Throughout 2024, Spartans tied and surpassed records we thought were unbeatable, ventured into unknown territory, started doing more burpees (if that's even possible...), and earned recognition for unthinkable lifetime race resumes. New faces conquered their fears and returning veterans pushed their limits, and it was truly a year for the books. Here's a quick glance back at some of the Spartan feats we've witnessed over the last 12 months – plus a few to look forward to in 2025. 

The 2024 Spartan Race Season Recap

A New 50K Format Takes the World Stage

The Spartan Ultra World Championship is notorious around the world for its difficulty. It takes a true warrior to conquer more than 30 miles and 60 obstacles across dense forests, towering peaks, and steep downhill slopes in the first place. But to battle it out to the finish against the world's toughest ultra athletes? That's the ultimate test of mind, body, and spirit.

After a few-year hiatus (with previous destinations in Sweden, Iceland, and more), we brought the 50K championship format back, hosting a once-in-a-lifetime race weekend in Morzine Avoriaz, France, surrounded by the Alps, a breathtaking lake, and natural waterfalls.

We'll be back at this picturesque venue in July 2025, so if you dream of crossing high-altitude lakes, climbing dizzying inclines, and swimming through natural white water rivers while surpassing your greatest limits, sign up now!

Burpees Are Back at Elite and Competitive Spear Throws?!

Open-heat racers have been braving burpees after failing the notoriously difficult Spear Throw obstacle since Spartan's inception, but with a few weeks remaining in the 2024 Spartan race season, we threw a curveball at Elite and Competitive heats: If you fail the Spear Throw, you drop and do burpees.

Why the change? Spartan was built on obstacles that challenge both mind and body, and the spear throw with burpees epitomizes that spirit. It’s the pressure, the precision, and the payoff that makes this return to our roots a challenge that defines our signature obstacle.

A Record Year

Spartans turned out in unbelievable numbers this season to conquer their fears, smash obstacles, and do things they never thought possible. A select few caught our eye for outstanding performances, including Gregory Basilico, who not only took second place in the 2024 Spartan Sprint 5K World Championship, but returned from a 2023 Abu Dhabi Spartan Beast second-place podium to take first place in the same event this year. A Beast connoisseur, he also snagged wins in both the Kaprun European Championship Beast and the Spartan Trifecta World Championship Beast. 

In a pleasantly surprising comeback, 45-year-old Zuzana Kocumová – a former Olympic cross-country skier who also won the Spartan World Championship in 2015 – made her return to the Spartan podium for the first time since 2018 with a first-place win in the Kaprun European Championship Beast and a third-place finish in the Spartan World Championship Beast race. 

If we've learned anything from the Spartan community, it's that it's never too late to make a comeback and surpass your limits. For more inspiring victories, records, and triumphs, check out some of our other outstanding 2024 athlete highlights here!

Inducting the 2024 Spartan Hall of Fame Class

The Spartan Hall of Fame is our way of honoring the athletes whose performance, grit, and determination have solidified their spots in obstacle course racing history. What makes the Spartan Hall of Fame unique is its selection process, which is entirely based on numbers – no votes, no subjective decisions, just raw data. (If you want to dig into the process, read this!)

The first-ever Hall of Famers were inducted at the 2022 Spartan Trifecta World Championship in Sparta, Greece, with Spartan greats Hobie Call, Cody Moat, and Claude Godbout making the final cut. This year, we welcomed two new Hall of Famers: Amelia Boone and Peter Žiška.

Amelia Boone's Legacy of Suffering

Amelia Boone’s name is synonymous with endurance and dominance in the OCR world. After her Killington Beast debut in 2012 (where she finished second only to Claude Godbout), this ultra beast has not only proven her ability to win a world championship, but she's the queen of consistency. Out of 39 Spartan races, she finished outside the top four only twice. Boone’s ability to endure pain and push her limits is underscored by her 85% career podium rate.

The first athlete – male or female – to podium in all five Spartan distances (Sprint, Super, Beast, Ultra, and Stadion), Amelia Boone is a welcome addition to a growing list of true Spartans who have etched a forever mark on one of the toughest sports in the world. 

Peter Žiška: The Powerhouse

Hailing from Slovakia, Peter Žiška began his Spartan career in 2013 and has since built a resume that will be hard to surpass. He holds the title for the most career Spartan podiums with an incredible 111 podium finishes, a record that has stood since 2017. He also leads Spartan’s history books with the most wins in both Sprint and Super distances.

The force to be reckoned with has shown greatness and consistency across race formats and across the world, mastering the first-ever European Regional Championship in 2014 and earning plenty of Championship podiums in the years since. One of only seven men to have won a race in all five Spartan standard distances, Žiška truly fought for and won his spot in the Spartan Hall of Fame.

Related: Introducing the 2024 Spartan Hall of Fame Inductees and Criteria

Wrapping up the 2024 Spartan Race Season and Revving up for 2025

The season may be over, but the memories, the laughter, the bruises, and the bragging rights will last a lifetime. Whether you came with family, colleagues, and friends or made some new ones along the course, we guarantee you've built racing relationships to last a lifetime – not to mention the healthy habits you've undoubtedly cultivated along the way. We applaud you for showing up for yourself this year, and can't wait to see the obstacles you conquer in 2025.

If you're looking for a new challenge next year, the race changes and upgrades just keep coming! Get ready for the first-ever Spartan 10K Super World Championship at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California. This breathtaking new venue will push even the toughest Spartans to their limits with a mix of high-altitude terrain and brutal obstacles, so don't miss your chance to compete against the best next October.

Ready to secure your spot on the start line and make some life-long memories of your own? Sign up for a 2025 race now.