Niche Fitness Vacations

Apparently, somebody recently discovered that if you created a Venn diagram of the fitness and vacation markets, there’s an overlap. I reckon that was how destination fitness trips were created. This market serves the people who want more than just the indulgence of a luxury hotel. Destination fitness trips combine the fun of a vacation at a luxury resort and the development and personal growth of facing a physical challenge, and knowing that you are a little stronger for having done it.

Spartan Races represent the best of this trend. They have 140 planned events for 2014 in 17 countries, which people attend from all over the world. The events they host push you to the extremes of endurance, throwing unexpected obstacles at you along the course. The hits that you take on a Spartan Race aren’t just a rough boot camp test of will, they are intended to be transformative. You come away from a Spartan event with a new perspective.

Spartan Fitness Events Lead The Class

I very much enjoyed interviewing the founder of Spartan Races, Joe De Sena for this blog; prior to the release of his book Spartan Up! Spartan Races thrive on their reputation as the most insane and extreme endurance training that a person can put himself or herself through and people sign up by the hundreds. Competitors sign on to do obstacle courses and crawl through mud for hours and hours.

You might ask why anyone would sign up to carry sandbags over rolling hills? That’s a fair question and the answer may not be something that everyone will understand. For many participants there is an adrenaline-fueled epiphany somewhere along the route. It might be something like realizing that the confidence that they’ve gained means they never again sweat the small stuff. The Spartan tagline is "You’ll know at the finish", that pretty much says it all.

Spartan Destination Fitness Trip

So, with characteristic Spartan gusto, Joe De Sena will be hosting the Spartan Race Cruise to the Bahamas. This will not be your average three-night trip. This exciting adventure will depart from Miami on a luxurious Norwegian Cruise Line ship and climax with a 3.5-mile Spartan Sprint obstacle race overlooking the ocean on a private island, with Joe leading the way. The Spartan Races Cruise departs Miami for Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas, aboard Norwegian Sky on Friday, March 6, 2015 and returns on Monday morning March 9, 2015.

This is going to be a family friendly destination fitness trip, complete with events for children thirteen years of age and under. The first 200 racers that sign up for the “Elite” wave will be eligible for a $50,000 prize pool. The 200 spots will be on a first come, first serve basis. Details are available at the Spartan Races website.

Spartan Races will also be partnering with NBC Sports to film six episodes of races in the Unites States, leading up to the World Championship Spartan Race at Killington, Vermont on Sept 20, 2014. For anyone who’s familiar with Spartan Races this event is a must, if not as something in which to participate then just the spectacle of watching.

Gym Insight Has Spartan Race Tickets

I’m very happy to announce that Dan Krueger at Spartan Media has asked that Gym Insight spread the word about the cruise and the World Championship and that they’re promoting it with an exclusive blogger giveaway. Gym Insight has been given an entry code to unlock a free race entry ticket. The code will work one time for any open heat (non-confirmed start time) Spartan Race in the continental US.

Be the first to contact Gym Insight in the comments section below to receive the entry code!

Dan has provided a link by which to register to win a trip for two including airfare and four day cruise to the Bahamas with a Spartan Sprint on a private island. There will also be an additional winner of the same prize out of anyone who blogs about the Spartan Cruise and the World Championship race. The winners will be picked on Sept. 22nd.

And Finally…

Spartan Races have also provided a discount code that will give readers of the Gym Insight Blog 10% off any Spartan Race event. The Spartan Races Discount Code: SPARTANBLOGGER

Bibliography

Fagan, Lawrence. PROMOTIONS THAT TAKE YOU TO THE EDGE. January 28, 2014. https://blog.gyminsight.com/2014/01/promotions-that-take-you-to-the-edge/ (accessed September 2, 2014).

-. SPARTAN UP! READING THE SPARTAN RACE PHILOSOPHY. March 13, 2014. https://blog.gyminsight.com/2014/03/spartan-up-reading-the-spartan-race-philosophy/ (accessed September 2, 2014).

Spartan Media. Reebok Spartan Races. 2014. https://spartanracemedia.com/ (accessed September 2, 2014).