How to Train for a Spartan Race: Distances, Obstacles, and an 8-Week Plan
Photo: Dan Fahey, Gritty Soldier
A Spartan Race is a trail run with a strength test hidden every few hundred meters. You climb walls, crawl under barbed wire, haul heavy things up hills, and hang from rigs while your forearms scream. Fail an obstacle and you pay with 30 burpees before you can move on. Training for one is hybrid training in its purest form: you need an engine, a grip, and the strength to carry awkward loads over bad terrain.
Spartan Race Distances
| Race | Distance | Obstacles |
|---|---|---|
| Sprint | 5K (about 3.1 miles) | 20 |
| Super | 10K (about 6.2 miles) | 25 |
| Beast | 21K (just over 13 miles) | 30 |
| Ultra | 50K (just over 31 miles) | 60 |
Finish a Sprint, Super, and Beast in the same calendar year and you earn the Trifecta. Most people start with a Sprint, and that is what the plan below targets. If you can finish a Sprint strong, you have the base to build toward a Super.
Prefer racing indoors on a fixed course? Spartan also runs DEKA. Our guide to DEKA Fit explains how it works.
The Obstacles That Cost People Burpees
Courses change from venue to venue, but a few types of obstacles show up again and again, and they are where most penalty burpees come from.
- Hanging and grip obstacles. Monkey bars, rings, and multi-rigs. If your grip fails, you fall, and you do 30 burpees. This is the number one obstacle category to train for.
- Rope climb. Climbing a rope to ring a bell. Technique (using your feet to lock the rope) matters more than raw pulling strength.
- Hoist. Pulling a heavy weight up with a rope and pulley, then lowering it under control. Grip and back endurance.
- Heavy carries. Hauling sandbags and other awkward loads up and down hills. These are not usually burpee obstacles, but they are where races are won and lost on time.
- Barbed wire crawl. Low crawling or rolling under wire, often through mud. It is more about work capacity than skill.
- Walls. Climbing over walls of different heights. Explosive pulling and a good hip-to-wall technique get you over.
What to Train for a Spartan Race
1. Run on Real Terrain
Running is still most of the race. Spend at least one run a week on trails or hills, because a flat road 5K does not prepare your ankles, quads, or lungs for a muddy hillside. Run on tired legs too: finish strength sessions with a short run.
2. Build a Grip That Lasts
Dead hangs, towel hangs, hanging knee raises, and farmers carries, twice a week. Work up to a 60 second dead hang and practice moving on the bar, not just holding still. Our grip strength guide and dead hang progression cover the details.
3. Pull-Ups and Climbing Strength
Walls, ropes, and rigs all come down to pulling your bodyweight. Aim for at least 5 to 8 strict pull-ups before your first race. If you are not there yet, build them with band-assisted reps and negatives.
4. Carry Heavy, Awkward Things
Train sandbag carries in the bear hug and on the shoulder, ideally on a hill. A sandbag is the closest thing to what you will haul on course because it shifts, it has no good handles, and it fights you on every step.
5. Get Good at Burpees
You will probably fail something in your first race. Practice sets of 30 burpees so that a penalty is a speed bump, not a disaster.
The Skirmish Training Sandbag
Adjustable from 20 to 40 lb for hill carries, shoulder carries, and cleans. 1000D Cordura, made in the USA, $89.
Shop the SkirmishAn 8-Week Spartan Sprint Training Plan
Four sessions per week. This assumes you can already jog 2 to 3 miles. If you cannot, spend 3 to 4 weeks building an easy running habit first.
Weekly Template
- Day 1, Strength and Grip: Pull-ups 5 sets, sandbag bear hug squats 4 x 8, dead hangs 3 x max, farmers carries 4 x 40 meters.
- Day 2, Run: Easy run on trails or hills, 3 miles building to 5 miles by week 6.
- Day 3, Obstacle Circuit: 4 to 6 rounds of a 400 meter run, 10 burpees, 30 second hang, 40 meter sandbag carry. Move steadily, not all out.
- Day 4, Intervals: Hill repeats, 6 to 10 x 60 to 90 seconds hard uphill, walk down.
Progression
- Weeks 1 to 2: Learn the movements. Keep runs easy and circuits to 4 rounds.
- Weeks 3 to 5: Add a round to the circuit, add distance to the long run, and add a weighted vest to one easy hike or walk.
- Weeks 6 to 7: Do one race simulation: 5K on trail with a strength station every half mile (burpees, carries, hangs, crawls).
- Week 8: Cut volume in half. Two short sessions, then rest two days before race day.
Hybrid Weight Vest MK2
20 lb that stays locked in on hills, burpees, and pull-ups. Built for hybrid athletes, made in the USA, from $199.99.
Shop the Hybrid Vest MK2Race Day Tips
- Wear shoes with real grip. Trail shoes with aggressive lugs handle mud far better than road shoes.
- Skip cotton. It soaks up water and mud and gets heavy fast. Fitted, quick-drying clothes are best.
- Pace the first mile. The start is crowded and adrenaline is high. Settle in, then pick people off.
- Dry your hands before grip obstacles. Wipe them on your shirt or rub them in dry dirt if allowed. Wet hands lose rigs.
- Do your burpees honestly. Athletes count their own penalty burpees. Do the full 30.
Spartan Race FAQ
How long is a Spartan Sprint?
A Spartan Sprint is a 5K, about 3.1 miles, with 20 obstacles.
What happens if you fail an obstacle in a Spartan Race?
You complete 30 burpees in the obstacle's penalty area before continuing.
What is a Spartan Trifecta?
Finishing a Sprint, a Super, and a Beast in the same calendar year.
How long should I train for my first Spartan Race?
Eight weeks is enough for a Sprint if you can already jog 2 to 3 miles. Give yourself 12 weeks or more for a Super or Beast, or if you are starting from scratch.
Do I need to be able to do pull-ups?
It helps a lot. Walls, rope climbs, and hanging obstacles all reward pulling strength. Aim for 5 to 8 strict pull-ups before your first race.
Sources: Spartan, Race Types; Spartan Race FAQ. Battle Bunker is not affiliated with Spartan Race.
