OCD FOR OCR

Everything’s Bigger in Texas!! Isn’t that what they say? Having never been there, I had to take their word for it. But all that changed when we decided to drop into Dallas for the Spartan Ultra. 50K/30+ miles of (cough cough) fun! Note: keep in mind that our arrival time at the venue was 5:00 AM on event day and in total darkness.

• Parking

There was no VIP parking option available, so early arrival time was key. The parking fee is now included in your registration. Having arrived so early, we were able to secure a spot very close to the course entrance. After the race, we noticed the vast parking area. After both us ran over 30 miles, it was a nice treat to not have a long hike back the to the rental car.

• Registration

Having missed out on Open House and registration the previous day (due to airport issues), we were forced to register on Saturday before the start. Registration was right there next to parking, and it went very quickly with zero hiccups (we were 3rd in line).

• Festival Area

Of course, we didn’t even get a glimpse of the festival area until after the race, but this had to be the biggest race festival we had ever seen. It seemed to go on endlessly. Spartan pulled out all the stops for this one. Vendor tents galore. Activities. Music. Team tents. A main stage. And a great view of the finish line where runners were coming in and getting pics taken with their medal right away. You were never at a loss for something to do in this festival area. Showers, change tents, and a large merch area topped it off.

• Gear Drop

For those running the Ultra, there is a gear drop/transition area roughly half way through the distance. Participants leave a bin there containing whatever they think they might need to complete the 2nd lap. It would have been nice to have had a volunteer directing runners to areas since it was completely dark out. But fellow competitors were very helpful.

• Start Corral

In typical Spartan fashion, they pump you up and motivate you before releasing you out onto the course. They also go over any rules and/or important info. And being that it was a cold breezy morning, we were itching to get rolling.

• The Course

We heard this was a “flat” course. And that is true to a point. When running, you really need to watch for the three R’s: Roots, Rocks, and Ruts. And there were plenty of all. With it being dark for the first hour, you’ve really had to watch where those feet were being placed. Cactus and long grass didn’t help either. And there was elevation gains in the form of a small mountain, certainly not the typical ski mountains that Spartan is famous for making use of. These ascents could actually be trotted up by the average individual. But we had to go up and down a few times.

The entire course was well spread out. I recall coming across a ridge on the hill with the most beautiful sunrise emerging on my right. Had to take a moment to take it all in. I would say this course had a bit of everything: elevation, rolling hills, flat sections, mud, grass, rocks, gravel. I believe there was even a Kids Course, as well as a Canine Course where you could run the course with your canine friend. As far as water stations go, there were 11 (that’s right) scattered throughout the 14-mile course. Some even had food available for runners.

• Obstacles

Status quo for a Spartan race. Bucket carry, sandbag carry, rope climb, barbed wire crawl, hoist, dunk wall, hanging and grip-intensive, and the dreaded spear throw. The Ultras have an extra loop (about 4K) that contained a crawl, a sled drag, and a double sandbag carry. There was one water crossing about 2K from the finish (and man was it cold at 9:30 in the morning) as well as the dunk wall near the end. If you are a Spartan veteran, you will have seen all these obstacles previously. There was nothing “unknown” thrown at us.

• The Bling

This race was part of the “Honor Series“, meaning there was a large military presence. It paid tribute to those serving in the military, past and present so the medals all had special ribbons attached to them. Those runners completing the Beast distance received a special Honor Series medal. It wasn’t the typical Beast medal, which was nice. The Ultra medal is the same belt buckle for all Ultras (and says Dallas, TX). The black tech finisher shirts are accented in green for Beast and purple for Ultra.

• Overall

This was the best Spartan event we have been to. Everything was top notch. Even all the volunteers were on their game. The folks in Texas are some of the friendliest and most respectful people you will ever meet. Susan and I rate the it 5 out of 5 stars.

So, is everything bigger in Texas? Certainly, the spirit, camaraderie, and this entire race are. I would suggest you make the trek to Glen Rose, Texas and participate in this stellar event. So glad we did.

Article Written by: John Cross & Susan Rice.