A four-mile obstacle race involving mud, fire, wall-climbing, spear-throwing, sandbag-carrying and a gladiator throwdown is scheduled to take place south of Bigfork on Saturday, May 11.

As of April 25, more than 4,000 participants had registered, and 50 more were signing up each day. The event will take place on 2,000 acres of land owned by the Flathead Lake Lodge located about three miles south of the lodge itself.

The event is sponsored by the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau. A family-friendly pre-game party will be held in Kalispell between the Sportsman & Ski Haus and Stadium 14 theater complex on Friday, May 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Participants must attend this party, where they can pick up race packets and receive a briefing on guidelines, safety and transportation. Twenty shuttle buses will take people to the event from a parking site at the intersection of Highways 35 and 82. A $10 fee will be charged there. Shuttle buses will also go to the Flathead Valley Community College and possibly another site.

This will be Montana’s first Spartan Race event. Doug Averill, owner of the Flathead Lake Lodge, said Spartan Race organizers are calling the course a “sprint-beast.” He estimated about 10,000 people will visit the site throughout the weekend. Admission will be $25 at the gate.

Children’s races for ages 5-13 are also slated, with half-mile Junior Spartan and one-mile Varsity Spartan events offered. A bag check will cost $5, and cold showers will be available for muddy participants.

For more information, visit online at www.spartanrace.com/montana-obstacle-racing-spartan-sprint-2013.