by It’s official, Spartan Race has announced the date and location of the 2022 Spartan Race Ultra World Championship. And it would not go without its share of controversy. Spartan teased the potential of some exciting new destinations. In the end, the event will be held September 24-26 in North Lake Tahoe. A venue many racers will know since it’s a regular on the US race circuit.
Key Takeaways:
- 2022 Spartan Race Ultra World Championship set for September 24-26 in North Lake Tahoe, California.
- Controversy surrounds the event’s date, coinciding with the OCR World Championships in Vermont.
- Qualification required for Elite and Age Group categories, with an Open Group available.
- Questions arise about the impact of the scheduling conflict on participation and competition quality.
2022 Spartan Race Ultra World Championship – Tahoe CA
What We Know so Far
Location: North Lake Tahoe, California
Date: September 24-26
Venue: Palisades Tahoe
Official Link: Spartan Race Website
For weeks many people predicted that Tahoe would host this year’s Spartan Race Ultra World Championship. So while the location may not have come as much of a surprise, the date of the event definitely did. Many OCR athletes may already have the weekend of September 24-26 circled on their calendars. It’s the same weekend that the OCR World Championships are being held across the country in Vermont.
This clearly presented a conflict for a lot of racers and something that many people hurt the growth of the sport as a whole. Faulting Spartan for choosing an expected location and placing it on a weekend directly competing against OCR’s biggest event.
How to Qualify for the 2022 Spartan Ultra World Championship
For the 2022 Spartan Ultra World Championship you will need to qualify for both Elite and Age group categories. Here is the list of qualifications.
- For Elites you will need to qualify as an Elite and have completed Spartan Ultra race between October 11, 2021 and September 23, 2022.
- To qualify for Age Group you need to have completed a Spartan Ultra race between October 11, 2021 and September 23, 2022..
- There is an Open Group that does not require qualification to sign up.
Click here for complete qualifying info
Closing Thoughts
With runners having to make the choice between the OCR World Championship and the Spartan Race Ultra World Championship. It’s going to be interesting to see who actually makes the trip out to Tahoe. I’m guessing Spartan is thinking that Ultra runners won’t necessarily be going for the shorter distances. But from my experience, this isn’t the case. And they are going to see a much smaller, less comparative field than in the past.
Hopefully the event turns out to be one of Spartan’s best. And I’m hoping to experience one of these first hand in the next couple of years.
