Monday, July 7, 2025

Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025 (Palmerton)



Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025 (Palmerton)


Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025. Course and map review of the 2025 Palmerton Spartan Race Event Weekend map, at Blue Mountain Ski Area, Palmerton, PA Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!! Links below: Spartan Race Palmerton (All Obstacles):    • Spartan Race Sprint 2021 (All Obstacles)   What to Expect at Your First Spartan Race Super:    • What to Expect at Your First Spartan Race ...   Save 20% on your next Spartan Race OCR, Trail, or DEKA: OCR-KINGS

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

2025 Spartan Cincinnati Race Review

 2025 Spartan
Cincinnati
Race Review
By OCR Kings Reporter At Large
David Best


She's a vicious, life sucking bitch from which there's no escape...

and we can thank are arch nemesis and Spartan tormentor, the

infamous Darth Vader AKA Tyler Andrew Spencer as he was

the race director for the 2025 Spartan Cincinnati event held the

weekend of June 7-8. He truly painted his masterpiece of pain

and anguish......and the canvas used was the Perfect North Slopes

Ski Resort in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. It was a 15.2 mile Beast

course (before penalty loops) and a soul sucking test of mental

and physical stamina. I participated in this race 2023 and vowed

never to return.....so what do I do, sign up for 2025 and I'm here

to tell you, that this years race made that one look like a walk in

the park!!! All four race types were offered and the only thing I'll

say about the Ultra is there was a 74% DNF percentage rate, so if

you ever meet an Ultra finisher for this race, do your best Wayne

and Garth “We're Not Worthy” imitation and pay homage to these

true Spartans. Now, if you dare, come with me to the dark side,

but beware, you may not come back!!!

Logistics & Venue

Information

I have a love-hate relationship with this venue, so lets start with

love. I love the proximity of the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky

Airport to both the City of Lawrenceburg, Indiana and Perfect

North Slopes Ski Resort. In 35 minutes, you're in town or at the

venue from the airport. The ski resort is one of the nicer venue

sites on the schedule as we Spartans have full access to the resort

and amenities. The resort has multiple outdoor viewing areas that

are taken well advantage of. Part of the race course is run next to

the viewing areas, so spectators are able to enjoy watching us

suffer while drinking their beverage of choice. The Spartan

Members area is indoors as well as bag check and a large open

area for all in attendance. There are also a few dining options

the resort makes available as well as the normal vendors that

travel the circuit with Spartan.

Course Layout &

Obstacles

Now the bad....this is a TOUGH course!!!! And as we've seen at

other Spartan races this season, weather has played a part and

this race was no exception. This area has had its share of rain

which means mud. Combine wet and muddy conditions with

the severe undulation of the ski slopes, you have injuries from

racers losing their balance and hurting themselves and others....

in other words, gravity is a bitch!!! The course started out with a

muddy Armageddon into the corral, then onto the course where

you hit a nice knee deep mud bog to start the day off right, then 4

foot wall to the first creek crossing of the day. This is the first time

I've ever done a Spartan race where they had to have a guide rope

and a volunteer stationed at the creek to insure safety. With the

rain the venue has been receiving, the creek was at a 4 foot crest

and flowing hard, so hard that a young lady next to me in the

creek lost her balance and was being swept downstream, but have

no fear, Maximus Bestimus Delirious leapt into action and saved

her from impending doom. In hindsight, I'm sure that young lady

would have preferred the impending doom over finishing this

race. Then on to hay roll wall to over unders. Spartan used what

was on site and the over unders were just that, part Spartan and

part venue...large metal pipes. To 6 foot wall, then multi-rig and

to the second creek crossing just as the first, but we were given a

bonus of a rope climb out of the creek and up a muddy bank to

Atlas Carry, rope climb, bucket carry, spear throw, rolling mud &

dunk wall. That part of the course was relatively flat, but now the

hills begin and we hit Helix, Twister, Olympus, Beater, another

hill to Bender and then a snow climb....that's right.....SNOW in

June. I did stop for just a minute and play in it and it did feel

good!!! Up hill to 7 foot wall, Stairway To Sparta. Now downhill

and into the jungle for the Beast part of the race.....very few

obstacles and a lot of trail running to 8 foot wall. Darth Vader

placed the wall on an incline making that 8 foot wall more like a

10 foot wall ( The Ultra course actually had a 10 foot wall on their

course......good luck doing that) then up another hill to a home

grown Mini A Frame that was made of wood and pipe stuck out

in the middle of the woods. Then up and down multiple muddy

hills dodging downed trees as well as the occasional downed

racer to Irish Table. More muddy hills that seemed to go on

forever to Tyrolean Traverse. There was a water station near so I

stopped for a quick drink the the volunteer told us 3 miles to go...

man, was that a lie...more like 5 miles!!! Then to Armer, then an

uphill climb to a corded snow crawl which felt so good to roll

around in. On to hurdles, A-Frame Cargo and now begins the

ski slope part of this “Endurance Challenge” Down the hill, most

sliding on their ass as the hill was so beat up and muddy that

keeping your footing was close to impossible, back to the ski

resort area where inverted wall as well as Herc Hoist, Monkey

Bars and barbed wire crawl....and not a 50 yard crawl, not a 100

yard crawl, but a 200 yard crawl uphill with muddy deep holes,

all the while being bombarded by water ALL THE WAY up the

obstacle. It reminded me of a scene from the movie “1918”. Then

up the slope where many were crawling due to the poor footing to

the peak where a nice sandbag carry awaited taking us down and

up another hill to dump your bag, then downhill once again to the

bottom where Z Wall awaited. This was a high failure obstacle

due to it being at the bottom of the hill where all the water ran

from the barb wire crawl causing a muddy quagmire where

footing was almost impossible. One more hill as well as slip wall

and fire jump ended my day. I was never so happy to see a fire

jump in all my life.

Final Thoughts &

Recommendations

There are three race venues on the USA Spartan schedule that will

give you a true evaluation of where you are in Spartan...Big Bear,

Killington and Cincinnati. Where you rank them really depends

on what race director you get and how bad they want to torment

you. I spoke to Darth post race and told him not to take personally

what was being said about him because it wasn't that Spartan

talking....it was their weakness talking and I should know because

mine was talking more then once during this survival challenge.

Weather again effected the race as more rain Saturday night

caused those creek crossings to crest at over 6 feet and at that

point, it was deemed unsafe so the Sunday Super/Sprint had to be

rerouted to omit the first four obstacles....it looks like to me this

Spartan season is going to be dominated by weather. As far as

recommendations are concerned, sign up for the Beast only on

Saturday as I signed up for the Beast/Sprint in 2023 and found

out very quickly how sadistic and unforgiving this venue can be.

Only high end seasoned athletes should try to do both in one day.

I would also buy the insurance for the Sunday Super/Sprint events

as your body will be talking to you and telling you “NO” as it did

me after the Beast on Saturday. Spartan isn't just about brawn, its

also about brains and knowing when its better to withdrawal so

you can fight another day. So until my next report, this is your

OCR Kings Reporter at large, David Best, bringing you all the

BEST Spartan offers us!!!!!

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Veeniix V11Air 6K Camera Drone


Veeniix V11Air 6K Camera Drone


The Veeniix V11Air drone from Ruko features an Upgraded camera with 3-axis brushless gimbal, and it provides smooth, stable video, even in high-speed or windy conditions. Weighing just 12.6oz or 357g with battery, the V11Air comes with multiple flight modes, including cruise control, follow me, orbit flight, waypoint planning, and more. Whether you're a beginner or a professional, it's a breeze to create amazing aerial videos. The camera is specifically for aerial photographers seeking higher image quality and more stability. Its improved sensor and advanced high-resolution technology offers you breathtaking 6K images and 4K videos. This way you can explore your world without limitations! Powered by a dual battery setup, each battery provides 35 minutes of flight duration, so you can enjoy a total of 70 minutes of uninterrupted aerial photography. The newly upgraded batteries support fast charging, and the drone can be fully recharged in just 2.5 hours. The upgraded digital transmission system enables the V11Air drone to deliver exceptional image quality and smoother video stabilization even at a distance of 10,000 feet. And Ruko provides a comprehensive 1-year quality warranty. If you have any questions or comments, contact them anytime for drone support, they will always be there to assist you. Check out the Veeniix V11Air drone on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4kRc5ER To learn more, log on to www.ruko.net. #Veeniix #v11air #drone #droneview

Friday, June 20, 2025

Friday, June 13, 2025

Race Review – Spartan Race Colorado Springs 2025

 

                            2025 Spartan       

                 Colorado Springs                               

                            Race Review

 

                  By OCR Kings Reporter At Large

                            David Best             

 

                                              DIZZY....................

 

 I'm so dizzy, my head is spinnin'....like a whirlpool it never ends!!!

 

 This hit song by Tommy Roe aptly describes the Colorado Springs

 

 Race weekend held at Fort Carson on May 31- June 1, 2025. All

 

 four race types were included (Ultra, Beast, Super and Sprint) as

 

 well as the kids race. The race has been held here since 2022 and

 

 is one of the two Trifecta race weekends on the Spartan calendar 

 

 where you will receive a special honor series medal upon

 

 completion of your race of choice (the other is Newberry, SC the

 

 weekend of November 15 – 16....the Ultra medals are especially

 

 cool!!!)

 

                                       Venue History

 

 Camp Carson was established in 1942 following the attack on

 

 Pearl Harbor by Japan. The city of Colorado Springs purchased

 

 

 land south of the city and donated it to the War Department. The

 

 city has gotten more then a nice return on that investment!!! The 

 

 name was changed to Fort Carson in 1954 and encompasses more

 

 then 137,000 acres and was named after the legendary Army scout

 

 and General, Christopher “Kit” Carson. The fort is currently home

 

 to the 4th Infantry Division as well as the 10th Special Forces

 

 Group.

 

                                      Venue Logistics

 

 Fort Carson is located about 20 minutes from Colorado Springs,

 

 so there is a bit of a drive to get from your lodging of choice to

 

 the venue itself. The city offers an abundance of hotel, dining and

 

 entertainment options and if you're an outdoor enthusiast as I am,

 

 then you will be in heaven. You will have two options if your

 

 plan is to fly in for the event....Denver, which is about 85 miles

 

 from Colorado Springs or the airport in the city of Colorado

 

 Springs. I've done the race twice and used both airport options

 

 and if at all possible, fly into Colorado Springs!!!! They have a

 

 beautiful airport that's not busy, plenty of rental cars and the best

 

 part is you don't have to waste your time in that Denver traffic

 

 which gives you more time to enjoy what Colorado Springs has

 

 to offer we Spartans.

 

                   Weather Conditions & Oxygen Deprivation

 

 As Fort Carson lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, it is

 

 subject to weather conditions that seem to change by the hour.

 

 Cold mornings turn into dry and hot mid days that turn into rain    

 

 soaked afternoons then to cool evenings. This venue is also

 

 know as being a hail magnet (see YouTube videos from 2023)

 

 and this year was no different. As the crew members of Spartan

 

 were putting the finishing touches on the venue late Friday, a

 

 hail storm hit causing damage to multiple tents in the venue area.

 

 Once the storm passed, the Colorado Springs Spartan crew leapt

 

 into action working deep into the night to repair the damage done

 

 and they did just that with flying colors!!! The Spartan crew

 

 members NEVER get enough credit for the hard work and

 

 dedication they bring to give us Spartans the finest race  

 

 experience there is in OCR. But the weather isn't the only thing

 

 we have to battle on race day....it's literally trying to catch our

 

 breath. Colorado Springs lies at 6,035 feet above sea level and I

 

 always thought that the higher above sea level you went, the less

 

 

 

oxygen there is....but not so.....it's actually the lack of pressure at

 

 the higher altitudes that allow the oxygen to spread out so you

 

 are taking in less oxygen per breath then you do at sea level....

 

 about 20 percent less at this venue. They say it takes 3-5 days to

 

 acclimate to this, but personally, I think it would take weeks and

 

 then maybe.

 

                                       Paul Lachance &

 

                            The American Warrior Initiative  

 

 In previous race reviews, we have highlighted so many great

 

 causes like the Teddy Bear Crawl and More Hearts Then Scars,

 

 but I would like to tell you about Paul Lachance and his work

 

 with the American Warrior Initiative. American Warrior Initiative

 

 provides fully trained service dogs to wounded veterans as well

 

 as first responders that need the help and companionship these

 

 dogs offer our heroes. Paul has shirts made up and and 100%

 

 of the funds received for the shirts go to the initiative so they

 

 may continue to service the needs of  our warriors. Paul is a

 

 retired Navy veteran of the Viet Nam era and currently the oldest

 

 Spartan racer in the world which gives him a platform so he may

 

 continue his work for the Initiative. If you are interested in

 

 supporting the cause, just look him up on Facebook by his name

 

 or you may try Spartan 4-0 on Facebook as well.

 

                                   Course & Obstacle 

 

                                            Review

 

 The course this year seemed to take the same route as in previous

 

 years with a mixed bag of rock, mud and grass with a decent

 

 spacing of hills and flatter straightaways to help with making up

 

 the time lost on those hills and looking for air (LOL). We did

 

 have an added bonus this year....with the rain came the wild

 

 flowers. Flame orange and well as purple and blue dotted the

 

 course and we were also serenaded by many a happy frog that

 

 enjoyed the ponds created by the needed rain. The course

 

 obstacles were as follows: hurdles, overunder walls, 4ft wall,

 

 rolling mud, dunk wall and to slip wall. I ran both the Beast and

 

 Sprint on Saturday and the difference between the dunk wall &

 

 slip wall between the two races were night and day. The Ultra &

 

 Beast racers had to problem with the mud and slip wall, but the

 

 Sprint racers and Saturday as well as the Super/Sprint racers on

 

 Sunday were treated to what I call a suicide mission trying to get

 

 up that wall. The consistency of the mud changed so much in

 

 just those few hours that racers were only able to make it up about  

 

 half way before tumbling down the wall and in more then a few

 

 cases, taking other racers with them. One ingenious Spartan even

 

 sat on the slipwall and pulled himself up to the top and over the 

 

 obstacle. Then on to bucket  carry, Stairway To Sparta, 7ft wall,

 

 beater, Irish tables and twister. We then had to tackle 8ft wall,

 

 Tyrolean Traverse, vertical cargo, Armer and then Olympus......

 

 my Kryptonite. Just before the Olympus, there was a water

 

 station with a volunteer overseeing both the Olympus and the

 

 water station. As I drank my water, he asked “How you doing”

 

 and I responded “I'm pissed off” and pointed toward the Olympus

 

 to show him the multiple “racers” that were stepping on the

 

 handholds to complete the obstacle. I then proceeded to tell him

 

 how tired I am trying to complete Olympus not only battling the

 

 obstacle, but the mud and dog **it left behind by those “racers”

 

 on the handholds. He then told me it's hard for him to handle both

 

 things and he figures the water comes first. (I missed on Olympus

 

 during the beast, but completed in during the Super). Then

 

 Bender, Inverted Wall, Spear Throw, Atlas Carry, Sandbag Carry,

 

 

  Z Wall to the last hill of the day and that one will have you

 

 searching for oxygen!!!! To rope climb, a very long barbed wire

 

 crawl to monkey bars, A-Frame Cargo, Herc Hoist, Multi Rig

 

 and finally the fire jump.

 

                        Final Thoughts & Recommendations

 

 This venue is a very deceiving one. You can look at the map and

 

 say to yourself “That doesn't look that hard” but when you're hit

 

 with the terrain, weather conditions and not much oxygen, you

 

 will be feeling all that come fire jump time. The weather got me

 

 on Saturday as I was doing both the Beast and Sprint, but an

 

 afternoon thunderstorm came in and I was only able to complete

 

 about ¾ of the Sprint course before Spartan closed the obstacles

 

 and made us walk the rest of the course to finish. Yes, we did do

 

 the fire jump and we did receive our Sprint medals. Something

 

 that Spartan needs to address is attracting seasoned racers to

 

 volunteer to man these obstacles and to have these veterans take

 

 the new racers to school on how Spartan is properly done. I

 

 purchase the season pass each year since I race more often then

 

 most, so a free race code doesn't really entice me to volunteer.

 

 What can we do to entice more qualified Spartans to volunteer?

 

 If you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments section

 

 and if they're good, I'll claim them as my own!!!! LOL!!! Until

 

 my next report, this is your OCR Kings reporter at large, David

 

 Best, bringing you all the best that Spartan offers us!!!!!!!!!      

 

 

                          

 

 

    

     

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Spartan Race Super 2025 (All Obstacles)



Spartan Race Super 2025 (All Obstacles)


Spartan Race Super 2025 (All Obstacles), or at least most of them. The Spartan Race Tri-State Bethel NY event was insane! Tons of mud, rain, lightning, evacuations, you name it! Spartan Race Super Bethel, NY June 7, 2025 as run by Mack and Damer of OCR Kings, what an adventure! Links below, and please like and subscribe: Spartan Race Sprint 2025 (All Obstacles):    • Spartan Race Sprint 2025 (All Obstacles)   Send us your video, get a free Spartan Race:    • Free Spartan Race and Tough Mudder Giveaway   Save 20% on your next Spartan Race, use Spartan discount code: OCR-KINGS Register on https://www.spartan.com

Monday, June 9, 2025

Race Review - Spartan Race Tri-State Bethel NY 2025



Race Review - Spartan Race Tri-State Bethel NY 2025


Race Review - Spartan Race Tri-State Bethel NY 2025. An after action, SITREP of the Tri-State NY Spartan Race Super in Bethel, NY, as run by Mack and Damer, June 7, 2025. Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!! Links below: Send us your video, get a free Spartan Race:    • Free Spartan Race and Tough Mudder Giveaway   Save 20% on your next Spartan Race, use Spartan discount code: OCR-KINGS Register on www.spartan.com

Friday, June 6, 2025

Crossing The Finish Line at Spartan Race Tri-State #spartan #ny #nj



Crossing The Finish Line at Spartan Race Tri-State

Mack of OCR Kings crosses the finish line at Spartan Race Tri-State NJ (Mountain Creek) Beast. Great job! For more obstacle race footage from Savage Race, Spartan Race, Tough Mudder and more, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!! #shorts #finisher #running #runningmotivation #spartanrace #tristate #beast

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Spartan Race Tri-State NY 2025 Map, the Beast that Could Have Been



Spartan Race Tri-State NY 2025 Map, the Beast that Could Have Been

Spartan Race Tri-State NY 2025 Map. Course and map review of the 2025 Bethel, NY Tri-State race. The OCR Kings have some insights based on their previous experiences at this event. Links below, and don't forget to subscribe!! Spartan Race Sprint 2024 (All Obstacles):    • Spartan Race Sprint 2025 (All Obstacles)   What to Expect at Your First Spartan Race Super:    • What to Expect at Your First Spartan Race ...  

Friday, May 30, 2025

Spartan Race WINNER! 💪


Spartan Race WINNER!


Congrats to our newest Spartan Race giveaway winner! Good luck at your event my friend! We're giving away free Spartan Race entries! Use the link below, or click the video link at the bottom of this video for details. Send us your video and get a FREE race! Google submission form: https://forms.gle/PwEmt8DB198tudCx5 #spartanrace #spartan #winner

Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025 (Palmerton)

Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025 (Palmerton) Spartan Race Poconos Map 2025. Course and map review of the 2025 Palmerton Spartan Race Event Week...