The Best Watches for The Mud Run

The United States is home to some of the toughest Tough Mudder and Spartan Race competitions in the world, and anyone who participates in them needs plenty of grit and resolve just to compete in one, let alone complete it. Whether you’re into the team-oriented atmosphere of mud runs or prefer the individualistic nature of a Spartan Race, you’re undoubtedly cut from a different cloth.

If you’re planning on participating in a Spartan Race in the United States in the near future, or anywhere else in the world, for that matter, there’s one essential accessory you’ll need — a reliable watch to help you track your race times and monitor your health condition.

The watches you’ll need to tackle an obstacle course are more than just mere timepieces. These watches are devices that can withstand the atypical challenges of ultra-running, water events, hiking, and pure obstacle race craziness all mixed together.

From monkey bars to mountain trails, you need a watch which works as hard as you do. For some, that means buying a smartwatch with heart rate monitoring capabilities and GPS tracking. For others, that means a sports watch with a case resistant to mud, water, and sudden shocks alike.

There are dozens of watch options for you to consider in your search for the ultimate Spartan Race watch, each with their own varying strengths and weaknesses. Instead of forcing you to do research on your own, we’ve distilled the best of the very best into our in-depth list of the 6 Best OCR Watches For 2021. We’ve even included an informative Frequently Asked Questions section which will help you find the right watch.

First, let’s start with our list!

The 6 Best Mud Run Watches For 2021

6) Suunto Spartan Sport Smartwatch

With one of the clearer and easiest-to-read touch screen layouts we’ve tested, the Suunto Spartan Sport Smartwatch promises visibility and durability even in the middle of the muck of a marathon Spartan Race. It also has 80 different sport modes for you to use and check out — perfect for the variability of Spartan Race and OCR competition. The GPS system isn’t the best, but it’s still pretty dang accurate altogether.

3 Key Features

• Monitor your training and target weak areas with segmented obstacle racing tracking.
• Accurately track your heart rate, VO2 max, ground contact time, and more on your wrist or with the help of a chest strap.
• 25 hours of battery life in fitness mode, about 10 hours more than some other smartwatches sold at a similar price point.

Pros

• The color touch screen of the Suunto Spartan Sport Smartwatch is bright, bold, and easy to see from a variety of different angles.
• Offers quality trackers for calories burned, heart rate, and various other needs for the marathon runner in your family. These trackers don’t use a ton of battery life either!
• Includes a variety of different sports modes and a training mode which pushes you to improve in whatever event you’re lacking in.

Cons

• The interface of the Suunto Spartan Sport Smartwatch is clunky compared to other options on this list.
• The GPS navigation isn’t quite up to the standard of other watches on our countdown.

5) TomTom Spark Cardio GPS Fitness Watch

For Spartan Race aficionados who need music to get their blood pumping and legs moving, there’s the TomTom Spark Cardio GPS Fitness Watch. The Tom Tom Spark Cardio Watch has great fitness tracker nuances to its credit including a heart rate monitor, a multisport mode for accurate training information, and an audio feedback function which guides you through workouts on command. It also has solid battery life for its class.

3 Key Features

• The TomTom Spark Cardio Watch has a water resistant casing and includes waterproof Bluetooth earbuds. You can bop along to your music even when the weather gets rough during a Spartan Race.
• The TomTom Spark Cardio Watch can hold up to 500 songs in it’s in-device music storage folder. That’s a massive amount of music content for you to enjoy during your next OCR.
• This watch includes key obstacle race fitness tracking elements such as heart rate monitoring, calorie tracking, and other built-in GPS trackers.

Pros

• The TomTom Spark Cardio Watch is built for music lovers. Other watches may sync to your phone for music playback, but this watch actually has memory storage for your favorite tunes!
• The earbuds included with this watch are actually of really good quality. It’ll save you some money over finding your own as an added accessory.
• While it’s not the most reliable on the market, the on-wrist heart rate tracking system does the trick and is near the top end of this list in that regard.

Cons

• The design of the TomTom Spark Cardio Watch is hefty and clunky compared to sleeker smartwatches elsewhere on our countdown.
• Some users have complained about issues with adding music to the TomTom Spark Cardio Watch’s storage system.

4) Suunto Spartan Trainer Smartwatch

The second of two Suunto devices on our countdown, the Suunto Spartan Trainer Watch is the right balance of comfort and functionality for all Spartan Race devotees. It keeps you on course either on land or in the water with a water resistant casing, a comfortable wrist-friendly design, and advanced smart watch elements such as accurate heart rate tracking and built-in GPS capabilities. It’s a legit Spartan trainer for your next OCR event.

3 Key Features

• The wrist band was designed with Spartan Race and OCR events in mind, promising peak comfort when you need it most.
• The heart rate monitor of the Suunto Spartan Trainer Smartwatch is on point, as is the built-in GPS system.
• This watch packs a ton of smartwatch power in a sleek, smaller package.

Pros

• Everything about the Suunto Spartan Trainer Watch screams OCR. It’s built for the wackiest and craziest events you can think of.
• The strap is perhaps the most comfortable watch smartwatch band we’ve ever tested. It’s that good.
• The Suunto Spartan Trainer is durable and submerges in water and mud with no problems.

Cons

• 24-hour heart rate and sleep tracking doesn’t automatically sync to Suunto’s mobile app.
• The external antenna below the clock is cumbersome.

3) Casio G-Shock Mudman Compass G9300 Watch

There’s only two entries on our list which are not smartwatches, and they’re both part of the venerable Casio G-Shock series. The first is the rugged Casio G-Shock Mudman Compass G9300 Watch — a solar-powered beast which balances the key inclusions of a sports watch with one of the toughest watch constructions you’re going to find in the marketplace today.

3 Key Features

• Solar-powered operation beats even the longest of long battery life options. Can be charged by either natural or artificial light.
• Includes a wealth of features useful for Spartan Race and OCR events including a compass, thermometer, countdown timers, and stopwatch.
• The Casio G-Shock series is known for its water resistance and shock resistance — perfect for OCR and Spartan Race events.

Pros

• In terms of sports watches at this price point, there isn’t a more durable and longer-lasting watch out there than this G-Shock standout.
• For a digital watch, the layout of the display is super easy to read and is made even more legible by the strong backlight.
• This solar-powered watch can be charged by virtually any light source, ensuring that you’re never left in a lurch with a paperweight for a watch.

Cons

• This watch doesn’t offer fitness-tracking benefits such as a heart rate monitor.
• The watch design is large, clunky, and hard to wear for those with smaller wrists.

2) Garmin Forerunner 35 Smartwatch

If you’re looking to race and race effectively on a tight budget, why not pick a fantastic fitness-tracking watch that gives you all the bells and whistles you need for under 100 bucks? While it’s not as deep in functionality and features as more expensive Garmin Forerunner models, the Garmin Forerunner 35 Smartwatch makes up for it by offering all of the essentials you’ll need for races to come at an affordable price.

3 Key Features

• The Garmin Forerunner 35 is a low-cost GPS watch for those Spartan Race and OCR participants operating on a budget.
• Wrist-based heart rate monitor eliminates the need for a chest strap accessory. It’s comparable to the beloved Fitbit Versa in quality.
• The Garmin Forerunner 35 includes runner-specific features like speed and distance tracking, and also connects to your smartphone for notifications and music.

Pros

• If you need a combination entry-level smartwatch and fitness tracker for a really agreeable price point, the Garmin Forerunner 35 is for you.
• Other Garmin Forerunner models may have more content and applications to their credit, but you get plenty of functionality out of this watch for a fraction of the price.
• Balances a durable construction with plenty of cardio-friendly applications (including an accurate heart rate monitor) for even the most advanced runner on the course.

Cons

• In terms of the amount of sheer content, this watch doesn’t compare with more expensive smartwatch models on our countdown.
• The stock watch strap isn’t the best for those with larger wrists.

1) Casio G-Shock Mudmaster Watch GG1000-1A8

In a bit of an upset, our #1 entry isn’t a smartwatch! The Casio G-Shock Mudmaster Watch beat out five other worthy contenders for this spot for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the shock resistance and water resistance of this watch are unparalleled compared to other sports watches which don’t bear the Casio G-Shock label. Secondly, the watch features included are plentiful and rival the specs of watches at much higher price points.

3 Key Features

• Built for Tough Mudder, OCR, and Spartan Race events with its the inclusion of mud resistant casing elements.
• This watch has been recalibrated for use in OCR competitions with a cylindrical guard structure, larger buttons, and a textured band that wards off all kinds of dirt and grime.
• New Twin Sensor format promises much more accurate thermometer and compass readouts.

Pros

• This solar-powered watch won’t go out on you in the middle of a marathon race, especially since it generates power from all kinds of light sources. Who needs good battery life when you have this?
• The watch design team at Casio hit a home run with this one. Everything about this watch has been mulled over with OCR and Spartan Race junkies in mind.
• It hits the perfect trifecta of mud, shock, and water resistance while also having plenty of key sports watch elements for tracking your race times.

Cons

• The content on the watch’s digital screens is hard to read for those with visual impairments.
• This watch is pretty imposing and may be too much for OCR competitors with smaller wrists.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key features of the best mud run watches?

When searching for a great mud run watch, you need to make sure that your watch is Spartan Race tough. Even some purported sports watches aren’t able to deal with the rigors of mud runs, OCRs, and Spartan races. A Spartan Race or Tough Mudder requires watch features which center around pure durability. These events constitute obstacle racing at its most sadistic, and both you and the watch you wear need to be up for the insane challenges they present.

So whether you choose a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder as your experience of choice, look for a watch with some or all of the following specs — a tough screen and screen protector which is mud and water resistant, long battery life for the marathonic tendencies of Tough Mudder and Spartan Race events, an accurate heart rate monitor to keep track of your health during training and actual obstacle races, GPS navigation, a calorie counter to track calories burned and other features common to fitness trackers and other fitness wearables, and a durable construction which can take what obstacle course racing throws at it and then some.

Can you use smartwatches during an obstacle course race or mud run?

Yes! While some smartwatches are too fragile to use during a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder, there are other smartwatches which can be essential accessories en route to the finish line. Not all smartwatches are capable of submersion into mud pits without sustaining major damage, so be sure to rule out any watch which has a sensitive touch screen or suspect construction.

If you pick a smartwatch as your item of choice, there are a wealth of useful features you’ll be able to take advantage of when engaging in the obstacle course racing experience. These include the ability to download a course map, training mode options to get you ready for the real thing, built-in GPS functionality, and sturdy cases which survive and thrive when dirt hills turn to mud in the middle of the toughest Spartan races out there.

One note — we don’t recommend using an Apple Watch for your next OCR. The Apple Watch has a durable case, all things considered, but it’s not the best option for your next Spartan Race.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re into Spartan Races or mud runs, you’re already super tough. And if you are, it’s absolutely essential that the watches you buy serve as training devices and backup for the craziness you’ll encounter during an obstacle race. The six watches on the list above range in popularity and cost, but they share one key thing in common — they are perfect for anyone who doesn’t let anything stand in their way.