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Did You Know That These Celebrities Have Crushed a Spartan Race?

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Did You Know That These Celebrities Have Crushed a Spartan Race?
Presented by Spartan Training®

Since Spartan held its first race back in 2010, a bevy of celebrities have tested their mettle on our courses. Hall of Famers, Grand Slam champions, cultural icons, Grammy winners, and even members of the royal family have crawled under barbed wire, climbed monkey bars, and gotten muddy in pursuit of the finish line. 

Here is a handful of notable people who have gotten out of their comfort zones and taken on a Spartan challenge, as well as some background on their OCR experiences and the impact it had on them.

The Athletes

Randy Moss

One of the most prolific playmakers in NFL history, Randy Moss is no weekend warrior. He's a legit Spartan. The former wide receiver, who made six Pro Bowls and led the league in receiving touchdowns five times during his Hall of Fame career, earned a Trifecta in 2016. After finishing a Sprint in Charlotte and a Super in Asheville, North Carolina, he completed a Beast at the World Championship in Lake Tahoe.

Venus and Serena Williams

Serena Williams had an absolute blast at the season-opening SoCal race back in 2018. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion — racing alongside her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian — channeled her inner gymnast to get over the hurdle. The following month, Serena got back out on the course at the South Florida Sprint. This time she brought along her sister, Venus, who you also may have heard of.

Tiki Barber

The former Giants running back, and later correspondent on The Today Show, took part in the Spartan Race Times Square Challenge in 2013. "This was pretty easy because it was a short course," the three-time Pro Bowler said at the time. "I might start training for the real one to see if I can do it. This might be something I'll gravitate toward."

Alas, he never did a "real one." The door remains open, any time he'd like to try! With 68 career touchdowns in the NFL, we're pretty sure he could handle it.

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Monica Puig

Monica Puig, who made history in 2016 when she became the first woman representing Puerto Rico to win an Olympic gold medal, took on a Sprint in Boca Raton, Fla. in April of 2021.

"Sometimes people can be bored with running three miles or stuff like that, but you stop and do all these obstacles, running through water, having to pick stuff up — it's actually really, really fun," the tennis star said. "And with so many people doing it, you get that sense of community. You’re all pushing each other to complete every single obstacle, every single burpee."

Check out this Q&A we did with her after her race.

celebrities who have done spartan races

The Actors

Nina Dobrev

Nina Dobrev has three races under her belt, including the incredibly daunting Beast in Temecula, Calif.

"It was physically and mentally challenging running in 103-degree heat," The Vampire Diaries star wrote on Facebook after finishing the 21K, 30-obstacle race. "Through mud, barbed wire, carrying sandbags, rope climbing, spearing, not to mention all the bumps and bruises we got along the way ... But we did it. I've never slept better in my life than the night of the race."

Candace Cameron Bure and Andrea Barber

You better believe D.J. Tanner and Kimmy Gibbler did a Spartan race together. The best pals on iconic 90s sitcom Full House did the race at Calamigos Ranch, in Malibu, Calif., in December of 2012. (Sadly, Bob Saget was nowhere to be found.) 

"We ran several races together," the actress said. "She runs marathons. I run shorter races, like 5K or 10K races, but with obstacles in them, like Tough Mudder or a Spartan Race, because I like the strength stuff and she likes long distances."

celebrities who have done spartan races

Julianne Hough

The Dancing with the Stars veteran and Emmy Award winner crushed the SoCal Beast back in 2015.

"Besides loving the fact that it challenges my body in new ways, it's a great way to bond with your friends and family," the former America's Got Talent judge wrote after the race. "The good energy we had kept my spirits high and made me want to go into each obstacle even harder. It was such a blast. Even in the 10th mile — the fifth hour — we were laughing and having a good time."

Brooklyn Decker

Brooklyn Decker, alongside Barber, also participated in the Spartan Race Times Square Challenge in 2013. The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl admitted to being surprised by how challenging the course was. The Rope Climb, in particular, gave her fits.

"I'm not a strong as I thought I was," the model and actress told Men's Journal. "But still, it was a lot of fun."

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Danielle Brooks

After Danielle Brooks earned her medal at the Spartan Stadion race at Citi Field in 2018, she was completely overjoyed, and she took to Instagram to document the transformative experience. (We especially love the first photo, with the Mets' Home Run Apple gleaming in the background.)

"I did this for ME!" the Orange Is the New Black star wrote. "I completed my first Spartan race yesterday. It was by far the hardest thing physically I’ve ever done, but I worked for a few months with my trainer, Morit Summers, to get there. I learned so many valuable lessons by pushing myself, even in the midst of doubt! I proved to myself I could, and I did."

The Musicians

Alicia Keys

The 15-time Grammy winner crushed the Spartan Sprint in Atlanta back in 2014. The singer/songwriter had absolutely no qualms about getting down and dirty in the mud, as you can clearly see in the images below.

Joey Fatone

Is Lance Bass next? We can dream.

celebrities who have done spartan races

Dierks Bentley

After country singer Dierks Bentley crossed the finish line in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 2017, he enjoyed one of the ultimate Spartan rites of passage: the glorious post-race beverage, which makes it all worth it.

The Reality Stars

Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Kendall Jenner

Spartan made a guest appearance on a 2021 episode of E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians. We built a course in the backyard of a Malibu beach house that the Kardashians and Jenners were quarantining in during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Kourtney and Khloé took on Kendall in a battle to see which reality television family is grittier. (Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian were featured in the episode, but did not participate in the race.) For a full recap and a link to watch the episode, click here.

celebrities who have done spartan races

The Royals

Prince Harry

While a guest on The Late Late Show With James Corden, Prince Harry and the host/comedian took a little tour of Los Angeles before tackling a custom-made, military-style short course. We won't ruin it for you, but let's just say that one of the participants fared far better than the other.

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