The two are almost interchangeable at times. Many people competing at Spartan races happen to be avid Crossfitters and many full time Spartan racers incorporate a lot of Crossfit into their training.
However, there are a couple of differences that separate the two and because of this one of these athlete groups can be considered more fit than the other.
Below we will look at training styles, head to head wins, and athletic transfer-ability.
TRAINING STYLES
Again, the training styles between Crossfit and OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) are similar since they both are predominantly cardiovascular focused sports.
Spartan racers however tend to do much more long distance running than Crossfit athletes since the shortest distance in a Spartan race is 5k and the longest is over 30 miles. Whereas 1 or maybe 2 max events will be programmed at a Crossfit competition where running for even 5k will be required.
Because of this Spartan racers have a slight edge over Crossfitters when it comes to purely aerobic fitness, especially running.
Where Crossfit athletes have a huge advantage over OCR athletes however is when it comes to strength.
Related: How Strong Are Crossfit Women? This Chart Shows
Heavy loads, over 300lbs for men and over 200lbs for women are commonly used in events during Crossfit competitions and they are typically programmed for several reps.
At low bodyweights Crossfitters have above average strength when it comes to powerlifting, olympic weightlifting, strongman movements, and raw overall strength.
The heaviest weight a Spartan racer may encounter during a race is going to be 90lbs for men and 50lbs for women, and as such not much extra strength training is incorporated for them.
FEATS ACCOMPLISHED + HEAD TO HEAD WINS
For this section we are going to review the results of the few times when top athletes in each sport competed directly against each other as well as great accomplishments these athletes have completed as a result of their dedication to training.
Katrin Davidsdottir takes 3rd place in her first ever Spartan race
In December 2017 2x Crossfit Games champion Katrin Davidsdottir finished 3rd in her first ever Spartan race in Iceland without changing any of her Crossfit training.
Hunter Mcintyre finishes 61st at the 2019 Crossfit Games
The most dominant athlete in OCR history with 6 OCR world championships and a still undefeated record on the Broken Skull Ranch Hunter Mcintyre received an invitation to compete at the 2019 Crossfit Games where he ultimately finished 61st.
Related: Here Are The Odds For Hunter Mcintyre To Win The Crossfit Games
OCR athletes beat Crossfit athletes in a 3v3 half obstacle race and half Crossfit competition
In September of 2019 three of the best Spartan racers (Hunter Mcintyre, Isaiah Vidal, Matt Kempson) went up against three Crossfit Games athletes (Jacob Heppner, Sean Sweeney, Chandler Smith).
The events consisted of a 13 mile spartan race along with 3 workouts that had a mix of Crossfit and OCR.
In the end the OCR athletes beat the Crossfit athletes 40 to 20 points.
Related: Athletic Backgrounds of Top Crossfit Athletes
ATHLETIC TRANSFER-ABILITY
We discussed that OCR athletes have more stamina and Crossfitters have more strength, but Crossfit athletes also have an extra skill set, gymnastics.
This would include handstand walking for distance and over obstacles, ring and bar muscle ups, one legged squats, and handstand pushups.
Because none of these movements are tested in OCR they are not practiced and so Crossfitters have another advantage.
Going back to strength training in Crossfit, these athletes are also extremely familiar with olympic weightlifting movements such as the clean, and snatch, both of which are primary developers of explosiveness needed in a sprint or vertical jump.
Related: Do Olympic Lifts Increase Your Vertical Jump?
THE WINNER
Based on all of the factors discussed above Crossfit athletes can be determined to be fitter than Spartan racers or other OCR athletes.
Spartan athletes have a little bit more endurance, but they are very far behind in terms of strength and skill.
What many athletes have come to find out is that perhaps the best way to train to win a Spartan race is to primarily do Crossfit with a conditioning bias.
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