I have photographed many OCR races before, but the Spartan World Championship 2024 in Hvar, Croatia, stands out as unforgettable for many reasons. First and foremost, the atmosphere was beyond imagination. Hvar, with its stunning surroundings, made this event feel entirely different from any OCR race before it.

The 13th-century city walls, the Old City, and the narrow streets that still echo the essence of old times provided the perfect backdrop for photography. And when you add to that some of the world’s top OCR athletes showcasing their skills over the obstacles in such ambience, you get the ideal combination for photographers.

The Spartan World Championship is an annual event that gathers the best athletes from across the globe. This year, Hvar welcomed couple of thousands competitors, all pushing their limits in several different categories.

The diversity of courses and obstacles made the event spectacular in every sense, unlike anything I’ve ever seen or could compare it to. By capturing the action in the ancient city, along with the raw physical effort, sweat, and emotions, I managed to create a unique glimpse into the event and the spirit of the sport, creating a story that goes beyond just competition.

The event took place from October 10 to 13, and during the 3 days of the competition, more than 2,500 competitors visited the city, and there were 140 members in the organization, about 200 volunteers, over 50 members of TV production and the same number of members of public institutions and others.

“The timeless beauty of the town of Hvar, the favorable weather and the warm welcome of the local people are the factors that greatly facilitated the fantastic organization of the Spartan World Championship Hvar 2024 event.

Although I have traveled all over the world, I still could not contain my excitement for the pure beauty of the town of Hvar, the region and its spectacular sights. I can say with certainty that holding the world championship on Hvar was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Joe De Sena, founder and CEO of Spartan, adding: “The competitors experienced a unique weekend steeped in local culture and Spartan culture. mentality united in the biggest festival that Spartan has ever organized.

I would like to thank the Government of the Republic of Croatia for its exceptional support and contribution. Also, I would like to thank the city of Hvar and the people of Hvar who accepted us wholeheartedly and allowed us to bring Spartan to this wonderful location.”

In a total of 5 disciplines – 100 meters, Sprint, Super, Beast and Kids – more than 2,500 athletes competed, of which 650 were women, and the oldest among them was 67 years old and competed on the last day of the event, on Sunday, in a race called Super, 10 kilometers long in which he had to cross as many as 25 obstacles.

The discipline that caught the most attention was certainly the world championship 100m hurdles – the youngest Spartan discipline to be part of the modern pentathlon at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. All the qualifying races were held on Friday, and the best 32 athletes from the OCR world in the men’s and women’s categories took part in the grand final of the 100-meter obstacle race held on Saturday.

While many spectators breathlessly watched the competitors who seemed to be flying over the obstacles placed on the main square of Hvar, known as Pjaca, in the uncertain race for first place, the decision was made by one-hundredth of a second, and the victory in the men’s category was ultimately won by Iurii Prokudin, who 100 meters “flew” in 26 seconds, and the winner in the women’s race was Tiana Webberley, who did it in 35 seconds.

“I’m happy to have won the race. It has been my dream for a long time to become a World Champion and it gives me great pleasure to be able to compete side by side with the world’s best OCR athletes.

During the qualifying races, I made a mistake that almost got me out of the competition. In the end, I managed to “climb” from 31st place to first and win a medal,” said Iurii Prokudin and added “I really like Croatia and Hvar. It’s my first time here and all the time I’m thinking about how I should come back here, but not for the competition but for a vacation because it’s so beautiful.” Tiana Webberley said that the most important thing was to “reset” between each race and pass obstacle after obstacle. ”I still can’t believe that I won! My big support is my family and friends at home who always support me through all the races, injuries and victories. I am very proud to have such amazing support.

The most difficult obstacle for me were the links where I am never fast enough, so during qualifying I tried to find out what would be the best way to pass that part of the race. Fortunately, today I chose a way that worked, even though it might not have been the fastest, but I made up for it in the rest of the race and on the other obstacles.” Along with numerous professional OCR athletes, and amateurs who tested their strength by passing obstacles – from carrying logs of wood, throwing spears, climbing a rope to jumping over fire – nearly 300 children also showed their unstoppable Spartan spirit. The youngest of whom had 4 years of age.

Prior to the event, there was the OCR training camp in the Old City, where tireless Spartans trained their bodies for the effort that awaited them for the racing weekend and prepared their minds for the monumental Spartan “landing” in the town of Hvar.