After a lost 2020, the 2021 race season ramped up in a hurry. Beginning with our first race back in Jacksonville, in late February, we traveled from coast to coast doing what we do best: putting on epic events. 

With the heart of the pandemic further and further in the rearview mirror, we're riding that momentum into 2022 for what promises to be the most epic race season we've ever had. The jam-packed U.S. slate features more than 50 races in some of the most scenic locations on Earth, from breathtakingly beautiful islands to iconic ballparks to mesmerizing mountains.

There will be a full host of Sprint (5K, 20 obstacles), Super (10K, 25 obstacles), and Beast (21K, 30 obstacles) races — as well as Kids events — and no shortage of opportunities to claim your coveted Trifecta. (You'll have more than a few chances to do that in one weekend, if you're feeling up the challenge of a lifetime. More on that below.)

Related: The 2023 Spartan Race Schedule: Dates, Details, Venues, and More

Whether you're a beginner looking for a new challenge, a competitive Age Group racer fighting for a podium spot, or an Elite trying to beat the best of the best, there is something for every type of Spartan competitor on the 2022 schedule.

Here are five things we're especially looking forward to in 2022, and click here to view the full schedule and find your next race.

1. There Are 12 Epic Trifecta Weekends to Choose From

The 2021 schedule featured nine Trifecta weekends, in which racers could complete a Sprint, Super, and Beast in one weekend and capture their elusive Trifecta medal. We're upping the ante in 2022: There will be 12 Trifecta weekends, giving racers a golden opportunity to shatter their personal Trifecta record and complete more races than ever before.

There will be Trifecta weekends in a myriad of epic locations, including Montana (pictured below) on May 7-8, Big Bear on May 14-15, Fayetteville on May 14-15, Ohio on June 18-19, Utah on July 9-10, Seattle on Aug. 13-14, Hawaii on Aug. 20-21, West Virginia on Aug. 27-28, New Jersey on Oct. 1-2, Southern California on Oct. 22-23, Arizona on Nov. 19-20, and Central Florida on Dec. 10-11.

2. We're Coming to the Islands

Two years removed from the heart of the pandemic, we're leaning hard into "racecations," where you can spend quality time with your family in a spectacular location and crush it out on the course. That's right, we're returning to O‘ahu, Hawaii for another Trifecta weekend.

3. 12 New Venues From Coast to Coast

There's nothing like racing somewhere new, be it a new state, a new stadium, or a new course. And in 2022, there will be ample opportunities to race in a new location.

There are 12 first-time venues on the 2022 schedule, including Glen Helen Regional Park in San Bernardino, Calif. (Jan. 29-30), Bell Bank Park in Mesa, Ariz. (Feb 26-28), Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita, Calif. (March 12-13), Fox Raceway in San Diego (April 2), Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana (July 9), Oxford, Michigan (July 16-17), Martha's Ranch in Granbury, Texas (Oct. 22-23), Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Goshen, Indiana (Nov. 5-6), and Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (Nov. 19-20).

4. We'll Be Back at the Ballpark (and an Iconic Football Stadium)

We're coming back to ballparks and stadiums near you in 2022. The 5K, 20-obstacle Stadion races are held in some of the most revered stadiums in America. This is your chance to race where the pros play, and it counts toward your Trifecta! (It's the equivalent of a Sprint.)

The 2022 Stadion schedule features magnificent, historic ballparks in some of the greatest cities in the world. Do burpees in the clubhouse and sprint across the finish line at the homes of the Washington Nationals (May 21; pictured below), Los Angeles Angels (July 23), Philadelphia Phillies (Sept. 17), Boston Red Sox (Nov. 12-13), and San Francisco Giants (Dec. 3). 

More of a football fan? We're returning to AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, on June 18. And for the first time ever, you'll have the opportunity to channel your inner Rudy at Notre Dame Stadium (July 9), the iconic home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.

5. Regional Series Return, But With a New Twist

The United States National Series is back in full swing in 2022, but for the first time ever it will be Age Group-focused. What does that mean? Over the course of the five-race series, Age Group Heat competitors will earn points based on their top three finishing positions. If an athlete races more than four USNS races, only their top four finishes will earn points. At the end of the series, the top-ranked men and women will earn prizes. This year's USNS kicks off in Jacksonville (Feb. 27) before heading to San Luis Obispo (March 12), Big Bear Lake (May 15), and Huntsville, Utah (July 9). It will conclude in South Carolina on July 31.

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The Elites, meanwhile, will take center stage in the first-ever North American Elite Series. Also a five-race series, it will be held throughout North America, with races in both Canada and Mexico. The best four out of five times will count towards an athlete's series ranking, and all races are scored using a 300-point system. The first Elite Series race will be held in San Luis Obispo (March 13), and it's followed by Big Bear Lake (May 15) and Huntsville, Utah (July 9) in the United States. The other two Elite Series races will be in Mexico and The Blue Mountains, Ontario, on June 11 and Oct. 22, respectively.

Each of the National Series and Elite Series races will have Open heats, as well.

6. A Full Championship Season

We'll have our full slate of championships in 2022. On Aug. 27-28, we'll host the North American Championship in Kelowna, British Columbia (pictured below), marking the first time in Spartan history that it's been held outside of the United States. And on Sept. 24-26, the Ultra World Championship returns to American soil for the second year, this time testing some of the world's best endurance athletes on a 24-hour North Lake Tahoe, California course. 

And for the first time since 2019 — and the third time overall — we're returning to Spartan's spiritual home in historic Sparta, Greece for the 2022 Trifecta World Championship. Members of the Trifecta Tribe from across the globe will fight for their spot on the Ancient Wall of Honor, with Elites competing for $30,000 in total prize money during the four days of unforgettable ceremonies, celebrations, and races from Nov. 3-6, 2022.

Plus, we're returning to Abu Dhabi for the 2022 Spartan World Championship once again this December after one of the most challenging — but rewarding — Spartan race weekends ever went down in the Liwa Desert in 2021. From Dec. 3-4, 2022, Spartans can test themselves on the newly-designed World Championship Super – with Elite, Open, and three-person relay heats — push past their limits in an Age Group World Championship Beast heat, take on Abu Dhabi's first-ever Trifecta Weekend with intoxicating views, and more.

We'll also hold our annual Kids World Championship later this year in Sebring, Florida, where the world's toughest kids will battle it out over a share of $20,000 in prizes (plus bragging rights to last a lifetime).

Keep an eye on our Instagram page for the latest announcement news, and make sure to bookmark our Championships page for all of the information in one place.