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| Seattle, WA
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Misty, foggy conditions set the scene for this year's NAM Championship, a Beast course that combined Barbed Wire with Sandbag Carry and merged Rolling Mud straight into Dunk Wall. The battle stayed neck and neck deep into the final stretch.
Hawk Call took the men's title in 1:30:00, just ten seconds clear of Canada's Brendan Neely, with Baylen Bean completing the podium. Fittingly, Hawk's own bucket carry brought a full-circle moment, years after watching his father, Spartan legend Hobie Call, spill his bucket of rocks on live TV, Hawk did exactly the same thing this weekend. Karma, as he put it, is real.
Annie Dube led the women's field in 1:47:59, ahead of Cassandra Gill and Sabrina Buhagiar.
Beyond the podium, one 67-year-old racer finally lined up at NAM Championships after two prior attempts were derailed by injury, and walked away with an age group win, proof that health, strength and community are worth celebrating at any stage of life.
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| Killington, VT
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Killington delivered another brutal test this weekend, a mountain that never gets easier no matter how many times you've climbed it. Racers pushed through the Beast, the Ultra and everything in between, plenty calling it one of the hardest things they've ever done.
One story stood above the rest. Matt Novakovich, "The Bear," returned to Killington to honour his son Josh, lost three months ago, carrying him every step of the way. A reminder that Spartan is never just about the finish line.
Elsewhere, 300 racers took on Joe De Sena's weighted vest challenge, 20lb strapped in for every step up and down. One couple carried the weight together and, at the summit, got engaged.
Killington doesn't just test the body. It reminds everyone why this community shows up for each other.
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| Misano, Italy
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Misano brought Spartan to Italy's iconic MotoGP circuit, the Beast course running directly through the same track legends have raced on two wheels. Heavy Friday rain turned the ground to proper Spartan mud, before sunshine took over for ideal racing conditions across Saturday and Sunday.
The Super race, this year's National Series finale, delivered fierce competition right to the final obstacle. Claudia Bongiovanni took the women's win in 1:07:17, edging out Federica Toni and Paulina Wolczek-Wojtyszyn in a battle that stayed tight throughout. Jeremie Gachet topped the men's field in 54:55, ahead of Manuel Dufaux and Andrea Riva.
The overall Italy National Series titles went to Gachet and Wolczek-Wojtyszyn, capping a season of close racing with a finish worthy of the circuit itself.
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| London, UK
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Holmbush Farm's 2,500 acres of working countryside, set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, delivered dense pine forests, deep rutted tracks and steep valley ridges for nearly 10,000 Mudders. Sunny intervals and strong wind made for a proper British event day.
Well Swung made its first appearance of the year, a welcome return that had the crowd buzzing. Every obstacle brought teams together, muddy hands pulling strangers over walls, shared cheers and shared grit, proof this is built on camaraderie as much as toughness. Three Mudders hit their 100x Headband milestone across the 15K and 5K, rare company indeed.
New partners brought fresh energy to the village, TrueStart Coffee, BOB's foam rinse, Grenade's protein hits, HardRock's party vibes and WaterHog's photobooth all adding to the atmosphere.
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| Paris, France
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Spartan returned to Jablines for the first time in five years, nearly 5,000 racers taking on a course that brought together every level of the community, first-timers and veterans alike, with plenty tackling the challenge as doubles side by side. Cloudy spells and sunshine made for pleasant racing conditions throughout.
Jablines proved as good for spectators as it was for racers, a compact, accessible course letting supporters follow the action and cheer from close range, a true Spartan day shared both on and off the course.
In the Super, Camille Salliot led the women's field, ahead of Angélique Chetaneau and Prisca Godard, while Gwereg Clement topped the men's race, followed by Siahreid Salodkin and Edouard Ervy.
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| Sovata, Romania
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Sovata, Romania's renowned spa town famous for its heliothermal salt lakes, hosted Spartan for a weekend of clear skies and warm sunshine. Racers took on a course weaving through stunning natural terrain, including the shores of Bear Lake.
Hungarian and Romanian racers dominated the Super Elite podiums. Zsuzsanna Toma-Albert led the women's field in 1:38:13, ahead of Helga Dorottya Borza and Nicolate Vlad, while Miklós Márk Páll topped the men's race in 1:20:02, followed by Ionuț Silinc and Horațiu Neamțu.
Felicitări to the champions, a fitting result on a course as beautiful as it was demanding.
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