Around 2,500 obstacle course race (OCR) athletes across Asia Pacific will gather once again at the iconic New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Tarlac on Saturday, July 15, as they vie for race supremacy at this year’s Spartan Stadion race.
The battle to be champion–a 5K, 20 obstacle race triggering a grueling yet glorifying test of physical power and mental toughness akin to the fabled Spartan warrior ethos of ancient Greece.
Among the top racers vying for the podium finish this year are 2022 New Clark City Spartan Stadion defending champions Silamie Gutang and Mervin Guarte; Guinness Book World Record Holders for OCR Sandi Abahan and Elias Tabac from the Philippines; as well as Multi Trifecta holder Shen Max of China.
“We invite everyone to witness the fastest and fittest athletes in obstacle course racing compete at Spartan Stadion in New Clark City. These athletes will be competing for podium spots, awards, and cash prizes at an Olympic-like level for Obstacle Course Racing,” Spartan Race Philippines General Manager Dr. Marc Laurenze Celis.
Majority of this year’s Stadion participants have achieved high ranking and strong finishes from previous Spartan races. Also in the roster are top athletes from universities, military and police personnel, and members of the national team, which secured gold medals in the 2023 South East Asian Games (SEA Games) in Cambodia.
Photo caption: Spartan Race Philippines Race Director Micca De Joya shows the media some of the obstacles for the 2023 New Clark City Spartan Stadion race. BCDA photo
“We are once again thrilled to host one of the most coveted obstacle course races in the world. The intensity and excitement of the high-impact Spartan Stadion is exactly what gave rise to the New Clark City sports facilities–just like the hosting of 30th SEA Games in 2019,” said BCDA Officer-in-Charge for Investment Promotions and Marketing Michelle S. San Juan-De Vera.
The Philippines’ first Spartan Stadion race in June 2022 was also hosted at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium, the first-ever sports facility in the Philippines to receive a Class 1 certification from the World Athletics, formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
With a 20,000-seating capacity, a nine-lane 400-meter track and field, and a four-lane warm-up track, the stadium served as a venue for the 30th SEA Games 2019. It was previously nominated as one of the top 10 best stadiums in the world at the 2019 Stadium of the Year Awards by Poland-based StadiumDB.com and shortlisted at the recent 2023 United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) Dubai Design Awards.
New Clark City sports facilities were completed within 18 months in time for the hosting of the 2019 SEA Games.