BILLINGS – Barbed wire, fire, and spear throwing; these are just a few of the obstacles that challenge runners in the Spartan Race.
Montanans have their chance to put their bodies to the test this weekend when Bigfork hosts the race.
One local gym is helping people to prepare for the race.
“We’re standing at Apex Personal Training and Fitness, in our Studio Room,” Steve Eubank, co-owner of Apex Personal Training and Fitness said.
The Spartan Race takes place in Bigfork, Montana May 4 and May 5.
”We’re just trying to simulate what’s going to happen in the race, so we do a bit of running, we hit some obstacles, so we just try to keep it going for the hour of the class,” Dulcey Eubank, co-owner of Apex Personal Training and Fitness said.
Runners can choose between the three-plus mile sprint or the 13 mile Beast race.
Either way, it is not your typical race, so they try to prepare as much as possible.
“Always going to have monkey bars, always going to have walls to go over, there are a few standards and then there will be a few surprises that we won’t know what they are are and they won’t tell us, and they won’t even be on the map when you get to the race, you’ll find out when you get there,” Dulcey Eubank said.
The Eubanks said that this isn’t the type of race you want to just walk into without preparation.
They work to improve endurance, and upper body strength, and muscle memory for out of the ordinary obstacles.
“There’s lots of lifting heavy things, carrying logs, the rope climb, you need that grip strength,” Dulcey Eubank said.
Through all of the training, athletes are gaining confidence, along with muscle.
“When they start out and can’t do the obstacle, and then after a few weeks of training, they can accomplish it, they just light up like crazy,” Steve Eubank said.
Regardless of where they place, they will have the support of their team.
“It’s great doing it as a team, yeah, that’s the probably the most fun that we have up there, is that we’re all up there as a team, the camaraderie, everybody’s supporting each other, so that’s definitely the best part,” Dulcey said.
Steve and Dulcey say it’s not too late, you can still come in and get a few days of training in at 1002 10th St W #3.
Race registration can be done at www.spartan.com.
Reporting by Jenny Fick for MTN News
