GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Almost a month after the 2017 National Boy Scout Jamboree ended, the Summit Bechtel Reserve in Fayette County is busy again.
The Spartan Race that started Friday and runs through Sunday is the U.S. Championship for the traveling event.
Friday brought former NFL wide receiver and All-American Randy Moss to the Summit. He led the Randy Moss Charity Heat raising money for the Spartan Foundation. According to its website, the organization aims to improve the welfare of American youth.
“Anybody that really knows me knows that I’m always 100 percent thumbs up for the kids,” said Moss. “For me, Spartan Sprint here in West Virginia and raising money. Man, it’s a win-win situation.”
Moss greeted and took pictures with race participants, thanking them for their contributions to the cause.
“I’m trying to shake hands with everybody, give them their own intimate time, because I appreciate them all coming out here supporting a cause. It’s great, we’re raising money for the kids.”
Drawing participants from all over the nation, the Summit’s parking lot contained license plates from South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Amelia Boone came from San Jose, Calif., to take part in the championship race. She said she was blown away by her first visit to West Virginia.
“It’s absolutely gorgeous. I was super excited to come out here because I’m checking another state off the bucket list of a place I haven’t been. It’s beautiful.”
Joe DiStefano, the Spartan director of sports and training, called the Summit a “unique venue” during an appearance on MetroNews affiliate WJLS’s “Radio Roundtable.”
“It’s a state we’ve never gone to before so it made the perfect capstone on this national championship,” he said. “We’re taking these racers and these crowds through areas of the country they might not visit again.”
While the race selects new locations every year, DiStefano said organizers are pegging certain spots to revisit and he would expect West Virginia didn’t.
According to a news release, Spartan Race is the world’s largest obstacle race and endurance brand. It will hold 200 events in over 30 nations in 2017, attracting over a million participants. About 10,000 are expected to attend the events at the Summit this weekend.
From here, the race moves to the 2017 Reebok Spartan Race World Championship in Lake Tahoe, Calif..
Viewers can watch this weekend’s race live on Facebook at facebook.com/spartanrace and it will be featured on NBC Sports in October.