Ohio Ultra-Fecta Weekend May 17, 2025
- Tom Shankapotomous
- May 22
- 10 min read
Updated: Jun 6
Ultra/Beast/Super/Sprint Garrettsville, Ohio
Introduction
Think you know mud or think mud isn't much to think about? I have just the race review for you. The Ultra-Fecta near Akron, Ohio, was a quadmire featuring an Ultra, Beast, Super, and Sprint. Despite not being well-attended due mainly to the weather and competing races in other parts of the country (such as Big Bear and Austin), it still provided a traumatic, I mean memorable, race for all four distances. So, grab a cup of Death Wish Coffee, add a scoop of C4, and let's get down to business. My name is Mud.
History of the Event
The Spartan Race first hit Ohio in 2014 with its Trifecta weekend at The Wilds in Cumberland. The place seemed promising with its rolling hills and open spaces, but it couldn't handle the infamous 2017 parking fiasco. After days of rain, the parking area turned into a mess, with three tow trucks working non-stop to pull cars out of a field soaked by overnight rain. Cars were lined up along a country road leading to the venue, making things even more confusing. It was a logistical nightmare. The memory of guys abandoning vehicles to run to their start time still cracks me up to this day.
So, Spartan moved the race to Southington Off-Road Park. From 2018 to 2021, the problems weren't completely solved, but the new spot managed the terrain a bit better. That is, until the rain came back. In 2019, cars had a tough time on the winding, muddy road into the lot and got stuck. I ended up giving a few stranded racers a lift before even getting to packet pickup. Good times.
I thought this venue was finished, but after a two-year hiatus, including the COVID break, the Garrettsville Trifecta returned with an Ultra. I participated in the Ultra that year, and now it has gained significant popularity, attracting racers from the Midwest and East Coast who are seeking a challenging early-season event. Well, they certainly got what they wanted, but first ...
The Real Mudmen
Mud often gets a bad rap as a nuisance, but in some places, it’s so much more. In Borneo, up in the Southeast Asian highlands, the indigenous Mudmen—also known as the Orang Lumpur—have turned their muddy surroundings into a cultural statement. They don ghostly white clay masks and cover themselves in mud to look otherworldly and intimidating, using this look to scare off foes and perform rituals that mix theater with battle.
They didn’t just adapt to their environment; they embodied it.
There’s a lesson in that. If you’re racing in Ohio during spring, you don’t grumble about the mud. You don’t resist it. You can't fight it you got to take it and use it.
The Weather Setup
Spring in Ohio isn't just unpredictable—it's downright tricky. From March to May, northern Ohio usually gets about 9.5 to 10.5 inches of rain. Central Ohio sees a bit more, around 10 to 11 inches, often dumped in sudden thunderstorms when Gulf air masses collide with cold fronts. Southern Ohio hits 11 to 12 inches, sometimes causing flash floods in the Ohio River Valley.
Between May 10 and May 17, 2025, Garrettsville got 4.91 inches of rain. Five days of nonstop rain turned fields into soggy messes. Even though race day had clear blue skies, the ground was still soaked. The land didn’t care that the race was back—it just did its usual thing: soaked up the water, held onto it, and waited.
The Mechanics of Mud
This isn’t just some run-of-the-mill brown sludge. This is mud with a backstory. The Akron-Garrettsville area is perched on the edge of the glaciated Appalachian Plateau. Back in the last Ice Age, huge glaciers rolled through, grinding rocks into fine particles, carving out valleys, and leaving behind layers of glacial till—a thick, poorly drained mix of clay, silt, sand, and gravel.
Under your feet is a mix of minerals like quartz, feldspar, illite, and smectite. This isn’t just dirt—it’s why your foot comes up messy. Throw in some decomposing plants, and you’ve got a dark, sticky, water-holding paste that doesn’t dry out fast, doesn’t let go easily, and clings to everything.
Its drainage is terrible. Once it’s soaked, that’s it. Water just sits on top. Traction? Gone. This mud clogs up your shoes, grabs your muscles, and pulls your foot back down just when you think you’re free. You don’t just walk over it—you have to negotiate with it.
.
The surface story is already pretty rough. But what's underneath is much older and goes deeper.
About 300 million years ago, this area of Ohio was covered by shallow inland seas. Over time, silt, clay, and decaying organic matter piled up into thick layers, eventually hardening into the shale and sandstone that form the regional bedrock today. This bedrock doesn’t soak up water. It just sits there, tough and unbothered, keeping everything above it in a soggy state.
During the last ice age, the ice sheets moved back and forth, scraping the land and leaving behind thick, uneven layers of glacial till—a messy mix of particles that drains about as well as concrete. This is what racers run on. It’s not just mud, but a piece of history—geologic leftovers that stubbornly hold their ground.
Festival Area and Return of Rocco
The weather on race day was just right, with temperatures hitting the upper 50s to low 60s. But then Friday night’s storm threw a wrench in everything. A tornado watch rolled through the area, knocking out power all over northeast Ohio. Garrettsville, about 30 miles from where the race was happening, got hit hard, leaving power lines down and outages lasting into Saturday morning. By 6:30 AM, the Spartan crew was busy piecing the festival area back together—pulling tarps, redirecting water, and crossing their fingers for clear skies.
The starting line had shifted a bit since the last event here, but the parking field was still the same, as was the packet pickup spot for Ultra runners. The walk from the field to registration was short but slippery. Not many vendors showed up, which makes sense given the circumstances. Those who did were scattered, huddled under tents like they were in a war zone. But one tent stood out: Athlete Services, run by none other than Rocco Castellano. Yep, Rocco’s back and he’s signed on for regional Spartan races in the Midwest. He’s also got a giveaway for his weekend pass to the sauna and cold plunge. Click here to enter the drawing and good luck, because the upcoming venues are going to be as challenging as Ohio.
For this race, Rocco brought his whole setup—saunas, cold plunge tubs, massage guns, and bag drop stations for daily or weekend pass holders. Despite the chaos, he was a calm presence. Like a safe harbor in a storm. If you’ve raced before, you know exactly what that means.
Course Overview
Ultra
This year’s Ultra had a cool change in its setup. Back in 2021, they threw in an extra loop right in the middle of the Beast course. But this time around, they switched things up. You tackled the Beast first, then hit a smaller Ultra loop at the end—and yep, you did that loop twice. They’ve used this setup at other spots, like Flathead Lake in Montana. It makes sense logistically, but man, it’s tough. That second lap is a killer, especially when your body’s ready to call it quits and the mud’s gotten even nastier.
Beast
The Beast was told in three parts.
It kicked off with a mile of trails winding through the trees. There was some light mud, a few fallen trees, and pretty easy terrain. Then came the middle part—10 miles of mud, more mud, water mixed with mud, deeper mud, and, you guessed it, a lot more mud. ATV tracks filled with water made a tricky maze of foot traps, and the off-road paths led to even deeper spots.
Ultra runners tackled this section twice. I've got to hand it to them; it was brutal.
The last stretch opened up a bit, dried out some, and guided racers onto a county road before the finish line. Anyone who's raced here before would find it familiar. All in all, it was a smoother ending.
Super/Sprint
Short-course racers caught a bit of a break. Their paths skipped most of the deep, muddy middle section, but there was still plenty of muck to give them a real feel for it. Just enough to make it a true Spartan Race and leave a lasting impression.
Obstacles
The mud was everywhere, messing things up. Shoes lost their grip, overhead rigs got slippery, and the walls were covered in grime. By the time the open heats started, everything had a layer of wear and tear. Some thoghts ...
The Beast had the usual Ohio challenge—a log carry through thick brush. This year, it was shorter and easier to handle than before. The Ultra loop threw in another sandbag carry, just in case your grip wasn't already shot.
No dunk wall this time, which I kind of missed after dealing with all the muck.
The final obstacle run—barbed wire crawl, rope climb, Z-wall, inverted wall—didn't loop around the festival area like at some other places.
So, spectators didn’t get to see much action. But it spread the obstacles out across the course, which made things flow better and cut down on bottlenecks.
Volunteers
Volunteers showed up. That's all you really need to know.
Sure, there weren't as many volunteers as usual, and some racers complained. But come on—when storms knock out power and flip tents, racing isn't what most folks are worried about. The people who still came out—stood in the mud, directed traffic, handed out bananas—they're the real heroes of the event.
During the race, we had a lightning strike on the course and we were told to seek shelter. The volunteers couldn't have been nicer and I think several of them had not been in this situation before, feeling that finding shelter would keep everyone safe. I immediately complied by running into the woods because ... ride the lightning!
Pro tip: If there's lightning around, find a taller racer and stick close to them. Not scientific, but hey, it's practical.
Conclusion
I hope Spartan keeps this venue on the scedule. It brings uique challengres adn depdeing on the weather conditions it can either be a series of rolling hills or a test of how well ou have been training your IT bands over the winter. Either way a great weekend, that sets us up fo the comimg momths when we all will figure out what's what pretty quicklyi.
See you next year, Ohio. Stay muddy.
References
Climate and Weather Patterns
Time and Date. (n.d.). Climate & Weather Averages in Garrettsville, Ohio, USA. Retrieved from https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/%405155529/climate
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2023). National Climatic Data Center: Climate Normals for Ohio (1991–2020). Retrieved from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov
WeatherSpark. (n.d.). Average Weather in Garrettsville, Ohio, United States Year Round. Retrieved from https://weatherspark.com/y/18163/Average-Weather-in-Garrettsville-Ohio-United-States-Year-Round
AreaVibes. (n.d.). Garrettsville, OH Weather - Forecast & Monthly Averages. Retrieved from https://www.areavibes.com/garrettsville-oh/weather/
RainDrop App. (2025). 24 Hour Rainfall Totals | Garrettsville, OH 44231. Retrieved from https://www.raindrop.farm/rainfall-totals/zipcode/44231
Weather Underground. (n.d.). Garrettsville, OH Precipitation Forecast. Retrieved from https://www.wunderground.com/precipitation/us/oh/garrettsville/44231
Precip.ai. (n.d.). 24 Hour Rainfall Totals in 44231 (Garrettsville, OH). Retrieved from https://precip.ai/rainfall-totals/zipcode/44231
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (n.d.). FRENCHTOWN Series - Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD). Retrieved from https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/F/FRENCHTOWN.html
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (n.d.). EUCLID Series - Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD). Retrieved from https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/OSD_Docs/E/EUCLID.html
Ohio Department of Agriculture. (2018). Soil Regions of Ohio. Retrieved from https://agri.ohio.gov/wps/wcm/connect/gov/13c3c9ae-6856-48d9-9a05-59e093d50970/Soil_Regions_of_Ohio_brochure_2018.pdf
Ohio State University Extension. (n.d.). Soil Type & History - Soil Health. Retrieved from https://soilhealth.osu.edu/soil-health-assessment/soil-type-history
U.S. Geological Survey. (1965). Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Portage County, Ohio (Professional Paper 511). Retrieved from https://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/0511/report.pdf
Ohio Department of Natural Resources. (2006). Quaternary Geology of the Interlobate Area Between the Cuyahoga and Grand Rivers, Northeastern Ohio (Guidebook 20). Retrieved from https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ohiodnr.gov/documents/geology/GB20_Szabo_2006.pdf
U.S. Geological Survey. (2013). US Topo 7.5-minute map for Garrettsville, OH. Retrieved from https://prd-tnm.s3.amazonaws.com/StagedProducts/Maps/USTopo/PDF/OH/OH_Garrettsville_20131104_TM_geo.pdf
Travel Guide
Canton-Akron Airport
Getting to the Spartan Trifecta at Southington ATV Park is straightforward for out-of-state participants. The nearest major airport is Akron-Canton Airport (CAK), located about 45 miles south of Southington. From the airport, racers often stay in the town of Streetsboro, Ohio, which is about a 30-minute drive from the race site and offers a quiet, small-town atmosphere with essential lodging and dining options.
To get to Garrettsville from Akron-Canton Airport, take I-77 North toward Akron. Merge onto I-76 East, then continue onto State Route 14 toward Streetsboro. From there, head east on State Route 82 and follow signs to Garrettsville. The total drive is approximately one hour, depending on traffic.
From Garrettsville to Southington ATV Park, take State Route 82 west and then head north on State Route 534. The ATV park is well marked and typically staffed with Spartan signage and volunteers guiding traffic on race weekend. The drive takes roughly 30 minutes and winds through scenic rural Ohio farmland before hitting the gravel access roads leading to the venue.
Hotels in Streetsboro, Ohio
Hampton Inn & Suites Cleveland Southeast-Streetsboro
800 Mondial Pkwy, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Fairfield Inn & Suites Cleveland Streetsboro
9783 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Streetsboro
9459 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Comfort Inn & Suites Streetsboro - Kent
9172 Market Square Dr, Streetsboro, OH 44241
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Cleveland Streetsboro
795 Mondial Pkwy, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Motel 6 Streetsboro, OH
9371 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Econo Lodge Streetsboro
9789 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Quality Inn Streetsboro
9420 OH-14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Wingate by Wyndham Streetsboro/Cleveland Southeast
9705 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Budget Inn Streetsboro
9375 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
(Call for booking – no official website)
Restaurants in Streetsboro, Ohio
Kenny’s Subs, Salads & Cheesesteaks
9305 State Route 43, Streetsboro, OH 44241
When you're lazy like me and dont want to get our of the car afer a race, they have drive thru
Rockne’s
9345 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
American-style menu with burgers, wraps, and a chill vibe.
New Peking Restaurant
9220 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Chinese cuisine — dine-in or takeout.
El Campesino Mexican Restaurant
9509 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Classic Mexican dishes and big portions.
Ruby Tuesday
9426 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Casual chain with burgers, ribs, and a salad bar.
Tai Wah Asian Cuisine
9107 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Thai and fusion options in a simple space.
The Original Brown Derby Roadhouse
9230 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Steakhouse with hearty portions and rustic décor.
Streetsboro Family Restaurant
9264 Market Square Dr, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Local diner for breakfast, lunch, and classic comfort food.
Buffalo Wild Wings
1286 State Route 303, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Wings, beers, and wall-to-wall sports screens.
Pizza Hut
9295 State Route 14, Streetsboro, OH 44241
Pizza, wings, and pasta — dine in or carryout.
Outstanding as always!
Another five star race review from Tom!!!!!!!