Mar Vista Firefighter Falls Short in 'Death Race' Bid

The firefighter at Station #62 in Mar Vista who competed in the mentally and physically grueling endurance contest called the "Death Race" came up just short in his attempt to finish.

Steve Stern made his first attempt to finish the Spartan Death Race in June and was among 344 athletes who entered the compettion in Pittsfield, VT. The race started Friday, June 15, and ended 67 hours later on Monday, June 18. Stern came pretty close, quitting at 9:13 p.m. Sunday night – 54 hours after starting the race.

Only 46 men and five women were official finishers.

The race featured physical and mental obstacles and challenges throughout its 50-miles course in the dense Vermont woods. The challenges included: a 25-mile team hike carrying either a kayak, plumbing pipes filled with water or a tractor tire above their heads; a 250-question exam with brain twisters; a two-mile body roll through a sheep paddock and carrying a 50-pound bag of cement to the top of a mountain and through a steep ravine and waterfall without breaking the bag.

The theme for this year's race was "Betrayal" and event organizers planted seeds of doubt by declaring it was open to mislead or betray other racers, but others would potentially do the same to them. Thirty hours into the challenge a group of competitors planted by race organizers deliberately cheated during a challenge and other competitors followed suit. When confronted, the cheaters had to stand six hours in a 45-degree pond as a penalty and other tasks.

The 2012 race was more than 15 hours longer than last year's race and competitors didn't have a course map or list of challengers beforehand.

“The Spartan Death Race is designed to push and aggravate people to such a point that even the most stoic eventually fail,” said Joe Desena, co-founder of the Spartan Death Race in a statement released shortly after the race.  “Only those people possessing incredible discipline under the most insane and even delusional circumstances can call themselves a finisher.  These athletes are willing to complete the journey at all costs. The fact that these people endured for 60 hours to see what they are made of, is just remarkable and awe-inspiring.”

The firefighter at Station #62 in Mar Vista who competed in the mentally and physically grueling endurance contest called the "Death Race" came up just short in his attempt to finish.

Steve Stern made his first attempt to finish the Spartan Death Race in June and was among 344 athletes who entered the compettion in Pittsfield, VT. The race started Friday, June 15, and ended 67 hours later on Monday, June 18. Stern came pretty close, quitting at 9:13 p.m. Sunday night – 54 hours after starting the race.

Only 46 men and five women were official finishers.

The race featured physical and mental obstacles and challenges throughout its 50-miles course in the dense Vermont woods. The challenges included: a 25-mile team hike carrying either a kayak, plumbing pipes filled with water or a tractor tire above their heads; a 250-question exam with brain twisters; a two-mile body roll through a sheep paddock and carrying a 50-pound bag of cement to the top of a mountain and through a steep ravine and waterfall without breaking the bag.

The theme for this year's race was "Betrayal" and event organizers planted seeds of doubt by declaring it was open to mislead or betray other racers, but others would potentially do the same to them. Thirty hours into the challenge a group of competitors planted by race organizers deliberately cheated during a challenge and other competitors followed suit. When confronted, the cheaters had to stand six hours in a 45-degree pond as a penalty and other tasks.

The 2012 race was more than 15 hours longer than last year's race and competitors didn't have a course map or list of challengers beforehand.

The Death Race's website is YouMayDie.com.