Spartan races attract thousands to area

More than over 3,500 athletes descended on Highlands Nordic last weekend for three different Spartan races. On Friday, over 1,200 people competed in the 6km Sprint.  On Saturday, another 1,000-plus people completed the Beast, more than 20km of trail and obstacles. The day started off incredibly cold but the leaders didn’t let that stop them and ran the course in one hour and 59 minutes.

On Sunday the last 1,000 participants ran the 13km Super race in chilly and overcast conditions. More than 90 people finished the grueling course, including Justin Palival and Melissa Houghton (pictured above jumping the fire pit at the finish line), who came from Ottawa to participate in the race. 

Elite male racer Jesse Bruce, of Toronto, won all three races. Also of note, local athlete Hannah Skelton placed first in her age group (18-24).