Bigfork residents prep for Montana Spartan Race

After four miles and 15 obstacles Emily Callaghan was burnt out, covered in mud and exhilarated. She couldn’t wait for another Spartan race.

“When I got done last year, I was like, okay, when can I do this again?” she said. She’s been training since, eager for the obstacle race to return to Bigfork on May 10. The race is near Woods Bay overlooking Flathad Lake on private land owned by Flathead Lake Lodge. The race is a Spartan Sprint, about four miles long. But with obstacles like rope climbs, crawling under barbed wire, running with sand bags and jumping over fire, it’s tough. Not to mention the hills and mud that come with the run.

“It was challenging because everything was just wet and muddy,” Callaghan said.

Callaghan works as a massage therapist in Bigfork. Last year’s inaugural Montana Spartan Sprint was the first obstacle race she has done. The popularity of obstacle races has risen over the last few years, with a variety of runs, attracting thousands of competitors to each event.

It’s hard to exactly peg why these races, designed to push your body to the limit, have become so popular, but for Callaghan part of the appeal was the challenge and feeling like a kid again.

Many of the obstacles reminded her of activities you do during your childhood, climbing things and testing your boundaries.

“I don’t really think of it as a race, but more of a fun challenge,” she said. “You just get dirty. You’re burnt out by the end for sure, but it’s a good feeling.”

Though she’s not necessarily trying to improve her time from last year, she has still been training hard. She runs up and down the stairs at PacifiCorp park with a hot pink sand bag on her shoulders. She stops at the top and does burpees (jumping jacks, basically), before starting the next lap. She explains that in the race if you are unable to complete and obstacle, you have to do 30 burpees before the next obstacle.

Monday morning she and Mike Shea met at the Montana Athletic Club in Bigfork to practice rope climbing. The nylon rope that hung from the ceiling is slippery and nothing like the fiber ropes on the Spartan course. Shea thinks the rope climb is the worst obstacle, and if they are able to climb the slippery nylon rope at the club, they’ll be able to tackle the ropes on the course.

Shea and Callaghan discussed strategies for getting up a rope, showing each other different ways to wrap their feet in the rope to help push themselves up.

Shea is excited to run the Spartan race again. Last year he ran as part of a group, but will compete individually this year. 

“I want to push myself, and see what I can do,” he said.

He like hills and trail running and has spent time running at Wayfarers park with a sandbag to prepare for the race.

He said that part of the fun for him is the atmosphere the Spartan race creates. With waves of 200 people starting every 15 minutes, there are always people on the course with different levels of ability, and a sort of camaraderie forms. 

“You’re encouraging everyone,” he said.

The race tries to involve everyone, having physical tests spectators can take part in. 

Callaghan said it’s one of the best-organized events she’s taken part in.

“The energy of the event and the people is just amazing,” she said.

As the race nears, Callaghan and Shea will wind down on their training. Spartan crews are beginning to prep the course south of Bigfork, and while the obstacles may be different this year, Shea and Callaghan are excited and ready.