In 2024, Vanessa Arce made Spartan history as the season pass holder who raced the most that year, with 85 races—including 20 Trifectas and a DEKA event—under her belt.

But just a year prior, she wasn’t even sure she could finish a single race.

When Vanessa first heard about Spartan races, she didn’t believe she had it in her. It was her coach at her local gym who saw the potential. 

“I thought I’d die,” Vanessa admitted. “I didn’t believe in myself, but he did.”

Vanessa volunteered at a race in Jacksonville to see the action live and in-person. And after witnessing racers’ epic accomplishments, she knew she wanted to experience it for herself.

In February 2023, she crossed the fire jump at her first Sprint, a “hot mess of happy tears,” overwhelmed by the realization that she’d done something out of her comfort zone—and wanted more.

Once she got started, she couldn’t get enough. She became unstoppable. In her first year, Vanessa completed eight Trifectas. By 2024, she set her sights on something even bigger: the coveted Spartan Shield from the Trifecta World Championships in Greece. 

“I signed up for every Trifecta weekend in the U.S. and I was hooked,” she said.

Vanessa’s season exploded. She ran 85 races in 2024, earning 20 Trifecta medals and even squeezing in a DEKA event. Through it all, she credits the people—the Spartan community—as her inspiration. 

“You see all kinds of people out there trying, doing it, and making it happen instead of sitting on the sidelines,” she said. “It might be the same venue but you meet all kinds of new people and you get to see all the old friends you’ve made along the way.”

Her favorite distance? The Super 10K. It’s “not too short, not too long,” offering the right mix of obstacles and running.

As for her most memorable race, nothing compares to Sparta, Greece. “The vibe there was like no other venue,” she said. “The courses tested me, surprised me, and humbled me all at once.”

Through back-to-back weekends, travel delays, and sheer exhaustion, Vanessa’s strategy was simple: “The races are mostly mental,” she said. “I just tell myself, ‘you can do this. Don’t quit. You paid for this—you’re gonna beat it.’” 

To anyone inspired by her journey, she advises you just go for it. “You’d be surprised by your determination once you’re out there surrounded by other Spartans.”

From doubting her first race to becoming one of Spartan’s most relentless season pass holders, Vanessa Arce proves that belief—first from others, and then from within—can push you farther than you ever imagined.