While Spartan Races are popular throughout the country, the Flathead Valley’s annual event is special, offering impressive mountain scenery, intimate experiences with wildlife and a vibrant national park to visit after the race.
The Spartan Race is returning to the Flathead on May 4-6 at Flathead Lake Lodge. The “Beast” course will meander 12-14 miles through the landscape surrounding the lodge. While beautiful, Montana’s rugged environment and the Spartan obstacles combine for a fierce race.
The “Beast” course will contain over 30 obstacles, from carrying logs to traversing rope nets. The “Sprint” race is shorter, around 3 miles, but it still offers an intense Spartan experience. Children also have their own event, ranging from half-mile to two-mile courses.
The event challenges more than physicality, demanding racers to persevere through exhaustion and doubt. It’s also a social experience, as groups and families are encouraged, and it’s a fun spectator sport.
The festivities begin on Friday, May 4, with an open house from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the lodge and a farm-to-table dinner at 6 p.m. at the Flathead County Fairgrounds Trade Center with guest speakers, product giveaways and race raffles. The races are on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, including how to sign up or attend the event, visit www.spartan.com.
Nina Friedman is a sophomore at Glacier High School and the founder/editor of a new student-focused literary journal that will be published this month.