When looking for an OCR race in North America they are the two names to know. One is the originator and the name associated with growing the sport world wide. The other a young upstart, founded on what they believed the other was lacking. In the race community you will have plenty of opinions on Spartan Race vs Savage Race. But which OCR race is best for you?
Spartan Race vs Savage Race
Race Locations
Spartan Race brought OCR racing to the mainstream and then took it world wide. They feature races in almost every state and host major international events attracting the best racers in the world. Savage Race is younger and has found a solid foothold with events on the east coast. This slow growing approach has led to limited race location but allowed them to grow organically and not go under like many other well known OCR brands.
Winner: Spartan Race
Race Distances
Savage Race features two race formats. A 6 mile full race and the 3 mile Savage Blitz. Both are typically held on the same day and only the “full” features a pro heat with awards. On the other hand Spartan Race has races from 3-30 miles, has multi day events so racers can run events both Saturday & Sunday all with Elite and Age group heats. If you’re looking for options then Spartan Race is the place to look.
Winner: Spartan Race
Obstacle Creativity
When it comes to obstacle creativity there really isn’t any competition. One of the biggest complaints about Spartan Race is their lack of new and creative obstacles. This isn’t a big deal for first timers but seeing the same obstacles year after year can be a bit boring. On the other hand, Savage Race is known for being creative and adding new and difficult obstacles almost yearly.
Winner: Savage Race
Obstacle Difficulty
No matter which race you choose you are almost guaranteed to push your limits. That said, some obstacles are more difficult than others. The Spartan Race has a few obstacles that stand out, including Twister, Beater, and Tyrolean Traverse. When it comes to difficulty, Savage Race obstacles are in another league. Some of the standouts include their ever changing multi-rig, Anchors Away, Battering Bird, Colossus, Wheel World, and more.
Winner: Savage Race
Community
If you’re comparing Spartan Race vs Savage Race, the one thing you count on from both is a strong sense of community. Spartan Race fans have dozens of facebook groups, reddit pages, and websites to choose from. Savage Race, while smaller, has just as strong of a community. If you’re looking for people to race with or tips on how to train you can’t go wrong with either. And on race day both courses are filled with some great people. Never be afraid to sign up for a race alone. You will have a dozen new friends by the end!
Winner: Tie
Customer Support
In the time of Covid-19 and racing customer support has become more important than ever. Savage Race has been one of the few OCR events in the US that has been able to consistently get approval to do their races. This is because of how good their team is. If you join the Savage Syndicate Facebook group, Savage Race owner Sam Abbot will respond to your questions directly. Their customer support is on the highest level I have ever received in racing. The same can not be said for Spartan Race. As the largest brand in OCR, when dealing with Spartan Race you are dealing with a corporation. I have had a decent experience with their customer support team but I have read a lot of complaints. Again, I partially believe this is partially because of the size of Spartan Race and people not receiving the support they would get from most local organizers.
Winner: Savage Race
Closing Thoughts – Spartan Race vs Savage Race
I’m a big fan of both of these races. But if I had to choose between the two I’d probably go with the Savage Race for the more technical obstacles. It’s hard to just muscle your way through a Savage Race. It takes technique. If I was taking a friend to their first OCR I would typically take them to a Spartan Race. The obstacles are more straightforward and relatable to what people train in the gym.
Let me know your thoughts below in the comments!
