GLEN JEAN, W.Va (WCHS) — Thousands of people put both their physical and mental strength to the test in Glen Jean on Saturday at the 2025 Spartan Trifecta World Championship, throughout the grueling conditions many racers said they find comfort in knowing they’re all in it together.
“You might come here alone like I did. I don’t have a group that I’m running with, said race participant David Scott. “But everyone’s there to help. If you get stopped, if you get in a bind somewhere, if you get hurt, someone’s here to help you out.”
People from all across the country and the world came to Glen Jean to race in the Spartan Trifecta World Championship. This was the first one ever held on U.S. soil, after usually being held in Sparta, Greece. The racers didn’t let a little bit of rain stop their fun, and many of them were racing for a reason.
“What’s your why,” Scott said. “And especially if your why is just, hey, I want to look good, then for me it doesn’t work. So this is my why. This is besides my family and being healthy for them. This is what I’m trained for.”
The races are being held over the span of three days, bringing enthusiasts from all over like Nathan Lambert, who said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come to one of his favorite Spartan venues at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
“We’ve wanted to go to Greece, but obviously it’s a challenge,” Lambert said. “A lot of planning involved, et cetera, but since I was here in the States, we figured, hey, it’s worth a 12 and a half hour drive to go and check it out and see what it’s all about.”
Spartan Event Director Adam Wallenfelsz said bringing the championship to the United States is huge for the company and the entire community.
“The venue is amazing. They’ve got 10,000 acres out here We really have a lot of freedom in how we design the course and I can make things up and do some different stuff for the world championships,” Wallenfelsz said. “So the venue’s played a huge part in that.”