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April 4th - 6th, 2025
My third Spartan Race, and the first one of 2025! This one was a little different from my previous races. I normally stick to 21 Kilometer Beast events, but this time I decided to try a Stadion race, which is only 5 kilometers. Why would I do a shorter race? Well, running up and down flights of stairs in a sports stadium sounded like a unique challenge, and I wanted to test myself on every type of terrain. Plus I thought it would be fun to mix things up a little. The location this time was Los Angeles, California, home of the 9-time World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, at Dodger Stadium.
Even though this was my second time traveling to the United States, I didn’t feel nearly as nervous as I had for the Arizona race. Don’t get me wrong, there was still some nervous energy, but it was different. Part of it was that I didn’t rent a car this time. Instead I got to sit back and relax on a shuttle bus from LAX International Airport to my hotel. Taking in the city views along the way, I felt a sense of excitement rather than stress. Navigating alone can be overwhelming, especially with the massive freeways and endless traffic. Being able to rely on public transit and Ubers made the whole experience feel much more chill and enjoyable.
Before the race, I had to squeeze in one other major bucket-list item: my first official in-season NBA game. It was the New Orleans Pelicans versus the Los Angeles Lakers, and I was absolutely hyped. Sure I had watched a preseason game in person back in 2018 when the Toronto Raptors played against the Portland Trail Blazers at Vancouver. (Shout out to the East End Boys Club for providing tickets with private suites and food!) But this felt completely different. The arena, the energy, the lights, it was an entirely new level of excitement.
It felt surreal seeing players like LeBron James or Luka Dončić in person. To some it's just normal, for Vancouver citizens with no NBA team, coolest thing ever. Also they’re not injured and playing!? For me that was already my full money’s worth. I spent about $350 on tickets which isn’t bad. I was up in the high rows, but thankfully security was pretty chill about me watching from the lower level. As much as I wanted to watch the full game, I was in downtown Los Angeles at night, and my hotel was a 40-minute walk away... There’s no way in heck I'm risking getting stranded with no Uber. But before I left, I checked out the Lakers gift shop. And wow, they have so much history. It made me wonder what some of the smaller NBA team gift shops have. Like what does the Charlotte Hornets shop even carry? LaMelo Ball merch and a picture of Michael Jordan as the owner? (Sorry to any Hornets fans reading this.) Now... It's time for the race.
Approaching and entering Dodger Stadium, you can feel the energy in the air. We were allowed to sit in the stands and watch all the other Spartans going up and down the stairs across the stadium. From a distance they looked like tiny ants.
Just like I mentioned in my Spartan Race Arizona, I did feel a little lonely. I'm far away from home, travelling all alone, seeing everyone interact with each other. But just like how I felt the first time, the moment I approached the starting line, it goes all out the window and locked in.
Whenever I participate in a Spartan Race I always pick a heat with fewer people. The group before me had around a hundred Spartans waiting at the start line, all packed together in a tunnel. Not really a big fan of that. So when my heat started, there were only about eight of us. I knew I’d eventually catch up to others along the way. I just prefer that quiet focus at the beginning instead of being surrounded by a huge crowd.
There were so many stairs, but I had prepared by running up and down the stairwells at my workplace. The race itself wasn’t particularly long, only 5 kilometers, but the Stadium layout added a different terrain. Obstacles were a mix of obstacle classics, like spear throws and monkey bars, and functional exercises like jump ropes and box jumps. Each obstacle tested my endurance differently, and the mix kept things funandunpredictable. Running through the stadium had a lively energy. The sounds echoed, the cheers bounced off the walls, and the sun filtered through in certain areas. Every step of stairs felt like a new mini-challenge, because my clumsy butt felt like I could trip on them any moment... Which only happened once during that race, so that's a win!
After the race I wandered over to a Mexican cultural plaza near my hotel. I had some incredible tacos, which felt like a well-earned reward. The flavors, the spices, and the atmosphere perfectly capped off the experience. I spent a little time exploring, appreciating the vibrant energy, and reflecting on how different this race was from my previous ones.
Overall the California Spartan Race trip was amazing. The Stadion race may be shorter, but I still had a ton of fun, and it was challenging in its own way. I got to combine sports, travel, and culture into one trip, and I loved every moment. At the time of writing this, I rank this trip 3rd place out of the seven Spartan Race adventures I had done.