NEW HAMPTON, N.Y.—The 2026 Tri-State New York Spartan Race was held in Orange County for a second consecutive year, bringing in thousands to test their strength.
The event was held on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 at New Hampton’s Sunflower Valley Farm, an expansive farm surrounded by rolling hills near the village of Unionville. Thousands of people came to run the course, often attending in groups with friends or family. Some came dressed for Halloween in costumes.
Spartan Race is a company that hosts obstacle races across the country and around the world. It takes inspiration from the military training of the ancient Spartans, running courses filled with challenges that stretch from five kilometers to more than 50 kilometers. A few course obstacles are wall climbs, barbed wire crawls, and javelin throwing.
The location at the farm brought unique benefits and challenges. It provided exquisite fall aesthetics, as participants ran through cut corn fields and under orange and yellow trees. Because of the farmland, runners had to conquer steep irrigation ditches, and some were tripped up by the cut corn stalks.
Participants had options for what kind of race they wanted to run, the main ones being the sprint, the super, and the kids race. The sprint was a five-kilometer course with 20 obstacles and had an average run time of one hour and 32 minutes. It cost $139 per person.
The super was 10 km with 25 obstacles, averaging two hours and 25 minutes, and costing $175. The kids race was one km to three km and included 10 to 20 obstacles with an average time of 32 minutes. Tickets were $29.
Awards were given at the end for the fastest time for each age group and gender. Runners were also given free drinks and could purchase food from vendors.
The 2025 Spartan Race in New Hampton drew about 7,200 participants and affirmed a positive connection between the company and the local area. Runners enjoyed the location, and Spartan Race worked in collaboration with the Orange County Board of Tourism to connect with local restaurants and businesses.
David Reagan came to New Hampton from the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, area, where he works in digital marketing. He got third place in the sprint male category.
Reagan said he enjoys fitness and has run about 40 Spartan Races, seeing it as a fun opportunity to stay fit.
“I wrestled in college at Shippensburg [University], so … Spartan’s been a great way to keep myself in shape, give myself something to train for,” he said. “I like the mix of running and obstacles, like having that mixture of running and strength and grip strength.”
Reagan said that the location had some real benefits, such as that the parking area was right next to the track, as most Spartan Races require parking far off and walking or getting bused in.
“It’s pretty nice for the fall. … Some of the corn stalks were a pain to run over, but overall it looks cool. I like the background trees,” he said.
Spartan Race enthusiast David Reagan at the Spartan Race at Sunflower Valley Farm in New Hampton, N.Y., on Nov. 1, 2026. (Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times)
Israel said: “It just allows you to test the limits of your endurance and really see what you’re made of, have fun at the same time, meet lots of people. It’s a good day. … Great weather, great venue.”
Dana said she enjoys seeing the new venues for each race.
“This one was fun because it was flatter, but a little bit more distance,” she said. “You get to see everything, so it’s a little bit more challenging mentally.”
Her favorite parts of the race were the barbed wire crawls and the A-frame climb, where runners climbed a huge, mesh-covered triangle before jumping over a line of fire at the finish line.
“Being outdoors in the fall was the best part of it,” Israel said.
Israel and Dana at the Spartan Race at Sunflower Valley Farm in New Hampton, N.Y., on Nov. 1, 2026. (Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times)
Szczech became curious about the race when he heard that someone he knew was training for a marathon. He looked up Spartan Race, found that it was being held an hour away that weekend, and decided to try it.
“The running part was hard,” he said. “Obstacles were a walk in the park for me. I’m naturally good at that type of stuff, but it was a good time for beginners. I could see it could be a little bit intimidating, but once you get out there and you start moving and grooving, you’ll get the hang of it.”
A man climbs an obstacle at the Spartan Race at Sunflower Valley Farm in New Hampton, N.Y., on Nov. 1, 2026. (Oliver Mantyk/The Epoch Times)
