Spartan Doubles: A New Way to Race Together
Spartan Race has introduced a new race format: Spartan Doubles — a fully supported, two-person way to take on a Spartan race together.
How Spartan Doubles Works
Spartan Doubles is a two-person team format where you compete as a single unit from start to finish. Here’s the core setup in plain terms:
- You register as a pair, and you race the full course as a pair.
- You’re visually marked as a pair: both athletes wear a blue “Doubles” bib (plus the standard Spartan headband for the heat).
- You’re timed individually, because each athlete still wears a timing chip.
- But you must operate like one team: you need to be close enough on course that officials can clearly identify you together, and you must cross the start and finish within 4 seconds of each other.
- Your team’s official time is based on the first finisher’s chip time.
If you split up too much (start, course, or finish), the team can be removed from the Doubles category and placed into individual Open results. In other words: Doubles rewards coordination, not solo heroics.
Obstacles Rules in Spartan Doubles
- Only one teammate needs to successfully complete the obstacle.
- You decide who attempts what — in the moment.
- No assistance once the attempt begins.
- If the attempting partner fails, only that athlete completes the penalty (burpees or penalty loop, depending on the event rules).
- Both athletes must attempt, and penalties are shared for Spear Throw.
Example: one teammate lands the spear and the other misses (yikes), the both take the penalty.
A Real Example
Let’s say you and your teammate are equally fast runners, but you’re built differently:
- Teammate 1 is strong on carries and heavy work
- Teammate 2 is strong on grip and technical obstacles
Here’s what a “division of labor” might look like:
| Obstacle Type | Spartan Obstacles | Who Takes It |
|---|---|---|
| 🏋️ Carries | Sandbag Carry, Bucket Carry | Teammate 1 |
| 🪨 Heavy Effort | Atlas Carry, Plate Drag | Teammate 1 |
| 🧗 Rigs & Hangs | Multi-Rig, Monkey Bars, Twister, Olympus, Beater | Teammate 2 |
| 🪢 Rope Obstacles | Rope Climb, Vertical Cargo | Teammate 2 |
| 🎯 Precision | Spear Throw | Both together |
| 🏃 Running | Both together |
You both focus at what you are good at, and try to complete the course as fast as possible.
Thinking About Racing Doubles?
If you’re as excited as we are, go take a look at the Spartan Race calendar and start planning. Find a race, pick a partner you actually trust, and get ready to test how well you move as a unit.
Because in Doubles, there’s no blaming the course — only your teammate.