| Distance raced: Super 10K & Sprint 5K | Distances available: Super 10K & Sprint 5K | Overall impression: A lot of fun! |
Spartan Race Chiang Mai 2022- Quick overview
This was the first time that the Spartan Race Thailand came to Chiang Mai. The event took place at Huay Tueng Tao Lake over a weekend, with a Super 10K event on Saturday, and a Sprint 5K event on Sunday. I decided to go all out and try both races on consecutive days. It turned out to be more challenging than anticipated, but a lot of fun too! That being said, there is some room for improvement in terms of organization. Nonetheless, I will be keeping an eye out for more Spartan events in the area!
Check out the video:
The Organization
Spartan Race is a big organization, and there it is clear that there is a system in place. The setup of the registration was smooth and well organized. I liked the fact that it was possible to register on the day for the Spartan Race in Chiang Mai.
Race pack collection and start
The race pack collection was very fast and efficient, and possible on the day of the race. This is really a big plus, as many trail races require you to pick up the BIB the day before. But Spartan uses dynamic BIB numbers, which are assigned at the time of registration.
There was not really a “Race Village” to speak of, with only very limited shops selling gear and apparel. This is probably because Spartan Race is a brand and they have their own gear, so they may want to limit other brands competing on spot.
The start of the races was in waves, which turns out to be crucial in order to avoid traffic jams at the obstacles. Moreover, there are also different leagues: Open, Age Group, and Elite. The Open Group is not eligible for any rankings, and you can do basically as you like. Age group participants compete for a place on the podium, while the elite can win prize money. For the two latter leagues, there is stricter enforcement of the rules.
Staff and support
There was plenty of staff at the registration, as well as throughout the race. However, I had the feeling that many of them were not sure what their mission was (especially along the course). The staff’s job is to explain how to pass the obstacles and keep an eye on whether participants successfully pass them. Most of the time they were just standing around though. This could be because I participated in the Open category, of course, but I heard similar comments from people in the Age Groups.
I think there were enough water stations along the route, but I took an extra flask with electrolytes just to be sure. The main area for improvement for the Spartan Race in Chiang Mai would be in the services surrounding the event, the bag drop-off in particular. Check the Recommendations section at the bottom of this article for more information on that.
The Route of the Spartan Race Chiang Mai
The Spartan Race in Chiang Mai had 2 events: the Super 10K on Saturday, and the Sprint 5K on Sunday. I initially signed up for the Sprint before the pandemic, but then it got postponed. By the time the event took place, I felt I needed a bigger challenge, so I tried to upgrade to the 10K. Unfortunately, that was not possible, and so I decided to try out both.
Spartan Super 10K
I was in the first wave of the Open category, which meant that there were not too many people in front of me. This meant that I didn’t have to wait for any obstacles, which was great. But it also meant that I couldn’t really observe the best way to tackle them. This turned out to be a bit of a disadvantage as it was my first ever Spartan race, and some of the obstacles were quite daunting. I did watch some YouTube videos on technique, but it turns out that the real thing is quite different from watching videos.
Some obstacles were relatively easy, like the hurdles, while others were very difficult, like the twister or stairway to Sparta. Another thing that I was not really prepared for was the fact that the obstacles are grouped together. For some reason, I thought that the obstacles would be evenly spread over the course. In reality, there was a group of obstacles at the beginning, then a good amount of trail running, followed by another group of (difficult) obstacles.
A Spartan race really exposes your weakness, and for me, it was my grip strength. Most obstacles went relatively well, and the running went very well. But after a while,e my forearms and grip just were blown. This resulted of course in penalties of 30 burpees at each failed obstacle. I failed 5 obstacles, you can do the math! Overall it was a great experience with fun obstacles mixed with some fun trail running.
Spartan Sprint 5K
The Spartan Sprint 5K was very similar to the Super 10K. The difference was that some of the most difficult obstacles were missing, and the running part was shorter and easier. Since I only later decided to use my deferral code for the Sprint, I was in one of the later Open waves, and this turned out to be a bit of a pain. Even though each heat leaves with a 15-minute delay, I almost immediately found bottlenecks at some of the obstacles. I have much respect for anyone who takes on a Spartan race, and I understand that for many people see it as an opportunity to create content for their social media. But if this is not you, I would strongly recommend entering the Age Group waves.
While the staff was not super strict during the Super 10K, during the Sprint 5K it seemed the rules were not enforced at all. No stress, but if you aren’t going to enforce them, why even have rules? Despite the course being a lot more crowded, I felt that I was able to move faster over the course. Having done the obstacles the day before definitely helped a lot. Even a Sprint 5K shouldn’t be underestimated though, because the intensity of the obstacles is all packed together in a much shorter distance. I’m still in the middle about which distance I enjoyed the most, but what I do know is that I now want to try a Spartan Beast, which is 21 kilometers!
Atmosphere and Surroundings
The location was great. Huay Tueng Tao Reservoir makes for a scenic location, with some nice views during the trail part of the Super. The atmosphere also was top-notch, with plenty of branding and music placed around the area. Spartans also turn out to be loyal and dedicated to the brand, so everyone was out there looking their best!
The Spartan Race in Chiang Mai definitely was an “experience”. I am sure that most Spartan events are similar, with loud music and lots of “aroos”. It may not be for everyone, but I liked the overall vibe and feeling.
Recommendations:
As you probably could guess from the above, I liked the event. But as it was the first time the Spartan Race came to Chiang Mai, there is some room for improvement:
- Briefing of the staff and enforcement of the rules. There really is no point in having rules when there is no enforcement. It is understandable that for the Open waves there is more leniency, but even during the Age Groups, this was an issue.
- Practical arrangements and planning. Not all was bad, like for example the registration process. But the bag drop is one thing that absolutely needs to be better. You could leave your bag at the registration tent, and it would/should then be brought to the finish area. Unfortunately, not all bags made it to the finish. If you were unlucky, like I was, you had to walk all the way back to the registration area to get your bag. Along the way, there were plenty of food stalls with snacks and refreshments. Even more frustrating because I am sure there aren’t many Spartans who take their wallet with them during the race!
- Overall communication. The communication throughout the pandemic was abysmal, but let’s focus on the actual event. Information was only available in bits and pieces, and quite last minute. I feel the organization could plan ahead much more. Another example was the announcement of the Spartan Race in Phuket. There were big banners to spark interest, but no information available anywhere else. If this is done on purpose as a marketing strategy, I can only recommend hiring a new marketing team. Clear and complete communication is the way to go!
- Race photos. The registration fee for the Spartan Race supposedly includes photos, but in reality, it is only partly true. Limited photos were available on the website about a week after the event. However, if you wanted some nice shots as a souvenir, buying them from freelance photographers was a must. Nothing wrong with that, but it also links to the previous point of communication.
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