Experiential Workouts: Why Millennials Love Spartan
Millennials are much more health-aware than their Gen X counterparts were at the same age, a truth that extends far beyond jokes about kale or avocado toast consumption. According to a report from Goldman Sachs,“wellness is a daily, active pursuit. They’re exercising more, eating smarter and smoking less than previous generations. They’re using apps to track training data, and online information to find the healthiest foods. And this is one space where they’re willing to spend money on compelling brands.”
At the same time, this generation has taken a decided interest in experiences: a recent Harris Poll showed that 78%of millennials prefer to spend money on experiences over material goods. Due in part to the sharing economy, millennials would rather spend their hard-earned money on a short-term event than commit to a more permanent purchase, like that of a car. 8 in 10 millennials said in the same poll that some of their best memories come from an event or a live experience. And by 2023, the LBE (location-based experiences) market will be a $12 billion industry.
At the intersection of the wellness and experience trends Spartan comes in. As the world’s largest obstacle race (OCR) and endurance brand, Spartan provides transformation through sport, attracting more than one million annual participants across all fitness levels, from beginners to elite. In recent years, we have seen a substantial rise in the popularity of participatory experiences sports (PES), especially among millennials.
Today, with high intensity, group exercise classes such as Soul Cycle (spinning) and Rumble (boxing) enjoying large followings, Spartan takes high-intensity activities into the outdoors and translates them into engaging and motivating mind/body experiences with a range of entry points, a space that was previously occupied only by IronMan races. Unlike extreme endurance events and marathons, an obstacle course offers exciting challenges that span strength, endurance, and mental toughness in the ever-changing outdoor venues. You’re not just a long distance endurance runner, you’re a climber and jumper and crawler and unlike with marathons, you can perform as a team.
Spartan also offers a welcome respite to social media-weary millennials. The pressure to put your best self forward is partially perpetuating the wellness industry’s growth, and experience-based events provide plenty of fodder for Instagram and other platforms.
But PES actually have the opposite relationship to social media. In a world and generation of virtual connectedness, genuine connection is often lost. Connecting with others through in-person experiences that test physical, mental and emotional strengths holds enormous appeal and can’t be found online. Spartan has the dedicated following (over 6M across social media), especially among millennials, as it offers more than just a “selfie of the day” opportunity.
Spartans know that by doing something harder than they ever imagined they could do, they propel themselves forward in many other aspects of their lives. It’s not surprising that almost 40% of first time Spartan racers come back to continue their journey. We need to do things that make us feel better, not seem like we feel better. Shareable moments for social media are important, but shareable experiences that strengthen us matter more. So even those who might come for the selfie, stay for the community.