Savage Race has announced a significant reduction to its 2026 race schedule, moving forward with just three flagship events while canceling ten others across the country.
In an announcement to the OCR community in the form of a letter titled “An Update on the 2026 Savage Race Season”, Savage Race founder Sam Abbitt revealed that the company has made the difficult decision to consolidate its 2026 schedule. The move comes as the race series focuses resources on delivering what it calls “the strongest possible events” while treating athletes responsibly.
For 2026, Savage Race will move forward with only three events:
- Savage Race Florida Spring – March 7th, 2026 (Dade City, FL)
- Savage Race Georgia Fall – September 19th, 2026 (Dallas, GA)
- Savage Race Florida Fall – November 14th, 2026 (Dade City, FL)
The following ten Savage Race events have been canceled for 2026:
- Savage Race Georgia Spring (Dallas, GA) – March 28, 2026
- Savage Race North Florida (Gainesville) – April 18th, 2026
- Savage Race Mid-Atlantic Spring (Maryland) – May 9, 2026
- Savage Race Charlotte – June 6, 2026
- Savage Race Ohio – June 27, 2026
- Savage Race Chicago – July 11, 2026
- Savage Race New England (Boston/Barre) – August 1, 2026
- Savage Race Poconos (Pennsylvania) – August 15, 2026
- Savage Race Mid-Atlantic Fall (Maryland) – September 5, 2026
- Savage Race Dallas, TX – October 10, 2026
In the announcement, Abbitt addressed the community directly and explained some of the reasoning behind the cancellations:
“This decision wasn't made lightly. While our events continue to deliver a great on-course experience, operating a full national schedule at our current scale no longer makes sense. By consolidating, we can protect the quality of the Savage Race experience, honor our commitments to athletes, and ensure long-term sustainability.”
Athletes who are already registered for a canceled 2026 Savage Race event have three options:
- Option A: Transfer to a Savage Race Event (Includes Bring-a-Friend Bonus)
- Registered athletes may transfer to any of the three remaining 2026 Savage Race events. As a thank you, athletes who choose this option will receive a complimentary “Bring-a-Friend” entry for the same event.
- Option B: Transfer to Spartan or Tough Mudder
- Savage Race has arranged for athletes to transfer their registration to a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder event, subject to availability and transfer eligibility rules.
Abbitt acknowledged the longstanding rivalry between the brands: “Over the years, Savage Race has enjoyed a fun, sometimes playful rivalry with Spartan. We have done everything from friendly competition to lighthearted antics. At the end of the day, though, we're all part of the same OCR community.”
He went on to thank Spartan for stepping up: “I want to sincerely thank the team at Spartan Race (and Tough Mudder) for stepping up to make this transfer option possible. Their willingness to support us and Savage athletes during this transition helps ensure that racers still have great opportunities to get out on the course in 2026.”
- Savage Race has arranged for athletes to transfer their registration to a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder event, subject to availability and transfer eligibility rules.
- Option C: Full Refund
- Athletes may request a full refund of their Savage Race registration. If no selection is made by the stated deadline, registrations will default to a full refund.
This announcement was made at first on social media in the Savage Syndicate group. It was then shared on Savage Race's social media channels. While the Savage Race website still lists all of the original events, the detail page for the canceled events has a note about the event being canceled, with a link to the announcement document.
Athletes registered for canceled events can make their selection through a google form Savage created. Requests will be processed within up to 45 days, and transfers are free.
Due to the fact one of the options for those signed up for cancelled races was a transfer to a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder event instead – some people questioned whether this meant Spartan had purchased Savage Race. However, Savage Race employees were shooting down this rumor in replies on various posts on social media.
The letter closed with Savage founder Sam Abbitt thanking the Savage Race community again, saying:
Savage Race exists because of its community. We’re incredibly grateful for the trust you place in us, and we’re committed to handling this transition fairly, transparently, and with respect for every athlete.
For questions, athletes can reach out to support@savagerace.com.