Spartan Stadion 8 Week Prep Program

Epic Race Training

Obstacle Course Racing, Endurance, Functional Fitness
Coach
Rich Borgatti

Conquer the Spartan Stadion with Our 8-Week Prep Course!

Get race-ready and dominate your Spartan Stadion with confidence!

Our 8-Week Spartan Stadion Prep Course is designed for athletes of all levels who want to elevate their performance, conquer obstacles, and finish strong. Whether you're aiming to improve your time or tackle your first stadium race, this program will help you succeed.

You'll train the three things a Stadion actually asks for: stairs, loaded carries, and the short explosive bursts between obstacles.

Every week has stairs in it. The carries use race weight - a 60/40 sandbag, 53/35 farmers - so nothing you pick up on course is new. And the running is built around obstacle transitions rather than distance, because that's how the race is actually run.

Endurance, speed, strength and obstacle skill, in the proportions this race demands.

What You Will Get:

  • A tried and tested program, proven with beginner and intermediate racers
  • 4 workouts a week including obstacle accessory work: 2 conditioning workouts, 1 progressive running workout, and 1 optional Zone 2 aerobic day.
  • A fitness test in Week 1 that you re-test in Week 8, so you finish with a number instead of a feeling
  • Substitutions for every movement, so missing a piece of kit never costs you a session

Take the first step toward your Spartan Stadion victory — purchase today and start your transformation!

$60
Get Spartan Stadion 8 Week Prep Program
benefit-image-0
Improved Race Performance:
Develop the speed, endurance, and obstacle techniques needed to finish faster and stronger.
benefit-image-1
Obstacle Mastery:
Gain confidence in tackling walls, monkey bars, rope climbs, and other key race challenges.
benefit-image-2
Enhanced Strength and Conditioning:
Build strength with the loads you'll actually carry on course - 60/40 sandbag, 53/35 farmers.
benefit-image-3
Injury Prevention and Recovery:
Incorporate mobility and recovery techniques to stay healthy and race-ready.
benefit-image-4
Structured Training Plan:
Follow a clear week-by-week roadmap, with a deload before the hardest week and a taper into race day.
Features
feature-icon
Direct access to your coach
Message me in the TrainHeroic app or by email. Ask about substitutions, an obstacle you're stuck on, or fitting the week around your life.
feature-icon
Programming 4 days per week
3 main sessions plus 1 optional Zone 2 aerobic day. Strength, conditioning, running and skill work, scaled for any level.
feature-icon
Exercise Video Guidance
Instructional videos of the movements are included to help guide your form. Check out our YouTube channel for more videos.
feature-icon
Delivered through TrainHeroic
Our programs are delivered through TrainHeroic, an amazing digital platform to help you keep track of your progress!
Equipment
Required
Sandbag // Dumbbells or Kettlebells // Pullup Bar // Stairs or Bleachers
Recommended
Box // TRX or Rings // Track // Climbing wall // Climbing Rope // Monkey Bars // Throwing Spear // Slam Ball // Yoga Mat
sample week banner image
phoneMockup
Sample Week
Week 1 of 8-week program
Sunday
Week 1 Session 1

A

Full Body Dynamic Warmup

For Completion

B

Cardio

For Completion

Circuit

C

5 rounds of :30s work and :30s rest of each exercise 1. Jumping Jacks 2. Side to Side shuttle shuffle (10ft or 3m) 3. Push ups or Elevated Push ups 4. Pull up bar hang or Farmers Hold (in place, 15 - 25lbs each hand)

Conditioning

D

Spartan FIT Test

Spartan FIT Test AMRAP 5 mins Set a clock for 5 mins, perform as many burpees as possible in that time. For the first test pace the burpees so you can finish the 5 minutes. Record number of burpees to re-test later. IF YOU ARE INJURED OR UNWELL: do not force this. Note down what stopped you and re-test when you are healthy. An injury score is not a fitness baseline, and comparing Week 8 against it tells you nothing.

E

Cool Down Yoga Flow

1 x 5:00

F

Foam Roll

1 x 5:00

Tuesday
Week 1 Session 2

A

Full Body Dynamic Warmup

For Completion

B

Jog

For Completion

Circuit

C

Warm up pace x20 reps each - Jumping Jacks - Cossack Squat - Mountain Climbers (L&R=1)

Circuit

D

Workout: AMRAP 20 mins 10 Air Squats 10 Walking Lunges 10 Sit ups 1 min Run, jog or jump rope in place Rest 1:00 then repeat (optional) Record how many full rounds you complete in 20 mins

E1

Static Stretch

1 x 5:00

E2

Foam Roll

1 x 5:00

E3

Fire Hydrant

3 x 5

Thursday
Week 1 Session 3

A

Jog

For Completion

Prep

B

Running Dynamic Warm Up

Gently stretch anything that feels tight - calves and hamstrings especially. Then 10 reps or 20m of each: - High kicks (Frankenstein walk) - Butt kicks - High knees - A-skip - B-skip - Walking lunges - High skips (Super Mario jumps) Take this seriously. The track work goes better when you do.

C

Run

D

Cool Down Yoga Flow

For Completion

Friday
Week 1 Session 4

Zone 2 Aerobic

A

30-40 minutes, easy and continuous. Pick one: walk, hike, jog, bike, row, or ruck. Whatever you can sustain without your breathing changing. This week is about calibration. Find the pace where you can talk in full sentences and hold it. Note what that pace is - it becomes your reference for the rest of the program. If you have hills or stairs on your route, take them. Just slow down enough on the climbs that the conversation test still passes. No score. Nothing to chase.

Coach
More from Epic Race Training
coach-avatar Rich Borgatti

Coach Rich is a pioneer in Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) and CrossFit. Named one of America’s top 10 OCR coaches by Spartan Races in 2019, he is a Spartan Level 2 coach and serves on the USAOCR coaching committee, has coached hundreds of athletes from beginners to elites, led Spartan World Tour events, and authored the OCR training book Epic Training.

closer-image-1
closer-image-2
Have an Epic race!!

Your Spartan Stadion success starts here! With expert guidance, obstacle-specific training, and a proven plan for any fitness level, this program will give you the edge you need to dominate the course. Don’t wait—commit to your victory today and transform

Get Spartan Stadion 8 Week Prep Program
closer-image-3
FAQs
Do I need a stadium?
No. A building stairwell, a park, a school, any bleachers. Every stair session has a treadmill or hill substitute, and the program tells you how to make short stairs count. Real steps are better, but they are not the price of entry.
I've never raced. Is this too much?
No. Week 1 asks you to set a baseline, not prove anything, and every session has substitutions with loads you choose. This was written for people whose first Stadion hadn't happened yet.
I've raced a few. Is this enough?
If you race open wave or age group, yes - Week 7 covers race distance on foot with race-weight carries. If you're racing for a podium, no, and I'd rather say so now than take your money.
I don't have a sandbag.
Train unweighted, or use a rucksack with books in it. A sandbag is the one purchase that changes the most, and the program tells you race weight so you can decide for yourself.
How long is a session?
45 to 60 minutes for the three main ones. The optional fourth day is easy aerobic work, and it's the first thing to drop in a bad week.
My race is in five weeks, not eight.
Start at Week 1 and jump to Week 8 for race week. You'll miss some of the build. The taper matters more than cramming.

More from Epic Race Training

programs
Spartan Stadion 8 Week Prep Program
Join Today!