For the First Time Ever, Spartan Is Coming to the Bahamas
For the first time ever, the Spartan Kids World Championship is coming back far bigger and better than ever before in 2023, with an iconic racecation venue that's perfect for the entire family: Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas.
This premier race weekend, coming to Bahamian shores Aug. 26–27, 2023, will mark the very first Spartan Kids World Championship at a world-renowned resort. Atlantis — as well as Spartan-specific weekend festival programming — will be packing more epic family-friendly activities, challenges, excursions, and opportunities to connect with the Spartan community than ever before. With four days of workouts, workshops, championships, Sprint races (including our new, 5-hour, multi-lap Sprint race), and more, the chance to combine a life-changing competition with an unforgettable island escape is one you and your family do not want to miss.
Ready to make your mark in Atlantis? Sign up for this once-in-a-lifetime weekend here!
A Complete Rundown of the Weekend Programming and Spartan Races at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas
Atlantis sits on Paradise Island, a tropical oasis just offshore of Providence Island. Between its white-sand beaches, towering palm trees, and sparkling turquoise Atlantic waters, Paradise Island is the ideal tropical getaway, and an even better landscape for testing true Spartans.
The weekend's championship and Sprint courses will wind through portions of the resort, extend out onto the beach, and barrel through fields with expansive tropical views. To get familiar with the terrain, twists, and turns, you can view the resort map here. And to prepare yourself for four days of family bonding and racing, here's a look at how the weekend's festivities will go down.
Don't miss out on the most epic racecation of the 2022 race season. Commit now to conquering a Spartan Sprint or Spartan Kids World Championship race at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas.
Thursday
Each day offers all-day Atlantis excursions and activities (Aquaventure water park, culinary lessons, scuba, snorkel, yoga, golf, and more). On Thursday, you can expect:
- 8:00 AM Spartan coach-led workout on the beach
- 9:30 AM Spartan Kids Workshops with influencers
- 1:30 PM Spartan Kids Workshops with influencers
- 3:00 PM Athlete and family private boat excursion
- 6:00 PM Athlete and family opening reception on the beach
Friday
- 8:00 AM Spartan coach-led workout on the beach
- 9:00 AM Local community festival event
- 9:30 AM Spartan Kids Workshops with influencers
- 10:00 AM Open 1-mile and 2-mile Kids Race heats
- 1:00 PM Lunch and awards
- 1:30 PM Spartan Kids Workshops with influencers
- 5:00 PM Kids World Championship Parade of Nations
- 6:30 PM Athlete briefing and press conference
Saturday
- 7:00 AM Open Multi-Lap Sprint (adults) start
- 7:30 - 8:45 AM Elite (adults) start
- 7:45 - 8:15 AM Age Group
- 9:00 AM Kids World Championship Elite heats start
- 8:30 - 9:00 AM Early Morning/Open (adults) start
- 10:00am KWC: Male 12-14
- 10:30am KWC: Male 9-11
- 11:00am KWC: Female 12-14
- 11:30am KWC: Female 9-11
- 1:00 PM Kids World Championship awards ceremony
- 3:00 PM Family 2-mile Open heat starts
- 6:00 PM Spartan Teen Club influencer meet and greet
Half-mile kids can start at 9:00 AM
- 7:00 AM Open Multi-Lap Sprint (adults) start
- 7:30 - 8:45 AM Elite (adults) start
- 7:45 - 8:15 AM Age Group (adults) start
- 8:30 - 9:00 AM Early Morning/OPEN
- 9:00 AM Kids World Championship Elite heats start
- 9:00 - 9:45 AM Early Morning (adults) start
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM Open (adults) start
- 10:00am Kids 2 Mile OPEN
- 10:30am Kids 1 Mile OPEN
- 11:00am Kids 1/2 Mile OPEN
- 2:00 PM Family 2-mile Open heat starts
- 5:00 PM Kids World Championship closing ceremony and reception
Adventures, Excursions, and Accommodations for Every Spartan
While you'll have plenty of time to socialize with friends and fellow Spartans in the festival area, Atlantis itself has seemingly endless adventures waiting for you and your family once you cross that finish line. Between all of the Spartan-specific festival programming and race heats, the resort offers thrilling activities for individual adults and groups, families, and kids. We've dissected some of the most unforgettable options below, and you can check out the full breakdown of tropical kids ventures by age group here.
Explore Aquaventure, One of the Eastern Hemisphere's Largest Water Parks
Aquaventure is a 141-acre water park that offers free admission for those who stay overnight at the resort. Day passes are still required for all non-Atlantis guests, and can be easily booked online. Regardless of age or interests, this park will have something for everyone in your Spartan family.
The water park offers over a dozen swimming areas and unique pool experiences, including one adult-only pool and nine family-friendly pools. Three are specifically for kids.
As an Atlantis guest, you'll also get complimentary access to nine jaw-dropping waterslides, featuring descents of over 115 feet, tracks woven through lush jungle and exotic caves that are part of Paradise Island's Mayan Temple, and kid-themed water playgrounds. The best part? The water playground has tube slides, cargo nets, and rope bridges — perfect preparation for the upcoming Kids World Championship.
Spartans are certainly not strangers to rivers (or crossing them), but these rivers are not part of the course. The resort's Lazy River, which includes a meandering quarter-mile loop under tropical trees, won Oyster's Editor's Choice Award for Best Lazy River in 2018. Plus, The Current ride propels guests down a 1-mile river track. Packed with lapping waves, you will be grabbing tight on your inner tube the entire time.
When you need some downtime between rides, slides, and pools, Aquaventure offers three unique options for private beach cabanas, all of which are family-friendly and accommodate groups of different sizes in a poolside oasis.
Walk the White-Sand Beaches of Paradise Island
While on Paradise Island, Spartans can explore four Atlantis beaches that stretch across 5 miles of white sand and showcase some of the race courses' most spectacular natural features.
Cove Beach, Atlantis Beach, Paradise Beach, and Lagoon Beach all have their own unique feel, and are close in proximity to various different hotels within the resort. Make sure to check out the resort map ahead of time to discover which beaches and accommodations sound like the best fit for you and your family. (Lagoon Beach is the most kid-friendly, with protected areas for swimming and aquatic activities.)
Visit One of the World's Largest Marine Mammal Habitats, Dolphin Cay
Dolphin Cay originally built the Caribbean’s first animal rehabilitation hospital. Today, it's one of the world's largest marine mammal habitats supporting the conservation and rehabilitation of (and the education surrounding) dolphins.
Right within the resort, there are over a dozen experiences to choose from, including swimming with the dolphins; shadowing animal behaviorists for a real day-in-the-life of caring for the dolphin residents; kayaking, snorkeling, and paddleboarding alongside the marine mammals; and so much more.
Wetsuits and lockers are provided, and you get all-day access to Dolphin Cay's private beach. And as an added bonus, you can even pay a visit to the cay's two newest residents: two sea lion pups born in June 2021.
Marine Adventures for the Whole Family
Atlantis guests have access to an incredibly wide portfolio of marine and island adventures, including snorkeling around the ruins of Atlantis; stingray and shark experiences; scuba diving through magnificent coral reefs; fishing, water sports, island-style lunches aboard private yachts and fishing charters; a one-hour interactive marine program, Sea Squirts, where kids aged 3 to 6 can learn about (and feed) baby animals; and excursions to nearby islands (where you can even swim with pigs).
Ocean Club Golf Course and Atlantis Casino
If completing an unforgettable Sprint course (and your kid conquering the Spartan World Championship) has your competitive juices flowing at all all-time high, check out Ocean Club Golf Course, an 18-hole, 7,100-yard course. Don't let the pristine views fool you: Out on Atlantis, Paradise Island Oceanside's peninsula, ocean winds will be unkind — even to top-tier golfers. Reserve a tee time and receive store credit for memorable golf gear with the Golf Getaway Package here.
Still looking to try your luck? The Atlantis Casino covers an entire 7-acre lagoon and features 85 gaming tables and over 700 innovative slot machines, which guests can play using their room keys. You can even lounge by The Cove, the adults-only pool, where you can play blackjack and craps.
Other Downtime Activities and Recreation at Atlantis Paradise Island
There is absolutely no shortage of epic activities that Atlantis Paradise Island offers to fill the rest of your weekend downtime. Whether you're looking to do some world-class shopping; channel your creative side through pottery and glass fusing, browse a 2,000-volume collection of bestsellers and Bahamian books; take a historic tour of Downtown Nassau's streets, art, and renowned eateries; or double down on your race training with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, you won't have to look far to find it. Racers can even recover from a long day of crushing obstacles on the course at the resort's full-service spa.
Where to Stay and What to Eat Within the Resort
Lynden Pindling Nassau International Airport (commonly known as Nassau International Airport) is the closest airport to the resort and race central. A taxi to Paradise Island — just a 30-minute scenic drive along the beach and through Downtown Nassau — will cost around $40, or you can rent a car for the entire family weekend.
Atlantis Paradise Island is one epic resort that houses six unique hotels: The Cove, The Royal, The Reef, The Coral, The Beach, and Harborside Resort. Each hotel offers its own distinctive aesthetics and atmosphere — from family-friendly to luxury tropical paradise to adventurous and thrill-seeking — so comparing each location's accommodations here will help ensure you pick the perfect race weekend experience for you and/or your family.
Featuring 19 bars and lounges and 21 restaurants that offer cuisines from across the world, you can truly eat and drink something different for every meal (though we recommend saving the exotic taste testing for AFTER you've completed your race to avoid a digestive disaster).
Search through the entire dining database here and check out the open hours for all of the resort's accommodations here. And once you've made your weekend's selections, lock in your spot early by making a reservation online ahead of time.
Don't miss out on the most epic racecation of the 2022 race season. Commit now to conquering a Spartan Sprint or Spartan Kids World Championship race at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas.
