World’s ‘largest obstacle course race’ is coming to Paso Robles wine country
If you love ending a workout with a chilled glass of wine, a new event coming to Paso Robles wine country could be for you.
Santa Margarita’s Ancient Peaks Winery will host a series of Spartan obstacle course races at its vineyard in Santa Margarita Ranch on March 14 and 15.
“We are honored to have Spartan recognize our ranch as a land of wine and adventure,” Ancient Peaks Winery vice president of operations Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins said in a news release Tuesday. “We see wine as a healthy part of an active lifestyle, and we cannot wait to put ourselves to the test.”
Spartan is the world’s largest obstacle course race and endurance brand, with more than 250 events across 40 countries and more than one million participants annually, according to the release.
The March races are expected to bring more than 7,000 participants and 1,500 spectators to the Paso Robles area, according to the release.
In the release, Visit SLO CAL CEO Chuck Davison said the tourism marketing organization is excited to “deliver it to the wine region of San Luis Obispo County for the first time.”
Spartan Race attendees, focused on all the outdoors has to offer, are a perfect fit for our adventure destination,” Davison said.
What are Spartan obstacle course races?
Spartan races feature a range of obstacles, often different depending on the location and level of difficulty.
Some of its most popular obstacles are a spear throw, barbed wire crawl and Tyrolean Traverse, which requires racers to crawl across a rope without touching the ground, according to the Spartan website. Other obstacles ask racers to carry heavy items across a distance, climb or hang from various structures and sometimes even jump over fire.
Race options at Santa Margarita Ranch will include 10-kilometer Super, 21-kilometer Beast and 50-kilometer Ultra courses.
The event will also feature a half marathon and 10-kilometer run without obstacles on March 15, and half-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile courses for kids ages 4 to 14.
Santa Margarita Ranch event registration
Prices for the race vary between about $139 for the Super race to $299 for the elite pass in the Ultra race. Passes for multiple races are also available. Kids races cost between $26 and $48.
The 10k, non-obstacle course costs $65 and the half marathon costs $85.
First responders and military get a 25% discount with proof of service.
A festival pass for spectators is available for $20 in advance, or $25 on the day of the event, according to the Spartan website.
To sign up for the obstacle courses, go to https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/6085/overview.
To sign up for the half marathon or 10k, visit https://www.spartan.com/en/race/detail/6141/overview.
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