Page 100 - Muscle & Fitness (December 2019)

DEATH RACE 2.0

OURS INTO THE
2019 Spartan Death 1
Race, I’m waist-deep in
a frigid pond looking
for my backpack. Had I
waterproofed my food

and electrolyte supply,
my wet bag wouldn’t
H be a big deal. But I
forgot to do that, which made
refueling a challenge a day or so
into the race—and staying hydrat-
ed and energized is key to survival
when you’re dragging yourself
stomach-first across an open field
in 90-degree heat, doing exercises
while handcuffed to a stranger,
and hiking 30 miles while on a
scavenger hunt—all on no sleep. I
lasted 33 hours, six more than my
previous best—others finished at
around 68 hours. So why return
for Round 2 and why am I already
training for next year? Because I
buy into what DR co-founder Joe
De Sena claims: “The Death Race
isn’t a race—it’s a transformation.”

WTF IS THE SPARTAN
DEATH RACE?

Q The toughest adventure race—
period. De Sena hosts the annual
event in July on a 700-acre farm
in Pittsfield, VT. Racers don’t
know when the event starts or 2
ends, what tasks they’ll be doing,
or how many hours they’ll be
going nonstop without sleep. (It’s
usually between 40 and 70.)

THE RULES

Q Safety first. If the medic pulls
you, you’re done. Other info—
mandatory gear, skills, knots to
learn, etc.—is given via social
media and/or email. At the event,
what you pack is what you have
access to for the duration of the

race. During tasks, creative prob-
lem-solving and teamwork are
either rewarded...or can get you
into trouble for insubordination.

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