In recent years, China’s running market has been booming, with the number of various running and marathon events reaching 306 (registered with the Chinese Athletics Association up to 2016), but this still hasn’t dampened runners’ unprecedented enthusiasm.
Insiders joke that signing up is harder than snagging Spring Festival travel tickets.This supply-demand imbalance has obviously caught the attention of some event organizers.Beyond marathons, some more novel running events have started to make their way into China, one of which is calledthe Spartan Racethat has garnered particular attention.
On January 29, 2017, local time, the UK held a cross-country challenge where participants jumped through mud pits and braved fire to move forward. Photo credit:DongfangIC (Oriental IC)
Comparable to marathons, obstacle races are hugely popular in the U.S.
The Spartan Race, in terms of its format, is known as “Obstacle Racing,” which translates to obstacle course running, and is also referred to by some enthusiasts in China as “mud run.”
Taking the Spartan Race as an example, it is divided into three types:Sprint (6+ km), Super (12+ km), and Beast (21+ km), all featuring dozens of obstacle challenges (including walls, barbed wire, ropes, and even fire obstacles), and failure to complete an obstacle results in penalties such as 30 burpees...
At first glance, obstacle racing may seem like a niche event, but in its birthplace, the U.S., its popularity rivals or even surpasses that of the more familiar marathons and triathlons.
One statistic shows: in 2010, there were 500,000 obstacle racers, roughly on par with full marathon participants, while half marathon runners numbered 1 million and triathletes 1.5 million; by 2015, full marathon runners increased to 540,000, half marathoners to 2 million, triathletes to 2.3 million, and obstacle racers astonishingly hit 4 million.
On English-language social media, the Spartan Race has amassed 5 million followers. According to the event schedule, in 2017, the race will be held in over 30 countries worldwide, with more than 200 events and over 1 million participants.
Why has obstacle running attracted so many people?After all, its development history of just over a decade is hard to compare with traditional marathons and triathlons. On this point, the personal experience and insights of Spartan Race founder Joe De Sena might offer some explanation.
As an elite athlete, De Sena has tried almost every extreme sport he could access, participating in over 50 ultra-long-distance running events and completing 14 triathlons in one year. “After so many events, you start to find repetitive sports a bit dull and crave something newer — ideally with more elements that test your willpower and physical abilities...”
An “adventure” by a Wall Street elite
If De Sena’s personal athletic experiences resonate with many runners, his other role —a brilliant businessman— may add an even more legendary dimension to his creation of obstacle racing.
This kid, who grew up in Howard Beach, started selling fireworks at age 8. By high school and college, De Sena had already amassed millions of dollars in startup capital. The rest of the story is easy to guess: De Sena ran his own trading company on Wall Street, then operated an organic farm, a family inn, and a hiking gear store in Pittsfield...
He could have basked in the glory of an affluent life, but De Sena chose to “torture” himself — not only pushing his body through various extreme sports, but also jumping from one industry to another, making his risk-taking adventures the envy of many Wall Street peers.
“Business-wise, this isn’t a safe project.” De Sena often jokes that he lost money on obstacle racing for 16 years while running it, because even the money he made was quickly reinvested into operations. But he also emphasizes that life requires a spirit of challenge. “I left Wall Street at 36. Maybe I was still naive, but once you make a decision, don’t look back — doubting yourself is just wasting your youth and energy.”
De Sena’s story has been widely shared in the U.S., and the two books he wrote —Spartan UpandSpartanFitIt even made him a New York Times bestselling author twice. The circle he once belonged to — the elite of Wall Street — are now among the most enthusiastic participants in obstacle races. They’re not just keen on trying out new sports; they are more like disciples of Senna’s fearless pioneering spirit. Many articles in China have previously highlighted how Wall Street elites are often sports enthusiasts. On this front, Senna has once again spearheaded a trend.
Currently, obstacle racing has become wildly popular in the United States and some European countries. In the U.S., obstacle races are held in different cities every week. But Senna has even bigger ambitions — he wants to grow this sport across the Asia-Pacific region.
To that end, he and his wife, along with their four children, have even made Japan their long-term residence. Last year, four races were held in China, attracting 18,000 participants. This year, both the scale and number of events will expand, with the number of participants expected to reach 30,000.
Replicating success in China is no easy task.
When it comes to focusing on the Chinese market, Senna sees the tremendous development of China’s sports industry and its vast market potential. Some insiders believe that events like obstacle racing may better cater to the needs of general sports enthusiasts. “First, there’s the fun factor. Also, in terms of entry barrier, since obstacle races aren’t very long, they’re relatively easy to pick up.”
According to Senna’s vision, as the sport becomes more widespread and event scales continue to grow, it could eventually become an Olympic event. In fact, obstacle racing has recently been included by the International Modern Pentathlon Union under its laser run discipline.
It’s worth mentioning,that no sporting event can develop without addressing commercialization. How does a “Wolf of Wall Street” seek commercial gain when participant numbers are soaring?
“Typically, the profit points of a branded event are divided into several parts: registration fees, sponsorship revenue, and related merchandise. But we can think broader.” According to Senna, obstacle racing has partnered with NBC to produce related special programs. In addition, there are proprietary health product lines and a training system developed in-house. With a massive participant base, an entire obstacle racing industry chain can be formed. “Past experience has taught me that when you do something, you don’t need to deliberately focus on the business side. When you do it well and make it successful, everything else will naturally fall into place.”
It sounds like Senna is ready to replicate his success in China and across the Asia-Pacific region. But will everything really go as planned?
Some domestic professional runners remain skeptical. “Obstacle racing has its advantages, but feedback from the domestic market shows it’s still a new event. Public awareness is low, and participation remains limited. Compared to traditional road running, the scale of obstacle racing is too small, which directly leads to relatively low sponsor interest for now. As for the event’s IP, in China there’s no media platform willing to foot the bill. Even marathons with established reputations still have to pay for TV broadcasts...”
All signs indicate that a sport that dominates participation numbers in the U.S. still has a long way to go in China. Before the first light of dawn appears, what’s needed is long-term pioneering and hard work.