MSU student to participate in ‘Death Race’

For those crazy enough to sign up for the race, organizers warn: “you may die”

Posted
Tuesday, June 12 “I’m confident I can finish,” said contestant, Evan McNabb. “Then again, you have to think that everyone who entered the race is the type of person that is confident they can finish.”

The Spartan Death Race takes place in Pittsfield, VT, and is a 40-mile, multiple day race designed to break contestants physically and crush them mentally. On average, only 15 percent of participants finish the race, so McNabb, a biochemistry senior at Michigan State said he takes his confidence “with a grain of salt.”

Racers don’t know what to expect going into the race, McNabb said. A quick Internet search of the race reveals that it's a hellish mash-up of a triathlon, adventure race and boot camp rolled into one.

Previous Death Racers have had to carry 20 to 50 pound rocks or logs for miles, trek through ice-cold waters, shimmy under barbed wire and even cut a bushel of onions
all while trying to remember a bible verse they have to memorize at the start and recite once they reach the end of the course segment.

Over the two days of the race there will be little to no rest for those eager to put themselves through the abuse of the course but McNabb said he’s not fazed by the challenge.

“As far as the mental thing, that doesn’t worry me all that much because I’m a biochemistry major,” he said. “I have to stay up a lot of nights studying so being awake up to 40 hours at a time doesn’t really phase me.”

A self-described exercise “addict” since high school, McNabb said he works out daily and constantly changes up his routine between yoga, running, obstacle courses, weight training and swimming to prepare.

“You have to look forward to the adventure,” he said. “If I don’t finish, I’m definitely doing it the following year and I’ll keep doing it until I do finish. “

McNabb and his friend, Nick Place, a senior at Grand Valley, will be traveling to Vermont on Tuesday to prepare for the Friday race.

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