NEW HAMPTON, N.Y.–Spartan Race held its 2025 Tri-State New York Spartan Event Weekend in the Town of New Hampton, bringing thousands in the region to participate.
The race was held on Oct. 18 to 19 at the Sunflower Valley Farm. Spartan estimates 7.2 thousand people ran the course and obstacles on the huge cut sunflower fields.
The Spartan race is a running course inspired by the military training of the ancient Spartans. The courses are usually 5, 10, 21, or 50 kilometers long. Runners participate in obstacles along the running course. These include wall climbs, javelin throws, Atlas Stone carries, and many other physically challenging activities.
The race in New Hampton offered 5 and 10 kilometer tracks, with 20 and 25 obstacles per course respectively.
The event organizer, Richi Rodriguez, told The Epoch Times that the turnout was great.
“In total and with spectators, it would be about 8,000 total people that showed up throughout the weekend. And so I think that’s a fantastic turnout.”
The new location for the race was received well by participants.
“[The runners] love it. It’s not what they were expecting. Of course, you hear cornfield, so you’re expecting flat, really easy races. This has actually served as a more of a challenge than people were expecting because of the soft ground with the black soil, which really gets you to sink in.”
“Even the fastest runner that I’ve seen in different races was here and it was challenging for him, even with the flat terrain.”
Rodriguez said that there were no issues in organizing the event, and that the property owner was very helpful in finding connections for Spartan and setting up the event. He also praised the Orange County Board of Tourism for working out deals with local restaurants on very short notice.
Spartan is in talks with the property owner for holding the even in the same place again next year.
College friends Brandon Maramba and Kevin Passalacqua loved the race. This was Maramba’s fifth and Passalacqua’s third. They especially liked the new location, saying it was fun and a good place for running.
“It was really cool to be somewhere where we’re not going up and down ski slopes,” Passalacqua said.
One of the things the Spartan Race helps them is that it gives them something to work towards and look forward to while in the gym.
Jessica McLaurin traveled from the City of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. She came with her husband, brother, cousin, and sister-in-law.
McLaurin enjoys obstacle courses and fitness, bringing her back to Spartan for her third race. She loved the location, and said it was her favorite Spartan Race she had run.
“I watch things like Survivor, and I think it’s cool watching it so to actually do it is even cooler.”
McLaurin’s relatives Jaad Haddad and Brandon Khalil ran the race for the first time as well.
Khalil said, “I definitely had the mentality of a Spartan getting through it. But being in a group of people definitely helps. Makes it more fun.”
Haddad talked about how he felt the race benefited him. “I think the fight through adversity, obviously just short-term adversity, but it builds character. Trying to push through the challenge.”
Spartan holds about 70 such races around the United States every year. Other venues have included West Point and Fenway Park.
