What’s up Crew,

The New Jersey Spartan Beast is a National Series race this weekend, so expect some heavy-hitters to be showing up and running hard.

And then you got your Ultra out here that everyone secretly loves, even though none of us can walk stairs correctly for a week afterwards.

This week’s Newsletter is focused on SPARTAN RACE - NEW JERSEY.
So let’s get into it.

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Two weeks ago, we were talking with Mike Strobel about New Jersey like it was still “coming up.”

NewsLetter #30 - Mike Strobel on the Spartan New Jersey Beast

Well… it’s not coming up anymore.

It’s here.

This weekend, Spartan rolls back into Mountain Creek for the Tri-State New Jersey Trifecta Weekend, and if you’ve done this venue before, you already know the feeling.
If you haven’t, here’s the clean version:
New Jersey does not politely introduce itself.
It grabs you by the calves, points you uphill, and says, “Let’s see what you brought.”

The Saturday Beast is also a NorthEast National Series race, so the front pack should be spicy.
There will be fast people doing fast people things.
Elites flying up climbs that would make most of us stop and pretend to check our watch.
Age groupers chasing rankings.
And Open racers staring at the same hill thinking, “Didn’t we just go up this thing?”

And then there’s the Ultra.

The Ultra at Jersey has its own weird charm.
It’s one of those races people talk about like an ex they’re somehow still friends with.
It hurts.
It’s long.
It asks questions you didn’t want asked.
But every year, people go back.

Because there’s something about that Mountain Creek suffering that feels honest.
You earn every mile.
You earn every descent.
You earn the moment where you’re standing in the festival area afterward with mud on your legs, salt on your face, and a look that says, “I’m never doing that again.”

Which usually means you’ll be registered for Next Year by Tuesday.

What makes Jersey special isn’t just that it’s hard. A lot of races are hard. Jersey is hard in a very specific way.

It’s not all clean trail running. It’s steep climbs, wooded sections, ski-slope suffering, awkward footing, and that classic Northeast weather mood where you might pack sunscreen, a beanie, and a trash bag and somehow need all three. As of Tuesday, it’s looking like a cool, damp type of weekend, which feels about right.
New Jersey in perfect weather would almost feel suspicious.

So this week isn’t about cramming fitness. That ship sailed a few weeks ago.
This week is about not sabotaging yourself.

Do not test brand-new shoes on race day.
Do not suddenly become a different person nutritionally.
Do not wear the cute socks if they’ve never met a wet downhill.
Do not skip breakfast because you’re nervous and “don’t feel hungry.”
That Beast and Ultra will absolutely send you a bill for that later.

Instead, keep it simple.

Trim the toenails.
Pack the dry clothes.
Bring the towel you don’t care about.
Put a trash bag in your race bin like a functioning adult.
Charge the watch.
Set out the headlamp and check the batteries.
Bring backup gloves.
And put your fuel somewhere you can actually reach it when your brain starts buffering at mile whatever.

And most importantly: start calmer than you want to.

New Jersey rewards patience.

That first climb can make you feel like the day is already personal.
Don’t take the bait.
Hike strong.
Jog where you can.
Eat before you’re desperate.
Drink before you’re cranky.
And at the top of the climbs, take five seconds to get your breathing back instead of immediately bombing downhill like your ankles signed a waiver without reading it.

For anyone racing their first Beast, first Ultra, or first Trifecta this weekend, here’s the best advice I’ve got:

Your race is not ruined when it gets ugly.

That’s actually when the race starts.

Everybody looks athletic in the first mile.
Everybody has a plan in the festival area.
Everybody loves OCR when the music is playing and the headband is clean.

But the good stuff happens later.
When the legs are cooked.
When you’re doing math badly.
When your shoes weigh eight pounds.
When some stranger next to you says, “Nice work,” and for whatever reason that gets you moving again.

That’s the part we keep coming back for.

So if you’re headed to Mountain Creek this weekend, good luck.
Respect the mountain.
Respect the volunteers.
Carry your trash out.
Cheer for the people around you.
And when the race gets mean, just remember: that’s Jersey doing Jersey things.

See you at the Finish Line.

For this Week in OCR History - Let’s look at Elite Beast winners over the years.
Check out the Graph below.
Some New Jersey Beast Times for the Top Men & Women. And then a little comparison to San Jose that was just Raced a couple weeks back.

We’re talking about the same Beast distance on paper…
…but New Jersey is adding 35–70+ minutes to elite finish times.

That’s not a small gap.
That’s a completely different race.

San Jose is fast, runnable, flowy.
New Jersey is… negotiation. With gravity. And your life choices.

At Mountain Creek:

That’s why you see even top-tier athletes creeping toward that 2.5–3 hour range.

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“As ultra legend Kilian Jornet says about fueling:
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More coming in 2026 😎
Check it out HERE.