Well 2012 is close to wrapping up and it’s time for one last Spartan Race before we get to take a little break from the constant racing. It’s time to head back to the sight of the World Championship Race of 2011 and that is Glen Rose, Texas. Last year we were racing for the championship and a winner take all $10,000 cash prize. This year the stakes are a little different but still high.

With the World Championship locked up in Vermont, Glen Rose holds a different weight this year. Gone is the winner take all $10,000 prize money and in with the final races to decide the overall 2012 World Rankings. This year Spartan Race in it’s goal to create obstacle racing into a full professional sport instituted the first points ranking system for obstacle course racing. The system in it’s first year has sparked much debate, and is as most new systems, a work in progress. Whether you love it or hate it, it all comes down to Texas. Most racers see Texas as just another race but for the few that have been chasing points all year this will be a showdown to determine who takes home the cash.

From Spartan Race:

“That Points Competition purse has grown to $40,000, on top of the $50,000 in cash and $50,000 in prizes given away at the Vermont Championships.  So as the athletes race to the season finish, at year end,  Spartan Race can now confirm that the Top 20 men and Top 20 women in the final Points Series ranking will earn the following cash awards:

Further, the top 20 M&W and all Points finishers ranked 21-50 will earn an exclusive Spartan300 sweatshirt and T-shirt, and 2013 Season Pass valued at $400.   Points finishers in M&W ranked 51-150 will be presented with a special Spartan300 t-shirt and a Free Race Entry for 2013.   Age Group winners will receive a special award trophy.”

To be ranked at the top this year only four races ultimately count, two at 100% and two at 10%. The races were weighted this season based on distance and the Ultra Beast and Beasts were weighted the highest. If you wanted to chase points this season you had to complete the Saturday Beast or Ultra Beast in Vermont and three other Beasts during the season. Texas will provide two more opportunities to capture those last points for the year. Currently the ranking look like this (although a few tweaks still need to be made to the Vermont points):

Men’s Race:

Currently this is the top 20 in the men’s rankings. One of the notable missing is Cody Moat who won Vermont (Beast and Ultra Beast), won the Carolina’s, and finished second in Utah. Looking forward to seeing how it all ends up between the Spartan legend Hobie Call and the newcomer Cody Moat. These Utahans face off on Saturday to take home the championship for the year.

Women’s Race:

With Claude Godbout out racing biathlon the door is still wide open on the women’s race. Rose Marie Jarry has been on top a lot this season but many others are looking to catch her. Jenny Tobin, 2011 World Champion, will be in Texas having to race both days to get her four Beasts in. Will Amelia Boone come in just off World’s Toughest Mudder to try to claim a piece of the prize. Ang Reynolds is coming off a strong performance this fall. Andi Hardy already has her four beasts but you never know what she has up her sleeve. Juliana Sproles got hooked on Spartan Race after the Pennsylvania race and has had her eye on Texas her home state for a while. Irene Call has secretly been training hard all year to make a late surge in the points. I know with a field this strong I need to run the race of my life to maintain current placings. I have learned one thing this season don’t count anyone out in the women’s race. After Sunday we will see where the chips fall and who is getting which paycheck.

It will be another showdown in Texas, for now it’s time to leave on a jet plane again and finish out the 2012 season with a bang. I can say here at Dirt in Your Skirt HQ we are all looking forward to a few weeks away from traveling and home with the dogs, chickens, cat, and fish. Time to train, relax and take a break from obstacle course racing and instead focus on writing my first book.