Spartan Sprint
June 1, Mount Seymour
The sprint-brainchild of a Royal Marine and seven ultra-athletes is a five-kilometre race with 15 obstacles that require “total athleticism and mental toughness.” Contestants run, jump, crawl, climb, slide, dodge, carry, throw, and think on their feet as they attempt to beat last year’s top time of 25:20.
Tough Mudder
June 22 & 23, Whistler
When Hector Manley, a double amputee, and his teammates finished the Miami version last year, they did more than overcome “the toughest event on the planet” with four-metre walls, mud crawls, monkey bars, dangling wires with 10,00 volts, a five-metre quarter pipe, and other mystery obstacles. They embodied the 16- to 20-kilometre race’s esprit de corps philosophy of helping fellow Mudders complete the course. (Registration closes June 17.)
Concrete Hero
Sept. 29, Strathcona Park
Raise awareness for the B.C. Cancer Foundation by trekking through 10 obstacles in this seven-kilometre urban challenge. Contestants of all levels are encouraged to face the best/worst of the city as they leap over parked cars (“Lions Gate Traffic Jam From Hell”), monkey bar across Lost Lagoon, and scale the metropolitan equivalent of the Chief.
