What Does the Hardest Extreme Fitness Competition in the World Look Like? Here's a Glimpse
What does the hardest extreme fitness competition in the world look like?
What does it look like when 24 of the fittest people on earth are taken out of their comfort zones, dropped on a farm in rural Vermont, and challenged to compete with $100,000 on the line?
You're about to find out.
Over the course of five days in October, at Riverside Farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, 24 elite athletes took part in 10 grueling events to determine who is the fittest of the fit. The remarkably impressive collection of athletes included, but wasn't limited to, a Spartan world champion, a world record holder, a former NFL linebacker, a CrossFit phenom, an Olympian, and a history-making triathlete. (To see the complete list of Spartan Games participants, click here and here.)
The entire competition was filmed and will be chronicled in Spartan Games™, presented by Harley-Davidson, a four-part series premiering on Dec. 2, exclusively on Spartan's YouTube channel.
Watch the trailer above, and check out more can't-miss Spartan Games content below to get you prepped and ready for this first-of-its-kind series.
The Spartan Games Women
Who are the 12 female athletes at the Spartan Games, and what makes them so incredible? Find out everything you need to know about them here. Plus, action shots from Vermont and Instagram extras.
The Spartan Games Men
Who are the 12 male athletes? Check out the impressive roster, their strengths, their backgrounds, and their laundry list of insanely impressive achievements. Plus, where to follow them on social media, more Instagram extras, and more photos!
How One Competitor Prepared Himself in 72 Hours
One competitor that perhaps you haven't heard of is Herman Demmink. An exceptional athlete but far from a household name, Demmink was a college baseball star at Clemson before becoming a top-level CrossFit athlete. Prior to the Games, however, he hadn't trained consistently since 2015. Now a medical sales representative, he received an invitation to Vermont just 72 hours prior to the event, and he provided a detailed description of how he prepared himself in that short period of time. Check out the fascinating timeline, complete with his training regimen, here.
The Sheriff Speaks...
One athlete at the Games that you likely have heard of is Hunter McIntyre. "The Sheriff," as he's affectionately known, was a guest on the Spartan Up! podcast, and he was as entertaining as he was motivating. Give it a listen below.
...And Speaks Again
And if you want even more McIntyre — who doesn't? — check out his conversation with elite CrossFit athlete Jacob Heppner. Filmed right after the Games concluded, McIntyre discussed what the competition was all about, and some of the amazing things you can expect to see in the series.
Let's Get Serious for a Moment
Where do some of the Spartan Games athletes stand on such hot-button issues as gun control, legalizing marijuana, universal healthcare, performance-enhancing drugs, the current political landscape, and Colin Kaepernick's activism? Check out their hot takes below.