Spartan has acquired the U.S. business and assets of obstacle course racing brand Tough Mudder, ensuring the future of the company while bringing employees back to work to produce events for the 2020 race season. An agreement was reached between Spartan and the trustee managing Tough Mudder through its involuntary chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding and was approved by the judge assigned to the case. This comes on the heels of Spartan’s acquisition of Tough Mudder’s UK business earlier this month.
The 2020 Tough Mudder race season will be announced within the coming two weeks, at which point tickets will go on sale at ToughMudder.com.
“Tough Mudder has built an incredible company and we’re pleased to have reached an agreement that brings its employees back to work, its passionate community back to the race course, and allows the brand to thrive,” said Spartan founder and CEO Joe De Sena. “We’re excited to work with the Tough Mudder team under the Spartan family as we grow our fitness footprint and further our mission to transform lives across the world.”
The Terms of the Deal, and What Happens Now
As part of the terms of the deal, Tough Mudder’s U.S. business will operate as OCR U.S. Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Spartan. The acquisition has global implications, as Tough Mudder licensed the brand’s business across more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East. Those licenses will be honored under the terms of the deal. Former Tough Mudder CEO Kyle McLaughlin will oversee the new company’s global business.
“We’re excited to get our employees back to work and see Mudder Nation back on the race course in the U.S.,” said McLaughlin. “Building on the excitement of Spartan’s recent acquisition in the UK, we expect to see strong registration numbers as soon as ticket sales are online. Spartan has proven its dedication to Tough Mudder and OCR, and we look forward to joining the Spartan family as we continue creating unique experiences for our community.”
The recent acquisitions of Tough Mudder in the U.S. and UK solidify Spartan’s position as the leader in OCR and endurance sports, adding to its portfolio of more than 250 events across more than 40 countries, with nearly 1.2 million annual participants.
Complimentary Registration for Tough Mudder Participants
As the Spartan and Tough Mudder teams work to stand up as many events as possible for the 2020 season, currently registered Tough Mudder participants whose race has been canceled will receive complimentary registration to two Spartan or Tough Mudder events of their choice. Tough Mudder season pass holders will receive a complimentary Spartan season pass for the remainder of the year.
This adds to Spartan’s growing roster of fitness platforms, which include the expansion of Spartan Trail and the launch of the Spartan Trail World Championship, the acquisition of the La Ruta de los Conquistadores mountain bike race in Costa Rica, and the creation of DEKAFIT. DEKAFIT encapsulates all the tenets of Spartan in one arena, with 5,000 meters of running and 10 stations testing strength, endurance, and mobility.
