Spartan Death Race

The Spartan Death Race is one of several Spartan races that a person can participate in if they so desire. It is also regarded as one of the most hardest to complete, and has been dubbed "the world's toughest race period." The Spartan Death Race, which forces racers to run up to 50 miles on rocky trails in rural Vermont, is distinguished by an assortment of tough, unique, and occasionally ludicrous tasks. The objectives in the race are centered around a topic, and this year's theme was religion. The pre-race gathering was conducted in a church and consisted of a sermon describing the world's major religions. Each of the 14 tasks assigned was designed to illustrate a different aspect of religion.

The second obstacle was a twist on the fable of the loaves and fishes: racers had to walk three miles up a fast-moving, stony stream to catch a fish that would feed the multitudes. Challenge 11 required competitors to hike five miles to the top of a mountain while carrying a burden – in this example, a log weighing 50 pounds for males and 25 pounds for women (the only concession to gender in the event). The final half-mile of that hike, a mud-soaked 40% uphill grade covered in barbed wire, was dubbed "The Gaza Strip." The 2018 winner set a world record by crawling through mud, rocks, and barbed wire for 31 laps of the track in 12 hours. That was only phase one, of course. The entire race was 60 hours. Eighty people started the race and only 12 finished.

Founder: Ultra athlete and Joe Desena

Time: last more than 70 hours

Location: the Green Mountains in and around Pittsfield, Vermont