Spartan Race—a global endurance sport brand with a dedicated and highly desirable audience—is officially coming to Kelowna and Big White Ski Resort for the first time on August 27 and 28, 2022.
Securing this showcase event for the region was an exciting partnership opportunity for Tourism Kelowna and Big White. With conversations beginning in 2020, our teams hosted representatives from Spartan Race in September 2021 for an official site visit and inspection.
Spartan Race site visit and inspection at Big White Ski Resort, September 2021
Big White will provide racers with rugged single track, challenging climbs, and dozens of obstacles in four races: Super 10K, Beast 21K, Ultra 50K, and a Kids race.
“We are excited to bring Spartan to Kelowna where our athletes will push themselves to their limits on the highest summit in the Okanagan Highland,” said Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan. “Spartan is about becoming your own force of nature and what better place for this challenge than among the breathtaking alpine views in British Columbia.”
As one of only two races in Western Canada, Spartan will drive economic and tourism benefits to the region with a high volume of racers travelling from out-of-market to compete.
“We are excited to add a premium event like Spartan Race to our destination’s strong hosting resume,” said President and CEO of Tourism Kelowna, Lisanne Ballantyne. “The economic impact of this event will be far-reaching, benefitting Kelowna’s accommodators and tourism businesses. Appealing to both residents and visitors, the Central Okanagan will provide an outstanding backdrop for over 5,000 racers.”
“Our partnership with Spartan Canada will only help further our commitment to providing a viable calendar of events and activities that support local economic development for Big White and the greater Central Okanagan in both summer and winter,” stated Vice President of Hospitality for Big White Ski Resort, Trevor Hanna. “We are excited to host this inaugural event and welcome competitors, their friends and family members from across Canada and the U.S. to the resort.”
Visit Spartan's website for more information on the Kelowna race weekend.
About Spartan
Spartan is a global experiential sport and wellness brand with a 10 million+ strong community. They create transformational experiences, products, and content to help people, companies, and teams tear down boundaries and expand what they believe to be possible. Spartan combines large-scale global events with a vibrant digital content and community platform. With 250 events across more than 40 countries on six continents, Spartan is the world's leading extreme wellness and endurance brand. Visit spartan.com for more information and registration.
