The Marines will not only establish a recruitment presence at multiple 2022 races, but will also roll out challenges for discounts on events.
The parallels between Spartan racing and U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) basic training likely seemed evident to most. Obstacles, mud, sprinting, crawling, climbing, and jumping.
Now, the race organizer and the military branch look to mutually capitalize via a new partnership. The USMC will join Spartan for multiple 2022 events in various capacities.
The Corps will establish its presence on the endurance racing circuit both physically and digitally, and recruitment will play a central role.
USMC ‘Summer Challenge’
For starters, the USMC rolls out a “Summer Challenge” geared toward engaging Spartan participants with a fitness test. The task? Complete a one-mile run, 30 burpees, 30 squats, 30 pushups, 30 situps, and another one-mile run.
Then, submit your timed results and take 10% off 2022 Marines-sponsored Spartan events.
Such events run throughout the season across the country. The first, on July 9, occurs at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana. The final USMC-sponsored Spartan race runs on Dec. 3 at San Francisco’s Oracle Park.
View this post on Instagram
At all 10 stops, racers can compete alongside Marines. In special heats, Marines will join Spartan competitors on the course. The “Run with the Marines” heats take part in a “nationwide recruitment drive” aimed specifically at 17-24-year-olds, but will be open to Spartan runners of all ages.
Media Component and Outlook
Finally, the partnership includes “integration” with the USMC on Spartan’s digital platforms and social media streams.
Speaking to the new partnership, Spartan CEO and founder Joe De Sena prioritized his organization and the USMC equally.
“At this moment, there is nothing more important to me than getting the young men and young women in this country off the couch, and off devices, and introducing them to the Marines and the Spartan way of life,” De Sena said. “This partnership is a game changer.”
You can sign up for the Summer Challenge, check out races, and learn more via the Spartan Race x USMC website.
