Ask any racer about the benefits of running your first Spartan race, and most will mention the friendships they’ve formed and the communities they've become part of through competing on the obstacle course and trails. But making new friends can be daunting, especially as an adult. To help you put yourself out there and find your tribe based on location, interests, and more, here are several ways to connect online pre-race.   

The camaraderie between Spartans is pretty legendary, but most of these relationships begin before the start line. A significant number of racers build bonds with their fellow competitors through Spartan's many Facebook groups. 

Whether you're looking to find nearby Spartans to train or race with, get inspired by some insider coaching tips, or just shoot the breeze on all things Spartan, online Facebook communities have become the microcosms of the Spartan universe.

One of the great benefits afforded by the internet is that no matter where you are or what you're interested in, there’s a group for you.

Spartan Volunteers and Spartan Trail Runners community members offer advice, encouragement, and need-to-know intel specific to their particular interests and issues. And, of course, there are many privately-organized groups for Spartan KIDS, Spartan Singles, and Spartan Women.

If you’re still wondering where to dive in first, regional groups are your best bet. These groups allow members to connect with other Spartans and fitness experts and coaches in various areas. You can find information on local races, venues, and courses, and you’ll pick up a ton of insightful training tips and techniques in the page's comments. Many members also organize offline meetings to work out or meet up on race days.

The Spartan community is global, but its strength lies in the many different individuals who come together in groups to support and push each other to be their very best selves. And that includes you.

But here’s the thing: To get the best out of your online community (and your races), you need to put your best foot forward. Engage, encourage, respect, and inspire your fellow Spartans. Participate in the conversations. Share your progress. Applaud the progress of others' journeys. 

Now that you're ready to meet your newest workout partners, motivators, and friends, let’s get the lowdown on the Facebook communities you can join right now:

Regional Communities

Southern Spartans (34.8K members as of 2024)

Location: Florida, Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee

Reasons to Join: From questions about the right racing footwear to pictures of people getting down and dirty, this is a lively and inviting community perfect for any Southern Spartan.

Northeast Spartans (25.4K members as of 2024)

Location: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Virginia, Vermont, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, Quebec

Reasons to Join: Great local engagement, engrossing chats, fun facts, race news, training tips, the best Spartan gear to buy – what more would you want from a local community?

Midwest Spartans (9.3K members as of 2024)

Location: Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri

Reasons to Join: If you want to find training or race partners for major Spartan events around the Midwest, this is the group for you. Its members offer loads of encouragement, motivation, progress updates, and shared coaching knowledge to keep you prepped for race day.

West Coast Spartans (34.4K members as of 2024)

Location: California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Reasons to Join: West Coast Spartans give top tips on race venues from Portland to Tahoe, as well as lots of inspiration, information, and answers to everything you've always wondered – but never knew where to ask – about Spartan-inspired workouts.

Event/Race Communities

As part of a global community, Spartan groups extend past regional borders. You can join as many Spartan groups as you like, and some of the most popular communities are those with a clear focus on Spartan-specific events, rather than geographic location. 

Spartan Trail Runners (6K members as of 2024)

Reasons to Join: Spartan Trail races began in 2019 and were received with massive enthusiasm. Now an online space to hang out and hear all that’s going on in the ever-expanding Spartan trail world, this trail-loving community lives and breaths that passion through group comments, recommendations, and guidance.

Spartan ULTRA (19.6K members as of 2024)

Depending on where in the world you compete, you’ll encounter distinctive new obstacles available only in the Ultra. The courses will be some of the most visually stunning, but make no mistake – they’re also the hardest out there. Prepare for leg-crushing vertical, technical running sections with a community of racers to testing the limits of the human body. 

Global Communities

Spartan Race Europe (50K followers as of 2024)

Reasons to Join: A great go-to page for all the intel on races around the continent, along with inspiring videos, special offers, custom memes, and training techniques from coaches and racers across countries (Nordic snow burpees, anyone?) Posts are primarily in English. 

You can also find active Facebook pages for specific European countries – e.g. Spartan Race Spain, Spartan Race France, Spartan Race Poland, Spartan UK & Ireland, etc.

Spartan Race China (4.5K members as of 2024)

Reasons to Join: China may be a big country, but it doesn’t take long for Spartans to seek each other out. This Facebook page is a great place to start if you’re new to Asia or the Spartan community in China.

Also check out: Spartan Race Hong Kong, Spartan Race Vietnam, and Spartan Race Thailand.