3 Best Watches for a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder

Runners use watches for a variety of reasons. They can help an athlete time themselves, but many others serve additional functions like keeping track of heart rate, how many calories have been burned during a session, and where the user is.

Watches specially designed for running have grown more and more complex as the pastime becomes popular and athletes begin to demand more from their wrist accessory.

You can find devices that do all sorts of things, including keeping track of body fat, heart rate, and a person’s breathing.

Right away, you should notice the mud and physical abuse that the watch will endure. A Spartan Race is not the time to bring out your Rolex or your grandfather’s prized pocket watch.

Some of the features it will need include being waterproof, able to handle scuffs and impacts, and a screen that can be seen even in sunshine.

Garmin is one of the most well-known smart watch brands in the United States and features several different models for athletes.

The Forerunner 920XT features a screen which remains brightly lit no matter how much sunshine is upon it.

Finally, the watch syncs with Wi-Fi, so people can upload their statistics to another device to have an in-depth performance review. For these reasons, it is a favorite for athletes on a budget who still want to go big or go home.

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Suunto takes pride in this watch’s durability and compactness, which makes it great for runners who will be moving in rough terrain or facing obstacles.

The device is even named the Spartan Trainer, which seems to hint at its efficiency at tracking the movements of Spartan race participants.

Unlike some other trainers, this watch features numerous modes which can be toggled on or off. Runners can utilize settings to determine pace, heart rate, calories burned, and distance and then have these statistics transformed into easy to read graphs.

The Suunto Spartan Trainer is slightly more expensive than other models at $200 to $350, but is worth the investment.

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Finally, we have the Fitbit Versa 2. This watch is one of the only products on the market that comes with adjustable wrist bands in different sizes. 

This means runners can choose between thick or thin and find one which is comfortable for the wrist during a Spartan race.

The Fitbit Versa 2 is small, compact, and waterproof. It is capable of surviving splashes and minor immersion and can be easily cleaned if covered with mud. 

The interface is easy to read and not affected by sunlight or other inconveniences.

People can also toggle between an active and regular mode to save battery life. Fitbit is widely regarded as one of the top running watches. I LOVE the durability of this watch. As you can see I have worn my a lot and it still looks in pretty good shape!

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What is a Spartan Race or an OCR?

A Spartan Race is a type of obstacle race designed to truly challenge runners and athletes. They vary in length from 5 kilometers to full marathons and can include any type of impediment, including walls, dirt hills, and monkey bars that need to be used to cross sections.

A lot of people participate in this type of race and undergo months of training to become healthy, fit, and strong enough to stand a chance. A person’s watch additionally needs to be able to handle the challenges of this type of run.

This video accurately demonstrates the numerous elements your watch will need to handle during a Spartan Race:

Why is a Watch Important 

As mentioned earlier, many runners rely on their watches to not only track time, but to also keep track of their fitness and personal records.

Most modern devices can be considered trainers that monitor health and wellness by keeping statistics and warning wearers if they are pushing themselves too hard.

1. Studies published by the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University found that running, especially over a long distance, increases the endorphins in the body. 

Endorphins are a pleasurable response to an activity, which makes it more enjoyable and a person more likely to continue to do it. Unfortunately, these endorphins can also mask pain or the harsh realities of exercise.

2. Heart rate monitoring is important, especially for athletes over the age of 35. A person’s maximum heart rate is a person’s age subtracted from 220.

This means a 30 year old runner should not go above 190 or else they put themselves at risk of too high blood pressure and other ailments.

Scientific American and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend doing exercises that are between 50% and 85% of a person’s maximum heart rate.This means the above 30 year old should not have their heart rate rise above 161 beats per minute.

It might not sound like a lot, but your heart would need to beat almost three times in a second to reach this level.

3. Most modern watches can therefore help runners make sure they aren’t running too hard or putting themselves at risk of a heart attack or chest pain.

Another benefit of the watch during something like a Spartan race is simple time tracking.

Most runners enter competitive runs with personal goals in mind. If you can’t monitor your time, how will you know how well you are doing, if you need to speed up, or if you need to slow down? Simply put, you won’t.

The watch helps keep you in check and can often be a form of encouragement for individuals who strive for personal success.

4. For those who want to lose weight or burn fat, a digital calorie counter will also be a helpful tool.

So, the reason a runner will have a watch during a Spartan race will vary, but most use them. If you would like to find the best watch, check out the following examples below.

Each one has a different price point and packs different features, but all are beneficial for the average athlete.

Conclusion

You want a watch as tough as you when you run a Spartan race. These options provide runners with a range of prices as well as different strengths and weaknesses. The best way to tell if a watch will work for you is to try it on and see how comfortable you feel. It’s important to be your best self before heading out on the course.