SPARTAN BABY BADASS ULTRA BY R RICCARDI
THE STORY OF SBBU
THE STORY BEHIND THE
SPARTAN BABY BADASS ULTRA BY R RICCARDI
Each April , as autumn brings in its caches of orange leaves and shorter days , a small group of civilian runners attempt the Spartan Baby Badass Ultra ( SBBU ). They set up barracks at the Italian Club in Bedfordview , Johannesburg . At the allotted hour * they start their 4.167km loop . Once a loop is complete , they rest up until the top of the next hour . A cowbell is rung to signal the start of their next loop . They complete 24 loops . For those of you mathematically inclined , you ’ d know that 24 x 4.167km equals 100 kilometres .
The SBBU is a self-supported running race . No race marshalls , drinks stations or massage tables on any of the loops . Once you leave the barracks you are on your own .
One of the world ’ s biggest and most prestigious ultramarathons , The Comrades Marathon , is only 90 kilometres long . So for anyone completing the SBBU , this means you have bragging rights for life because everyone knows 100km is more than 90km . If there was any fairness in the world , anyone wearing an SBBU finisher ’ s belt buckle should never again have to buy their drinks in any South African sports bar .
For some runners , and there are always a few , 100km is not enough . Those inclined have an option to convert the distances to miles . So in 24 hours , some choose to run 100 miles or 161km . This is not an option encouraged for everyone . Some people like “ LEMON & HERB ” on their Nando ’ s chicken wraps . Some like “ EARTH RE- ENTRY HEAT HOT ”.
It would be incorrect to try to explain the SBBU in its entirety without mentioning one of the founders , Johnny Cobra .** Last year , after completing my second SBBU , I wrote the words below to describe Johnny Cobra and I stand by them .
Johnny Cobra ’ s heritage is all Greek . This explains his affinity for the Spartans . However , his appearance is that of a ginger Viking . Or a Scottish Highlander . Grow out his hair , weave the sides into pleats and paint a blue cross across his forehead and he is Hamish Campbell from Braveheart .
In 2021 , the year before the first SBBU , Johnny Cobra was in the mood for testing ultra-distances and sleep deprivation on his friends . Ignoring the scourge caused by the Covid pandemic , he lured some friends to the neighbourhood of Bedfordview to test them on the 4x4x48 . The Four by Four By Forty-Eight ( which is how you say it ) was a race invented by a Navy Seal . The 4x4x48 involved the athletes running four miles every four hours for fortyeight hours . Two days of running mixed in with a dash of no sleep , all the while evading capture from the South African Police Services for breaking curfew , made for an interesting cocktail . If the SBBU was Johnny ’ s world ’ s hottest ultrarunning chilli , the 77-kilometre 4x4x48 was the chilli seed planted in his experimental laboratory .
2022
In his spare time Johnny Cobra , when he is not tending to his chilli plants with his rubber gloves and protective eyewear , spends hours in his study designing lures for fly fishing . He cuts out designs from balsa wood . Sometimes he uses cedar or basswood if he can find any . He coats it with waterproofing and secures a hook to the fly by wrapping thread to the hook ’ s shank before adding wings . If he has the time – and he often does for his creative endeavours - he secures in bright feathers . Johnny finishes the fly by tightening its components and tying off the thread with a pair of switch-blade-sharp pliers .
In early 2022 , an invitation to the SBBU was prepared and shared between friends . It explained the distances and read :
“ The SBBU is a 24-hour running event and not necessarily , in fact definitely not , for everyone . Success is unlikely . The meek of heart need not apply .”
Despite the minimal information , the invitation was well received and sufficient to attract 25 runners who attempted the inaugural SBBU . Nineteen finished . Six people did not and their
“ Johnny Cobra grows the hottest chilis in the world in the back of his garden . So he is not to be trusted .”
10 SPARTAN BABY BADASS ULTRA 2024