Former resident ranked fourth in world in Reebok Spartan Racing
Scott Duncan enjoys competing in Reebok Spartan Races. Contributed | Beacon
COSHOCTON – When he was a student at River View High School, Scott Duncan enjoyed team sports but what he really liked was pole vaulting and other individual events. Competing against others was fun, but to compete against his own times and heights really pushed him to work and train harder.
Duncan got his start in Reebok Spartan racing as a way to keep in shape and to continue to challenge himself. Spartan Racing is much like the local Indian Mud Runs held in Coshocton each summer. NBC airs about six of the races each year and each race is divided into age groups and difficulty.
In the open competition, in which Duncan competes, the courses are usually five miles long and include 23 obstacles. Obstacles can include ones which need to be climbed over or under, ropes to be climbed, balanced on or crawled under or walls that must be scaled. Many courses feature water elements to add a degree of difficulty. These open competitions are often known as “sprints” to those who compete often. Sometimes, Duncan competes in two events in a weekend.
The super course is between 8 -10 miles long and usually includes 26 obstacles. When he competes in a course such as this, Duncan carries snacks that are high in carbs and easy to consume. When he runs the most difficult course, the professional, he carries a backpack of snacks and liquids to keep him hydrated during the 11-13 mile run.
When asked how he got started on this type of competition, Duncan laughed and replied that he “wasn’t sure.” He said he had been doing the Indian Mud Runs for about 10 years and was looking for something else out of the ordinary to do that would “challenge” him. He enjoys traveling and is thankful for a patient wife that understands when he travels for his events. He will be traveling to California at the end of January to begin a new season of Spartan Racing. These events can attract up to 4,000 competitors.
He competed in the “Jungle Run” portion of a race that was held in the Amazon a few years ago. He has also trained for the Iron Man competition and this has helped build his endurance for the races he enjoys. Last year, he finished first in his division in the south region, third nationally and fourth in the world. He is looking forward to starting a new season and to, hopefully, better his ranking by the end of 2017.
Duncan lives in Atlanta with his wife and daughter. He plans to continue to compete in Spartan racing as long as he can. For more information on Reebok Spartan Racing, you can visit their website at www.spartan.com.
Category: Multimedia, People & Places, Photo Galleries
