Spartan Hong Kong has braved the souls of the city’s fitness-hungry since 2016 with its weekly Spartan Race Club and annual 5 KM obstacle race, set to take place Nov. 20 and 21 at the Kam Tin Country Club.
Hong Kong’s Spartans has grown into an ardent community of many adrenaline-loving runners and thrill seekers passionate about fitness, racing, and breaking mental and physical barriers. We spoke with the people at Hybrid Group, organisers of the Hong Kong Spartan Club, to find out more about the story of the city’s Spartans and the people behind it.
What is the story for the Hong Kong edition for the Spartan Race? What happened to [bringing] the worldwide event to the city?
Joe De Sena started Spartan Race back in 2011, his goal was to change the lives of 100 million people. In 2016, we had the opportunity to bring this sport into Hong Kong, as the interest in Obstacle Course Racing grows, we are working hard to push this sport into the Olympics and Hong Kong needs to be a part of this!
What is to be expected in November’s 5 KM race for the Spartan Sprint?
It has been 2 years since our last race. There will be some adjustments due to COVID, but we are expecting the same level of excitement from the racers, and looking forward to a whole weekend of mud and fun.
On Nov. 20 and 21, 2021, we will make our return to Kam Tin Country Club with our signature SPRINT (5 KM, 20 Obstacles) and Kids (1.6 KM – 3 KM, 10-15 Obstacles)
When did the Spartan Run Club group begin and what do the organisers hope for the weekly runs?
We started Spartan Run Club in September 2021 and brought together our Pro team and ambassadors to pass their love of Spartan Race down to a wider audience who may or may not know about Spartan Race.
We also want to give everyone an opportunity to stay active.
Why was the weekly group started in the beginning? Was there a need to facilitate such community?
We structure this as a weekly event, as we want to help racers to create a habit and educate them that Spartan is not just a race, it is a lifestyle. Lessons are free and everyone can join.
Rather than just running like other run groups, we also focus on other fitness aspects, such as high intensity interval training (HIIT), hill sprints, in the world of OCR, we call this "compromised running,", to build up their physical thresholds and recovery speed. This is to simulate what Spartan racers experience during race day.
There is a common misconception about Spartan Race. A lot of people seem to think that it is only for the elites, which made many hesitant to try it out. Spartan Run Club was established to help people overcome their fear with consistency and by pushing their mental barriers.
Where [does] the team usually run?
We run RAIN OR SHINE along Central Promenade, Tamar Park, and Sun Yat Sun Park, every Thursday at 7:30 PM meeting at Central Pier 3. See you there!
What is the community like behind Hong Kong’s Spartan?
We are very fortunate to have a very loyal community in Hong Kong, they are very passionate about Spartan and the idea behind the brand.
