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SPORTS
MAY 14, 2014 | 65

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hen Spartan Race found-
er Joe DeSena began con-
templating a destination
for the 2014 “Founder’s
Race,” a coveted tag assigned annually to
one event in his popular series of brutal

obstacle-course races, Montana was not
the immediate irst choice.
Then last year DeSena watched as
thousands of Montana runners braved
a battleield of barbed wire, mud trench-
es, water obstacles, lying projectiles, a
gladiator pit, climbing obstacles, and a

ire pit, and realized that Montanans are
a brawny bunch.
It doesn’t hurt that the 6,000 par-
ticipants in the May 10 event in Bigfork
are treated to striking views of Flat-
head Lake and the Rocky Mountains –
but only after they complete a grueling,
quad-zapping, two-mile climb to the

high point of the Spartan Race course,
which DeSena says is “hands down” the
most challenging Spartan Sprint course
he’s ever designed.
The Beacon caught up with DeSena
last week while he and his team assem-
bled the course near Bigfork.

BEACON: How did you select Montana Racers make their
as the Founder’s Race?
featured in the Spartan Race series?
your own resume of endur-
way over a cargo net SEE MORE PHOTOS AT
JOE DESENA: Montana called us. And D: I want to say they just come to me ance races? How many have
overlooking Flathead
FLATHEADBEACON.COM
we were excited. We had some initial in the middle of the night. But it is re- you competed in?
Lake.
concerns given that Montana is not the ally the team. They are very methodi- D: I mostly did long-distance
live it and breathe it. Every-
GREG LINDSTROM FLATHEAD BEACON
biggest population in the country, but cal, they have military backgrounds and adventure races that were
one at the company really
it turned out that when we got here last they dream up these crazy things. My 350 miles in distance and took some- believes in this mission. And the mis-

year the terrain was rugged, the people team members are all Spartans in spirit.
where between seven and 10 days and sion is powerful – to get these people
were rugged and it really had a Founder’s really just took you out of your comfort of the couch and get them healthy. It’s
Race in its DNA. So here we are, and the B: How does the Spartan Race difer zone. All you wanted was water, food and not a typical business meant to make us
team is working through Biblical weather from the Death Race, and does it attract shelter. When you have all the stresses money and revenue. With that being the
to set up the course, enduring everything a diferent brand of participant?
of modern day life that is a really com- roots, it really resonates with people.
from hail to rain to snow to sun. We were D: Very athletic, healthy-minded indi- fortable experience, to strip your needs
waiting for the seas to part. It certainly viduals tend to gravitate toward Spartan down to those essentials.
B: Your book “Spartan Up!” will be re-
has the makings of a Founder’s Race.
Races, but they’re more accessible. The leased May 15. What can readers expect?

whole motivation for creating this was B: What can participants expect from D: People can ind the book at Spar-
B: In what way does the rugged terrain of about changing lives. You can’t just sell the Spartan Sprint in Bigfork?
tanupthebook.com. Basically it is a book
western Montana distinguish the Spar- people a gym membership. That doesn’t D: Fifty-ive-hundred lives are going to I have been writing for 30 years. It’s
tan Sprint in Bigfork from other Spartan change lives. You need to put their backs change. People are going to hate me but about how to change your life, get a lit-
races?
against the walls, give them a deadline when they inish they are going to feel an tle bit more gritty, and help yourself get
D: This is the toughest sprint course we and something to strive for, and when enormous accomplishment and that is through these challenging times. I think
have globally, hands down. Between the they do that with friends everything just the beginning.
we have gotten too soft, not only as a so-

elevation, the cold, the water. It’s rugged changes. I think our customers also ciety and a culture but also as a species.
and the views are spectacular.
know that it is a lot of fun.
B: Endurance runs and ultra-running, There are a lot of people that want some-
once considered a fringe sport, have thing diferent in life, and this book is a
B: How do you conjure up the obstacles
B: Can you share some highlights from
gained popularity in recent years. Does manual for the Spartan way of life.
the Spartan Race series cater to a wider
ield of participants than, say, Badwater B: Did you make any drastic changes in
or other notorious ultras?
your life when you began competing in
The roots of the Spartan Race stem endurance events or have you always
D:
from all of those events but it is just embodied the Spartan mission?
more accessible. As badass as the Spar- D: I have always been a nutcase. I had
tan Race is, a 4-year-old can get of the heard of an Iron Man but I thought that I
couch and complete the course, and so would never do something like that. I’ve
can an 85-year-old.
always felt the appeal of getting out in
nature and carrying things and crawling
B: What is it about the and getting back to those most primal

Spartan Race that has issues like water, food and shelter, and Spartan
generated such strong it really felt good. When we have unfet- Race founder
appeal, with each event tered access to these basic elements, we Joe DeSena
drawing thousands of want all these creature comforts, but in at the 2014
runners?
society, and in America especially, the Montana
D: The name is power- pendulum has swung too far the oth- Spartan
ful. It’s been around er way. We have such an abundance of Sprint.
for a long time and it is those comforts that I think it has actu-
GREG LINDSTROM FLATHEAD BEACON
authentic and conveys ally become a negative.
strength. We actually
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