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A three-day international endurance event this weekend was off to the races Thursday with an opening ceremony in Downtown Charleston.
The Summit Bechtel Reserve in Glen Jean will host thousands of athletes from around the globe this weekend for the Spartan Trifecta World Championship. Thursday, 800 athletes will register for the race at Haddad Riverfront Park and participate in the Parade of Nations following the opening ceremony at 6 p.m.
The Spartan race format combines timed distances of 5km, 10km or 21km with obstacles such as spear throws, Hercules hoists and rope climbing. Elite athletes competing for the trifecta run in all three races the same weekend.
Summit is the first Spartan World Championship to be held in the U.S. after only being held in Sparta, Greece, for years.
“We’ve hosted Trifecta Championships in some of the most incredible locations in Europe, but it’s time our U.S. Spartans got their shot at home,” Joe De Sena, Spartan Founder and CEO, said. “West Virginia is the perfect proving ground. This is going to be a championship weekend to remember.”
The Trifecta takes place September 5, 6 and 7 but kicks off Thursday evening.