* From: michael downey
* Event Details
unlike most events there is not one dedicated parking area so people were left to figure this out on there own so you ask people and everyones going to have there own experience. we got lucky enough to get a space in the parking lot right next to boston beer works for $10 . schwag is kinda a letdown because in the beginning spartan used to color the helmet side of the medal to match the teams whos park we were in, and i honestly was not a fan at all of the logo design they chose for the event this year. this is one event i would have liked to see LESS vendors, because of the race its already tight space in the park and they just take up valuable realestate. also once again we received the nice perk of biggest team area but once again a area where some simple thought and better execution could have been used.
* Race Details
i am waiting to see some GPS reports on this but i really think this was the shortest race of fenway yet and doubt they even broke 2.5 miles and think with a few small changes they could have gotten that number up a bit. best obstacle of the day award goes to the cargo net climb that scaled the centerfield wall LOVED THAT other that that it was the same obstacles we see at the stadium,water jug carry, the bungie cord crawl up the handicap ramps with a surface that makes amesbury seem like a fluffy bed of marshmallows, 20 push ups in the visitors clubhouse and marine hurdles on the warning track. also we got to see the new traverse wall that was a nice change but needs some refinement on the execution of the obstacle. also as they done all year long they adjusted the weight of the herc hoist yet again this time the weight has been dialed down. i thnk this is one obstacle where then need to abandon the sex based weights and make it based on the persons body weight . also one th
ing i noticed with the spear throw with the rope is people were not paying atteation before throwing on where the rope was and if it was wraped up on something, i saw several perople fail because they dident notice t he rope was wraped around there leg. also the rope tied to the spear was just long enough to reach the target if you hit it middle of target and i am not 100% if you aimed high that the spear would make it. one thing that was absent was the stadium style monkey bars we have seen in the past. it was a fun race and the location made it more fun but over all i was a little disappointing, other than the cargo net and new traverse wall it was the same race in the previous 2 yrs. if this was at another ballpark that does not have the history that fenway does i am not so sure id go back again. spartan really needs to step things up and give people there moneys worth considering these race costs more than a super or even a beast .and i really think they could and shoul
d have done a sunday session of fenway instead of adding more and more people to saturday
* Rating
Below Average
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* From: erin markham
* Event Details
We took the subway in, so it was really easy to get in and out! Plenty of water, power bars were delicious. T shirts were kinda see-through
* Race Details
Great course except the first opsticle climbing under the ropes. The ground was rough, and there was blood everywhere (gross). I only had to do 60 burpees (spear throw and rope climb). Perfect difficulty for me!
* Rating
Above Average
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* From: Carlosavenaut
* Event Details
(parking). I park about 15-20 min away. Took the T into the stadium.
(Facilities). Clean.
(Vendors). That’s nice they had vendors selling food , coffee , hot chocolate, etc.
(Schwag). Lots and lots of schwag to choose from that was great. Kept it simple and got myself a sprint patch for my gym bag.
* Race Details
(Course) this course was good. This was my first race at Fenway Although it seemed kind of short. Not sure if it was a 5k. But I did like the course.
(Obstacles).everything was pretty simple for me. The biggest Oaccomplishment for me was going over the 10 ft wall on my own. I completed everything except the new traverse walls, couldn’t turn the corner. Lol. And for that did my 30 burpees. All is good.
(Difficulty). For me was just the traverse wall.
* Rating
Above Average
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* From: Stephen rodericks
* Event Details
Parkibg was not bad still only 10 buck at the lot right next to Fenway, but mbta is a great way to get there it is a very shirt walk to Fenway. Same swag as all spartans, medal, shirt, snacks at the finish line. Being in Fenway bathrooms were plentiful!
* Race Details
The course was a typical stadium race, running through fenway, which is more for the fun factor of running through a stadium, and worth it! The elite heat was fun, but annoying to see things like the wheel where you lock your feet into and walk on your hands. This was very annoying because it was shut down after elite due the crap show it caused, huge back up and they kept breaking, and elbowing everybody trying to move along. Other than that it was a fun race, the new twist on the traverse wall is cool, but they are copying shale hill. To be honest if more races copy shale hill the ocr world will be so much better!
* Rating
Above Average
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* From: Joe Thayer
* Event Details
I thought that the vendors were great, It appeared to me from last year that the vendors in the stadium where lacking and out side seemed great. The Spartan t-shirts appeared to come from a different manufacture and you could tell. The logo was off centered, the shirt didn’t fit well in the collar and a large fit like a medium. I am hoping with will be more comfortable after the laundry. Previous race Finisher shirts where made in Egypt vice China and that may have something to do with it. But if we are going to spend a good chuck of change for a stadium race, I expect quality over quantity.
* Race Details
Fenway is always a blast regardless of the temperature and year, with baseball season. We will never get it earlier than October. The course was good and the obstacles where fine, similar than 2013. I was expecting the rowing machines like last year and was disappointed and I am not sure but either my GPS was off or the course was smaller (2.09 vice 3.1 on the flyer) I wished we could have more obstacles like we experienced at Mohegan Sun this past June. The Staff was incredible polite and professional and the highlight for me was passing out the medals to the kids at the 2PM kids heat. They were awesome… See you guys next time…
* Rating
Above Average
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* From: Erick Coleman
* Event Details
I am going to start this review by gushing over something *I* feel Spartan does really well, the “pre-race” stuff. I also feel they do it SO WELL if anything slips, just a little bit, people tend to get a bit annoyed. Spartan “slips” usually translate to someone waiting an extra minute to three minutes, they are this efficient in what they do.
I normally arrive at a race with everything I need, ready to go. Waivers signed, etc, and not just for me – but for everyone I am running with. Leading up to this race things were so busy it never crossed my mind. So, for the first time in my Spartan history, off to the waiver tent I went. I waited a ghastly amount of time! It was…
Seamless. Literally seamless. As I walked over I was greeted with a huge, warm hug from Mama Hen (always a nice way to start the day), and before I even GOT to the tent a volunteer handed me a clipboard with a pen, explaining exactly what to fill out and how. After completing this, he took the clipboard, pointed me at the wall of bib numbers, wished me well for the day and off I went to find my bib number. Again, seamless.
For some reason when I do get into line for check in at Spartan my bib number is generally one of the higher line bibs. I don’t know if it’s due to the way I sign up (early), heat times, what not. But generally speaking there are usually no lines on my left, no lines on my right and I’m in a line 10-15 deep. And THOSE lines move VERY fast. Today? No lines. And we arrived during prime check in time, right around 10am. A very nice volunteer checked my wife and I in at the same time.
The whole process, from warm hug to bib in my hand, was less than 3:00 minutes.
Can anyone top or beat that? Anyone? Anyone?
After we wandered down to the schwag tent. Easily purchased two of the green Fenway shirts and I finally picked up the Trifecta hoodie I’ve been wanting for a while. My handful of $5 bag check cards came in handy Saturday! 🙂 And, another thing I would like to say – the folks who work the schwag area, no matter where you are, are always very sweet. They almost never know what they have left (how could they?), and are very willing / eager to search for things for you.
For us, parking / facilities, etc – we stayed at a local hotel around the corner. It was expensive, but worth it!
* Race Details
The actual race, I thought, was awesome. Spartan Fenway is a race I look forward to quite a bit, and I thought Spartan hit a grand slam this year. Last year they had a little difficulty with the starting lines, we didn’t get to jump the starter wall, it was a little messy to start, a little confusion. There is simply no way to have that many people in that small of an area and have it perfect. They clearly put a lot of work into how to make it better. Everyone was up and over the wall and into a snake line. I looked at the line and immediately thought “wow, we will be here for a long time.” I was wrong! We stood in line *maybe* :05 – :08 minutes, next thing I knew, we were off to the races. Our heat time was 2:30, and we started at 2:34. They nailed it.
I seriously don’t know what would be harder, the Killington barbed wire crawl or the way they had the wires set up starting the race going up the ramps. That was brutal! And judging by the amount of BLOOD we were crawling over, someone, or several someone(s), agree with me. In the dirt I am able to deploy several methods to get around, and get past people. Saturday, there was one way to go (unless you wanted to maul your knees): Stay low and bear crawl – all the way up! What a way to start a race! Can you imagine with a Sprint, Super, or Beast STARTING a race with a barbed wire crawl?
Shoot, I hope I’m not giving them any ideas.
I REALLY enjoy the non-traditional race “obstacles” such as the giant jump rope, or the ball slam. Coming into our heat we heard a few grumbles of log jams, however we didn’t encounter much at all. I didn’t wait for a jump rope at all, and maybe less than :30 seconds for a ball. I didn’t wait at for a Jerry-Can, or at all for an Atlas Stone (which was blessedly lightly than the stones at the Super or Beasts). The cargo net up the wall was AMAZING.
I CLIMBED UP A WALL AT FENWAY FREAKING PARK! THANK YOU, SPARTAN!!!!!!
Although I failed it this year, it was cool to see the rope climb moved outside this year. My spear throw was perfect, a great kill shot – and bounced right out. More burpees! But the highlight of my day, my wife’s shot was perfect, and she was SO excited!
The monkey bars had a larger grip around the polls, I wasn’t used to it. It made them easier to hang on to, I thought, however it didn’t matter for me. I could go across them easily, and then back again if they were level. I always make it to the third one and, somehow, some reason – can’t connect my brain and my body to swing myself up to that fourth raised bar. I’ll make that darn thing…someday! I LOVE the new Traverse Wall. I made it to the second wall and fell, I didn’t plan my transition well. It’s fantastic when obstacles include strength, concentration and strategy.
One of the most clever parts of the race, in my opinion, was having the ten foot wall “blocking” the “final” exit. Get up and over, and you’re basically home free! It was a nice touch.
I really love Spartan Race. I know that every time I sign up I am going to be pushed, challenged, and feel amazing about myself at the end, no matter how I did on the course. I could fail 50% of the obstacles (which I never do, I’m using an example), but Spartan gives me a chance to rectify the race. Burpees are not a penalty in my eye, it’s your chance to feel good about passing through an obstacle(s) where your body is not / was not quite up to the challenge…yet. Every time, it’s true: “You’ll Know At The Finish Line.” And, simply stated, you can’t ask for more than that.
In September I lost one of my best friends in the world to cancer. My team dedicated our race to him. I’ll conclude my review the same way.
#ThisOneIsForDoug
* Rating
Excellent
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* From: Kim Witkum
* Event Details
We were lucky and found a spot right on the street outside the park. We did not get a $75 ticket as I heard some did so that was nice! Lots of vendors. I wasn’t crazy about the Fenway shirt this year and had my Boston Strong from last year so saved a little money on the schwag. I would have loved to see a “Fenway Finisher” shirt like they had the year before last. We pay extra for this race and something beside the same finisher shirts would be nice.
* Race Details
The race seemed much shorter this year than last year. Most of the same obstacles. LOVED the Cargo net up the wall. That was a nice addition. Good to see and try the new traverse walls but for us short folk its nearly impossible to make that last corner. Herc Hoist which is my favorite seemed much lighter this year. We didn’t have too much backlog. I think this race is a ton of fun! You can’t beat the location and all the history there. Its so much fun to see all the nooks and crannies of this park. Maybe someday they will let us run behind the green monster? I ran with my family, two who have never run any type of OCR and this was short enough and very doable for people wanting to test the waters. I think they def could have stretched it out a bit but still a great day.
* Rating
Above Average
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* From: Kristin Parker
* Event Details
(Parking) We got lucky enough to grab a front row spot in the tiny lot next to BeerWorks for $10. That was super convenient and cheaper than expected.
(Facilities) I found registration quick and easy. My family checked in as spectators and we were allowed to go in the same entrance. Bathrooms where right there and there was no line!
(Vendors) Too many of them for such a small space maybe? My mother-in-law wanted coffee, but the line was too long.
(Schwag) Again, the finisher shirt is a different size and quality than every other 2014 finisher shirt I’ve gotten all year. LOL. The small is not really a small either.
* Race Details
(Course) Very similar to Fenway last year, but seemed a bit shorter. Maybe it’s because there were no rowers to make me wish it was over.
(Obstacles) That bear crawl section was pretty awesome. It got my HR up and my legs were on fire. Loved the new traverse walls, but not the longer wait there because of the added difficulty of the corners and people taking longer. They need more walls set up. The new cargo net was great! Looking down from up top even made my heart skip a beat and I’m not afraid of heights. I like that they put the rope climb outdoors this year, but I wish they had the option of ropes without knots. The Hercules hoist was too light in my opinion. I really appreciate the volunteers who remind people about Spartan burpee form. It’s one thing if you have to modify because of injury, but if you are capable, you should be going chest to ground, not just kicking your feet out and jumping back up.
(Difficulty) These stadium races usually challenge me more than the mountain races because I am not great at intense cardio. I like the ebb and flow of the mountain races where my HR is allowed to settle a bit as a climb steep hills vs. sprinting all out. Fenway was easier for me this year, but I think I’m better conditioned than I was in 2013. I enjoyed being able to come back and improve my time quite a bit and have a strong race. It was still a tough race in terms of strategy trying to avoid delays and get around bottlenecks.
* Rating
Below Average
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* From: Nate Brosey
* Event Details
I always find the parking for this event to be surprisingly easy. There are plenty of lots around, and with the T stopping so close, it keeps the number of cars pretty manageable. It’s super convenient having access to the Fenway Park bathrooms pre-race, (They sure beat a sun-baked row of Porto-Potties!) and the restaurants right outside are a great post-race gathering option. Of all the OCR’s I’ve done, this is my favorite venue from a social perspective. The vibe is very casual and friendly with lots of opportunity to meet and mingle with fellow Spartans. This year, temperature was certainly a factor that affected where people congregated, which I felt actually helped keep things moving along.
* Race Details
Compared to last year’s course, I felt this one was a lot easier. The lack of a mid-point rowing obstacle was a pleasant surprise. I found myself expecting to encounter that one obstacle that would completely gas me out, and it never came. My team ran in the 10:15 heat, which was perfect as far as the weather was concerned. Once we got out on the course, we warmed up right away thanks to the long incline bear crawl up the ramps. It’s a classic Fenway obstacle that seemed to take its toll on a lot of the early runners. There was plenty of blood already dried on the aggressively textured surface. The rest of the obstacles came about as expected, and really seemed to flow nicely through the park. I really loved the cargo net climb up to the bleachers and the rope climb being moved in front of the Green Monster. It seemed as though they backed down the number of reps required on obstacles like the weighted jump rope, ball slam, and push-ups, and box jumps. Don’t know if
that was to up the “fun factor” or just get people moving through more quickly. Either way, I enjoyed it!
* Rating
Excellent
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Jeanine Peirce
Race: Fenway 2014
Event Details: Pahking in Boston bites. $28 in a nearby garage was considered a good deal. It beat riding the T an hour home after the race. The waivers, bib numbers & registration packet area was well organized and moved quickly. Volunteers in the area helped move racers along with ease. I realize we were in a stadium, but indoor plumbing is truly a bonus. No lines for women’s room was simply a miracle. The schwag was all the norm, but I did like the skyline on the medal’s ribbon. Appealing to the Bostonians gets you bonus points.
Race Details: I like that I can say there were no obstacles that felt like we were being cheated (example-tire piles). I do feel we were a bit shorted on obstacles. I am not convinced that the “ketchup” on the bear crawls was truly Fenway Frank’s approved. Pretty sure lots of people lost some skin on the grit of the walkways. The walls were all standard, straight up 6-8 footers. There were no inverted, rope climbers, cargo-overs or over/under/throughs at all which would account for many of the “missing” obstacles in returning racers’ minds. I did miss the varied challenges. The only new thing we saw at Fenway was the Z formation traverse wall. It was a fun challenge and really tested my mental will when reaching for whatever was around the corner. I admit that I do have an expectation of the larger races to bring new challenges every year. To make up for what I felt like was less obstacles, I did attempt the men’s weights on many of the challenges simply to push myself. I will note that the climbing ropes had knots in them and were probably the 2″ rope compared to the dreaded Amesbury ropes.
More Important Details: Fenway is more about being a Bostonian than the race. It is an incredible experience. No water, no mud means that carrying your phone to snap otherwise impossible photos is a necessity. I do not run the race for time, but for the people and the experience. The massive showing of NE Spahtens was nothing short of awesome. Volunteers were blown away all over the course by the racers in blue. Battle buddies kept each other going. Newbies discovered that it’s OK to be crazy. Fears were conquered. Fun was had. I definitely got my share of Spahten group hugs that day! Will I run it again, absolutely. Do I hope they bring more obstacles, oh yeah!
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* From: Andrew Boimila
* Event Details
Date: Saturday November 15th 2014
Location: Fenway Stadium Boston, MA
Conditions: COLD!!! Partly Cloudy / High of 39
Wave Time: 3:45 PM
Overview:
Overall the race was excellent. Now I could feel this way due to the fact that I hit every obstacle, but never the less I would say it was my second favorite Spartan of the season, only falling slightly behind the Super in Mountain Creek, NJ. The course was a good distance, the obstacles dense, the volunteers cheery, despite the frigid temps, and the overall atmosphere pretty electric.
Registration:
Registration was a smooth as it usually is. Grab your waivers, or be smarter than me and print them ahead of time, head to the registration tent, grab your packet and wave time bracelet and your in.
Festival Area:
Commenting on the Festival Area for this particular race is a bit difficult, as one didn’t really exist. Some of the typical tents were inside the stadium while some were outside on Yawkee Way. The results “station” wasn’t very clearly marked and if not for the screen hanging out on a table I probably would’ve never noticed it.
* Race Details
Course:
The course was awesome! The perfect distance for a sprint, 3.1 miles. It could have been a little longer, but honestly my quads were starting to feel it going up and down the bleachers so much. Most of the “trail” was clearly marked and it brought us all around the stadium, from through the bleachers to the outfield track, even into the locker room.
Obstacles:
The obstacles were densely packed with most of the veterans making an appearance, although some had some new twists, and some new obstacles all together. I’ll try and cover all the obstacles, in no particular order, and I may miss some, so my apologies. First up was the “barbed wire crawl”, which in reality was a bear crawl under bungy cords up the exterior ramps. This thing HURT! The concrete decking was sharp and abrasive and more painful than any gravel I have ever experienced during a true barbed wire crawl. There was the Atlas Carry, although unlike the round stones I usually have to pick up, this was more of a cylinder, much more awkward. There were 20 reps of a 25 lb slam ball. Farmers carry, which could have been a lot worse. Battle Rope Jump Rope, getting the timing down on this thing was nearly impossible and I hit myself in the head more than a few times. The Traverse Wall, which had a new twist. It wasn’t straight like usual but instead bent, like a Z if looked a
t from above. I still haven’t figured out if I like it better or less. Hand Release Push Ups, in the locker room, which was cool. Big Cargo, but not an A Frame, instead it went from the track up into the bleachers. Typical sandbag carry. Spear Throw and Herc Hoist, which seemed easy, back to back. Monkey Bars, the offset ones. Typical different height walls scattered throughout the course. The Rope Climb, followed by Box Jumps, followed by a series of hanging punching bags that you had to run through, probably since they no longer have the Gladiators, and finally the finish line.
* Rating
Average
