Things are about to change in the trail running world with the arrival of OCR giant Spartan Race. The obstacle course racing pioneer is taking its Spartan Trail series to the masses this year with a slate of events that includes a Canadian stop at Owl’s Head in Quebec on June 30. And it’s going to be huge.The series launched on April 14 at an event near Seattle, WA. The 12 scheduled Spartan Trail events will take place in some of nature’s most breathtaking landscapes. Next up, Big Bear Lake, California on May 18.“Spartan has inspired millions to live healthier lifestyles through OCR and training programs, and we’re excited to expand our experiences and community by introducing the growing sport of trail running to our event lineup,” said Spartan Founder and CEO Joe De Sena.“The ancient Spartans ran on trails to train, so it’s a natural extension of our brand as we work to motivate people everywhere to step outside of their comfort zones and learn there’s no limit to what they can achieve. Spartan Trail will provide a new opportunity to our racers while offering the trail running community an event like they have never experienced before.”Spartan Trail events will offer distances of 10 and 21 kilometres.Sarina Daigle is a Quebec-based athlete who runs track and cross-country at Concordia University. She’s thrilled about the chance of competing in the inaugural Spartan Trail in Quebec.“I am very excited to compete,” says Daigle. “I trained hard this year in order to achieve my goals as a varsity athlete during the Cross-country and Track and Field season. I am currently training with John Lofranco as part of Athletisme Ville Marie (AVM) in order to be in the best shape possible for the Spartan Trail.”Eastern Canada Trail at Owl’s Head will offer runners tough climbs, breathtaking views and technical terrain. The thick forests and rocky peaks of the northern Adirondacks provide a solid backdrop for the first Canadian Spartan Trail Race.Daigle knows the area well, with a family cottage close by. She also competed, and placed fourth, in last year’s Spartan Sprint at Owl’s Head.“The Terrain was quite challenging,” she says. “To reach the summit you must run through a small rock scrambling section which makes some of the ascent somewhat technical. At about 385m of altitude, you reach a big rock breaking the treeline. Once I had reached that point during my race, I remember taking a second to enjoy the unparalleled view on the Memphremagog Lake.”Spartan Trail Race was developed by prominent ultra-runners Charlie Engle and Luis Escobar, who have brought their experience and knowledge of the trail running industry to Spartan. The two will act as co-race directors, closely working with Spartan to craft each trail course.“We’re confident the sentiment Luis and I feel for Spartan Trail will echo throughout the passionate trail running community as we’ve worked to shape the series, first and foremost as trail runners, understanding the wants and needs of our peers,” said Engle.Although a traditional trail race, Spartan Trail does allow for some of that powerful Spartan ethos to weave its way into the event. Daigle wouldn’t have it any other way.“I believe that Spartan is more than just races, when signing up to a Spartan race you become a member of that big family,” says Daigle, who convinced her mother and her boyfriend to compete alongside her at a Spartan event in Ottawa last year. “The Spartan community promotes a healthy lifestyle and encourages people all around the globe to challenge themselves physically and mentally while enjoying nature.”Spartan already runs OCR events in 40 countries around the world. The move into trail running should make for a very exciting summer.“I think that it is a very smart decision as Trail running is expanding very quickly, and Spartan Race is the largest obstacles race company (OCR) worldwide,” she says. “I am very excited to see what the Spartan Team and the expertise of the ultra-runners Charlie Engle and Luis Escobar will bring to the world of Trail racing. I can’t wait to run on their course June 30th at Owl’s Head.”For more information on the Spartan Trail series go here