Eco-Challenge Fiji 01 - Arrival

Eco Challenge Fiji Promotion

Eco-Challenge Fiji:
World’s Toughest Race

Thursday, September 5th - Sunday, September 8th
Spoilers: None

“I usually don’t write race reports.  In fact, I never have.  But the 2019 Eco-Challenge Fiji was different--an incredible experience and one worth capturing on paper.  There are sixty-six individual stories out there—each unique and amazing.  This is Team US Military’s story, an eleven-day, 416-mile adventure across the beautiful islands of Fiji.”

--Caitlin Thorn, Team US Military

Greetings of “Bula, Bula, Bula” rang out as Team US Military landed in Nadi five days prior to the race start.  “Bula” is the Fijian word for “hello,” but it means more than that—translating loosely to “have a good life."  Little did they know how much they would hear and say this word throughout their eleven days on the race course.  They were excited to be in Fiji and had arranged to arrive early to complete the mandatory skills testing and gear checks.  Waiting in line at customs, Caitlin checked her phone.  Spangler just texted that his gear and bike had not arrived from SFO and that Fiji airlines did not know where it was.  Paradise would have to wait.  

Instant panic erupted on the group chat.  Advice and contingency plans were being thrown around to mitigate the team’s first crisis of many to come during the race.  They arrived at the Pullman Resort in Nadi with all gear in tow sans Spangler’s.  Team US Military’s initial excitement had been somewhat tamed by the missing gear debacle.  As they reunited with adventure racing friends at the hotel, Spangler worked with the Eco-Challenge Fiji competitor relations team and Fiji Airways to try and locate his gear.  After failed attempts to reach Fiji Airways all day, the Eco-Challenge Fiji social media manager sent a private tweet to the airline about the issue.  Instantly, a response came from Fiji Airways, and the team soon learned that the gear never left SFO, but would be on a flight to Melbourne, Australia and on to Nadi.  Team US Military was to receive the gear on Saturday, the day before their mandatory gear checks.  

The team breathed a collective sigh of relief, but never fully relaxed and focused until Saturday, when Spangler came strutting into the hotel with his gear in tow.  He had the cheesiest grin on his face as he walked the gear to his room.  The rest of his teammates gave him a standing ovation from where they were sitting at breakfast and started getting excited.  The fifty pound bike they had scoped out at the local hardware store would remain in stock for another day.  It was ‘game on’ for Team US Military.  Team Bones had also been in a similar situation and had received their gear that day as well.  In the days leading up to the race, there was a flurry of activity on the competitor Facebook page as gear was forgotten or not up to specification.  All teams were super helpful to one another, so everyone made it to the starting line with all required gear.


Caitlin Thorn is a guest blogger here. Caitlin Thorn is an accomplished endurance athlete, with numerous accolades as a distance runner, Olympic and half-Ironman distance triathlete, and adventure racer. Caitlin is a Track and Field Division I NCAA All-American, with numerous finishes in the half-marathon and marathon distances. She has been adventure racing for three years and has earned podium finishes at over 6 races and qualified for the 2019 USARA National Championship. Caitlin enjoys world travel and hiking, and when not pursuing outdoor adventure she serves as an active duty officer and engineer in the U.S. Air Force.

Caitlin can be followed via Facebook @caitlin.aub