This was the first time I DNFed a race. I was running with my BF, sister, and father and, about one mile into what was a 3.5 mile course, my dad took a nasty spill on one of the obstacles and broke his leg. Badly.

The Spartan team was incredible. There were medics with us almost immediately, and they got my dad off the mountain and into an ambulance even before we could find our way to the front of the bag-check line to pick up our stuff. The only thing I will say that could possibly be negative bout the incident was that we experienced some issues trying to find a "manager" who could help release our bag from bag check (since the bags are tied to bib numbers). Eventually, someone came to help us out and that person was great.

As far as the course goes: it's everything you would expect from a Spartan. The inclines are INSANE (prepare to be doing some heavy climbs/trail running). The obstacles are fun. The sense of camaraderie is all there. Water stations are well placed and very necessary.

After the race, I got in touch with Spartan HQ to tell them about what had happened. They comped us all a replacement race for next year, and sent my dad a T-shirt with a get well message. On the whole, the incident was as well managed as could be.

Bottom line: run a Spartan; but do it carefully. If you do get hurt, they've got you covered; but seriously. Be careful out there.