Immortality awaits! Enter October’s Spartan World Championships

When was the last time you did something for the first time? When did you leave a race and, through courage, strength and pushing yourself beyond your limits, you became a history-maker? When did you ever compete in paradise?

Well, now you can tick off all three at the first-ever Spartan Sprint World Championships in Hvar, Croatia’s coastal jewel, taking place between 10th and 13th October 2024.

Not only can you take part in this unforgettable challenge, but you can also watch the world’s best athletes compete in the new-format 100m World Championships. It’s time to begin your Spartan journey…

Race in heaven

You can’t have failed to have heard of Spartan, the world’s leading race organiser who have carved a reputation for rethinking the impossible. And when it comes to the upcoming Spartan Sprint World Championships, that rethinking of the impossible is about challenging yourself over a course and backdrop that are exhilarating, stunning and testing in equal measure.

Swimming, running, taming obstacles – it’s all here and a timely vitamin-D boost before the long winter kicks in.

But first up, the location. Hvar. This historic island is a Mediterranean dream that’s characterised by hypnotically beautiful Venetian architecture, defiant fortresses and winding cobblestoned streets, which are lit up each afternoon by memorable sunsets.

Wherever you step, wherever you look, there is beauty and history, for Hvar’s been inhabited since early Neolithic times and the so-called Hvar Culture (3,500- 2,500BC). In 385BC, Greek colonists founded Dimon (now Hvar) and in 219BC the island became Roman. Slavs fled the mainland in the seventh century and settled in the island.

It’s survived numerous changes of occupancy, contributing to its rich history, culture, and religious and military structures that date from the 12th to the 17th century.

Against that backdrop, you can carve your own place in history at the Spartan Sprint World Championships and 100m World Championships…

Race distances

Let’s talk Sprint and what memories await. Over five exhilarating soul-searching kilometres, you’ll embark on a journey that encounters 20 obstacles that will make you smile and grimace in equal measure. Fancy climbing an inverted wall? Covered.

Crawling beneath barbed wire? Nailed it. Leaping over fire? Yep, we knew that would fan the flames of your enthusiasm. You’ll also swing across multi-rigs, aim to tame the A-frame cargo, all finished off with a climb to an iconic fortress.

That’s not all. You’ll face various swims in the clearest turquoise waters you’d ever have swum in, along with technical running along rocky shores, over stunning beaches and upon the Hvar streets. The average finish time is around an hour-and- a-half so will appeal to all.

To qualify for the Sprint World Championship, you’d have earned a spot at one of the 2024 Pro championship heats of a regional championship race. However, there is no qualification required for the age-group and open heats.

Or are you looking to crank things up further? Then there’s the ‘Super’ that stretches to 10km, so more running, more swimming, more obstacles (25) and more wonderful memories. In short, the world’s best obstacle course just got even better.

And if you’re really looking to immerse yourself in the way of the Spartan, you can battle the Beast. Over a total distance of 21km that’s loaded with 30 obstacles, you’ll face the greatest sporting challenge you’ve ever encountered.

Still not enough? Sounds like you’re the sort of athlete for whom comfort is the enemy. Well, go for the Trifecta pass. This gives you entry to the Sprint, Super and Beast. Complete this and fast-track your way to the gods.

There’s also a kids’ race for the ultimate family holiday.

Watching the world’s best

All of this is about becoming a Spartan. But what if you want to learn from the strongest Spartans on the planet? To watch the world’s strongest athletes in action? That’s where the Spartan 100m World Championship comes in.

The 100M races are invite only and only available to qualified athletes racing at the Pro level. These are the athletes, the best from the OCR, Ninja and multisport communities, who’ve toughed it out at Spartan qualifiers around the world, who’ll head to Croatia in search of infamy and a winner’s prize of $20,000. Second place receives $10,000. Third raises a cheque for $2,500. This is for the women and men, and contributes to a total cash prize purse of $100,000.

The first-ever Spartan Sprint World Championship and new-format 100M World Championships, taking place between 10th and 13th October 2024, will live long in the memory. You’ll arrive a mortal and leave a Spartan, all against the beauty of Hvar, this Mediterranean paradise. It’s time to become a history-maker.

Find out more and sign up at hr.spartan.com. The nearest ‘big’ airport is Split Airport, just 42km away, with numerous flights from the UK up and down the country.

---

Save big on your entry

Tempted by the above? Well, the good news is that Spartan is offering 220 Triathlon readers a discount of 30% on entries. All you have to do is use the code HVART20.

Spartan schedule

Final scheduling is subject to change but, as of writing in early September, this is the breakdown of what awaits at the four-day Spartan extravaganza…

Thursday 10 October 2024

• 08:00 – 18:00 Open Practice 100m
• 20:00 Athlete briefing for 100m

Friday 11 October 2024

• 08:00 – 18:00 World Championship 100m – qualification rounds
• 16:00 – 18:00 Kids’ race
• 18:00 – 20:30 Opening Ceremony, nations parade

Saturday 12 October 2024

• 08:00 – Beast Competitive start
• 8:30 – Beast Open start
• 12:30 – Beast Awards ceremony
• 16:00 – 18:30 – World Championship 100m – Finals
• 19:00 – 20:00 – Award Ceremony World Championship 100m
• 19:00 – Sprint World Championship briefing

Sunday 13 October 2024

• 08:00 – World Championship 5K Sprint
• 12:00 – Sprint World Championship awards
• 12:30 – 10K Super Open
• 12:00 – 16:00 Open practice for 100M
• 18:30 – Closing Ceremony