Race here.