I vowed I would never do another Spartan and yet a few weeks later I am climbing up the relentless hills of Brimacombe, Ontario. Located between Toronto and Kingston it was an easy 2 hour drive to get the the race venue. Parking ($15.00) was a bit disorganized and this seems to be one of the downfalls of these large events. We were directed towards a lower field and parked in the middle of the field. For those coming in from the west it was a traffic jam along Highway 18 trying to get into the parking areas. After a short walk up towards the base village we headed to registration where there was more confusion as to which lines to pick for race kit pick up. All the lines were 30-40 people deep and we had about 45 minutes until our heat was to start. It was a bit stressful, but once we were registered we still had time to head to the bag drop $5.00 and then for a quick bladder break before making our way to the start line. Each Spartan is to hop over the entry wall and await instructions from the MC. We opted for the Competitive heat this time so we could head out before the heat really set it. It was a comfortable 18 degrees when we started off. As with any Spartan it was the same series of changes in elevations and we tackled the 6.4KM course with 8 climbs up and down the mountain. This event had more mud involved which slowed some racers down a bit. The obstacles are standard with walls, crawls, barbed wire, carries of buckets, sandbags and the infamous cinder block drag up and down the hill attached to a chain. The volunteers were quick to chastise you if you did not complete the full burpees when an obstacle was missed and kept racers as honest as they could. The vendor village was well laid out and there were hose off stations beside nice tented change rooms when the race was over. It is suggested to bring water with you along the course however, they do have stations along the route. Prizes for top 3 finishers and this is a qualifying event for the OCR World Championships being held this fall in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Gloves are recommended for some climbs and carries and long socks were not needed.

I have to admit I am slightly biased towards this race. I absolutely love it. Each year they manage to improve it and add a few new obstacles to keep it fresh. Located in Ottawa at the Commando Paintball course, it offers an apocalyptic feel to the course as you wind your way over the 6K course. New this year is the 10K Ultra that runners could opt for the next day. Parking was well located and there were ample volunteers on hand to direct racers accordingly. Great signage so you knew exactly where to go and how to pick up your race kit and drop off your bag. Parking was $10.00 and bag drop was the standard $5.00. We quickly managed to pick up our kits and racers are advised to attend at least 2 hours before their heats to avoid the long lineups that continued right through to the afternoon. It was estimated that over 8000 people registered and approx 5-6000 completed the course. This is a family friendly event and offers a kiddie's version during the day. Medals are given to all finishers and there is a nice cotton tee shirt to proudly wear after the race. Medics were on site and volunteers were well placed along the route to assist racers if needed. There was tons of mud and the trails were well marked. A few new cargo climbs and balance bars were a welcomed change as we tackled this for our 4th year. Ample bathrooms on site and there is a mini vendor village that had Good Life Fitness and a few other sponsors on hand to promote their wares. Opposite the main village is a great location for photo ops and also a beer garden where the MC kept everyone motivated throughout the day! Well done to the organizers as there were rarely any long waits and everything appeared to move smoothly. Recommendations: arrive early, bring a change of clothes, cash and wear gloves for the crawls and climbs to protect your hands. Water is available along the course and is well spaced out. Online communications were excellent and kept racers informed before the event. A great course for all skill levels!

With the endless rain we have been having over the past week, we were lucky to still have access to get to the airport for this inaugural event. Over 400 participants braved the chilly 3 degree weather and headed towards the south west end of town. Parking was great right on site and there was an indoor hangar that racers could wait in to stay dry. A small vendor village was available and the 1/2 marathon began promptly at 0800 hrs. Roads were partially closed off and the course was well marked. The 5K course started at 0830 hrs and over 290 racers headed out to loop down and back through the luxurious waterfront properties lining the swollen lake Ontario. Marshals were at every corner and there was a water station and washroom break available at the 1/2 way mark. The course is fairly flat with a slight incline upon the return home stretch. The start and finish line are well marked and clearly visible and it was chip timed and approved for race distances. The fastest male 5K was just under 15 minutes and there were prizes for top 3 male and female finishers. Music was placed along the home stretch to motivate racers towards the finish line and it was a much needed boost as the rain began, yet again, to pour down on rain weary racers. Bag check available on site, but not needed. Great access. The indoor vendor set up was small but well situated and David's Tea's was offered to everyone with a banana, water and chips at the finish line.The finisher's medal is a nice weight, however the shirt sizes for women were extremely small. Race kit pick up was available two days before at a local hotel and offered racers a chance to ask questions and get familiar with the upcoming route. This was a first time event and supported the local neurosurgery unit at Kingston General Hospital. Family/Pet friendly event. Thanks to the race directors and all the volunteers and marshals for a well run event!

Wow. The location is beautiful with mountains and lakes surrounding the Owl's Head slopes. Parking upon arrival was chaotic and racers had to walk 1-2KM just to get to the main village. Once on site, it seemed to flow a bit better and race kit pick up was quick and easy. We then headed to the start line after checking out bags for the standard $5.00 fee. We arrived early and were still met with some crowds. Bathrooms were available on site and everyone rushed for their final nervous pee before tackling the mountain. Each heat was launched every 15 minutes and they were very punctual. We jumped into the next heat and headed off up the winding trails along the side of the mountain. We climbed for over 2 KMs and tackled some walls and carrying challenges that widened the gap between racers. Once your are a Spartan, you basically know the general format and layout of what to expect but this one added the element of elevation. We had to climb several times on the black diamond side and at times, were on all 4 trying to get up to the final peak. This is a challenging course with carries, crawls, climbs and drags over inclines and muddy/rough terrain. We were out there for around 3 hours and covered 7.41KM of distance. It is recommended to carry a small backpack with everything you need as water stations are few and far between. Volunteers are at most obstacles and enforce the rule of 30 burpees if you do not complete an obstacle on the first attempt. This race is a timed event and counts towards the Obstacle Course World Championships being held this year again at Blue Mountain in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. We had hopes of qualifying but this was one tough course! We plan to use it towards our 4 courses required to go to the worlds as a non-competitor. There was lots of wooded trails at this race and some areas are quite steep. Recommended for experienced racers or those looking to challenge themselves. The Sprint is the shortest of the 3 that lead to a "Trifecta" where you need to complete the Super and the Beast to receive the 3 pieces of the pie in one calendar year. Some people do multiple trifectas and race all weekend in extreme conditions. Overall, a well run event and has shown improvement since last year from previous attendees. Vendor village is quite large and food is available to purchase on site. We stayed 25 minutes from the mountain at Auberge Knowlton and it was a clean and quite hotel with an attached restaurant that included breakfast options. Not cheap at $154.00 a night but was quite comfortable and the staff are very friendly. I may not do this one ever again, as I do not like the climbs, but the summit is quite beautiful and offered stunning views of the lakes below.

This was a first time for this event and using this location. All proceeds went to charity. Located in the empty Target store in Smiths Falls, Ontario, it provided a great indoor space for racers to sit back and enjoy the event. A live band performed and bag pipes could be heard outside welcoming participants to the event. Photographers were on site for free finish line photos and each participant received a finisher's medal, cotton tee shirt and local artisan sandwich. Lots of indoor bathrooms that were clean and well maintained. The premise was to drink a 12 oz beer and then run two laps, drink another, run two laps and so on completing the 1 mile course. Top 3 finishers received a wine prize and boasting rights. Some chose to come in costumes and this made it quite the St.Paddy's day festive activity! Friendly volunteers, well managed and kept on schedule. Ample parking (free) outside and rules were clearly expressed and age limits enforced due to the alcohol being consumed on site. Well done!