Spartan Race Gear

Hi Folks,

I need a bit of advice. I am running in the spartan race in November and having never done a winter event that involves entering water and obstacles.  I need advice on clothing for it that will not be too heavy once waterlogged but also confortable enough to tackle the obstacles.  Its 13 miles long.

Thanks in Advance

Joe

Ive never done the spartan, but I have done the warrior dash and the savage race, and a few other "mud runs" I never wore my good running clothes, always some compression shorts under some worn out running shorts and a t-shirt. As far as shoes I wore old ones with regular socks to one and some Teva "water" type shoes with out socks in one that involved swimming, all the prep in the world dosent matter as soon as you go knee deep into a mud pit and it pulls your shoes off! so lace them tight!!! 

Joe

I'm doing the Spartan Beast in November too.  I've done Tough Mudder and Tough Guy and others before but never a Spartan.  Main things I would suggest are offroad trainers.  You need deep lugs for all the mud etc.  People who go in street trainers just struggle to stand up, which is annoying when you are trying to get going.  I always run in running tights to help the knees on the crawling stuff.  Lastly I always wear some light gardening gloves, nothing pricey.  They help with the cold and also when doing rope work and generally grabbing logs etc.  Light helps as it lets water back out.  No rubberised gloves or it'd be like running with water balloons on your hands, lol.

If you are going to be cold and wet you want to wear as little as possible. Having soaking wet clothing covering you head to toe will make you colder than just being in shorts and technical tshirt.

The gloves is a good shout though, for Tough Guy I used cycle gloves.

Aren't you supposed to do this naked and slathered in olive oil?

You and your wishful thinking Muttley...

Shoes with deep grip would be best - trail or fell shoes even - but rubber - no spikes.

I go with lycra shorts - sturdy fabric and wont snag as much as floaty shorts.

Old teeshirt or helly hansen on top.

I've worn bike mitts for the Tough Guy - helps with grip and protects from cuts and grazes a bit. 

Key thing is to keep moving. You only get cold when you stop. So make sure you're fit enough to go the distance without fading.

Joe

I never feel like the tshirt matters much, but I always wear shorts or running tights, something like http://therunningoutlet.co.uk/products/adidas-mens-supernova-sequence-long-tights-ss12-black

it depends what your used to training in? 

also might be worth going to your local running store to see what kind of shoes they would recomend 

I did the Edinburgh Spartan Sprint recently, I wore a tight fitting Nike t-shirt and a pair of adidas running tights. Worked fine for me, I'd say avoid anything loose as it will get heavy and flap about.  I put an old pair of trainers on that were last worn in a triathlon - had the stretchy laces - this was not good as they kept coming off in the mud. So make sure your laces are fastened tightly!  ENJOY. It was great fun.

video of Edinburgh event

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1jkEV3lZKE&list=UUusu9i1E-9qVZPKhLHJs3zQ&index=1&feature=plcp

and photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edinburghspartansprint2012/sets/

ive done every spartan race in the uk so far and this is the best i can advise, if its hot, shirtless, but november wont be so i advise a long sleeve compression top, anything remotely baggy will get heavy with water/mud and snag and pull on barbed wire, 
i would reccomend regular running shorts for the same reasons, ive seen people try with tights or long combat shorts even, they will just weight you down.

ive tried gloves but i dont reccomend them, they get wet and muddy and offer nothing by the 3rd or 4th obsticle, they just get in the way, keep your hands wet and cold and cant be dried or cleaned of mud mis race. waste of time, i didtched mine on both occasions within a few miles. 

on the feet i'd wear either old trail shoes that you dont mind getting rid of at the end, OR something newer if you have them that is designed for mud and rivers and rocks that you can jet wash when you get home, like inov8's or salomons (i run them in the speedcross) 

have fun, i certainly do.