Spartan Race vs Tough Guy and Gal Challenge : distance, stations, prix et difficulté comparés (2026-27)

Spartan Race is an obstacle course racing series established in Vermont, USA, in 2010, with events in more than 40 countries. Courses combine off-road trail running with obstacles such as walls, barbed-wire crawls, monkey bars and a spear throw, and they often include mud and water.

The main distances are the Sprint (5 km, 20 obstacles), the Super (10 km, 25 obstacles), the Beast (21 km, 30 obstacles) and the Ultra (50 km, 60 obstacles). Completing a Sprint, Super and Beast in one calendar year earns the Spartan Trifecta, and many venues host Trifecta Weekends with all three races. Spartan also runs Stadion races in sports stadiums, trail races, kids' races, competitive Elite and Age Group heats, and endurance events. The Sprint is pitched at first-timers, while the Beast and Ultra suit experienced racers.

The Tough Guy and Gal Challenge is New Zealand's longest-running mud run series, organised by Event Promotions (Cambridge, NZ) with naming sponsor Middleware. Adult events offer roughly 6 km (1 lap) and 12 km (2 laps) obstacle courses plus a 6 km Team Challenge (teams of 5+, at least 2 women), with Open (13-39) and 40+ grades, and a daily cap of 1,500 competitors. The 2027 adult series runs at Camp Wainui (Wellington), Kumeu Showgrounds (Auckland) and Lakes Ranch (Rotorua), alongside junior, secondary-school and family editions in more cities. Entries for 2027 open 1 November 2026.