Fitness
The Turf Games: the greatest fitness event you’ve probably never heard of
Each year, in a pocket of London, the city's fittest come together to do battle in a gruelling showdown. Never heard of The Turf Games? It's time you read on...
On February 9th, 400 men and women will descend upon West London to run, row, lift and push as hard as they can, in the ultimate fitness showdown. Welcome to the Turf Games Winter Festival, an epic, all-day battle that will see 80 teams go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned the Fittest Team.
The event will attract the fittest in the city – including personal trainers, influencers and staff from top London gyms – as well as some 600 spectators keen to revel in the party atmosphere while watching what promises to be an adrenaline-fuelled show (general admission tickets cost £6 per person). This year, Red Bull is partnering with the event to keep the crowd and athletes amped throughout the day with music and drinks.
The ‘best kept secret’ in fitness
The Turf Games workouts test strength, speed, power and endurance
© Jon Payne Photos
The Turf Games is the brainchild of Andrew Manteit, an Aussie who grew up playing almost every team sport going, from cricket to rugby league. He found that, once you stopped playing seasonal team sport, there weren’t many ways to experience that same combination of camaraderie, athleticism and team victory.
So in September 2017, he ran the first ever Turf Games, a fitness competition that pits teams of five against each other as they complete different workouts. The first event had just 30 male PTs taking part. Now there are four UK events annually featuring hundreds of athletes – around half of which are women – as well as two international competitions (in the USA and Australia) with more in the pipeline.
Unlike with other fitness competitions, all the movements in our events are accessible, which opens it up to a wider range of fitness lovers
This year’s Winter Festival is the biggest event yet, and all 400 athlete tickets sold out in just five hours. While the event was previously purely the domain of fitness professionals, around one third of the competitors taking part this winter are ‘everyday athletes’, from lawyers to gym bunnies trying their first fitness competition.
“The Turf Games is the best kept secret in the fitness space,” Manteit says. “Unlike with other fitness competitions, all the movements in our events are accessible, which opens it up to a wider range of fitness lovers.” He explains that the Turf Games don’t include Olympic lifting or gymnastics, for example, which can be prohibitive. Instead, competitors flip tyres and push sleds – movements that don’t require specific training to complete them.
Manteit adds that the Turf Games is ideal for obstacle course racers or runners who have never competed in fitness before. “They can compete alongside friends and colleagues and have a bit of fun in the functional fitness world. Most people are time-poor and don’t want to commit to a sporting season with lots of training sessions. But an event like this gives you a reason to train and push yourself to the next level.”
A scalable level of competition
A strong workout strategy is key to success at The Turf Games
© Jon Payne Photo
The competition works on a team-based workout format. Teams of five (divided into men’s, women’s and mixed gender categories) must complete a series of workouts testing everything from strength and speed to strategy and communication.
All athletes complete the same four, 10-minute workouts in the heats, with the top eight teams from each category progressing to an ‘elite’ semi-final, where the intensity is stepped up a notch. The four top teams from this progress to the elite final, where one team from each category is crowned winner. The teams who come 9-14th in the men’s and women’s categories, and 9-16th in the mixed category go through to ‘everyday athlete’ final, where weights are lighter and workouts slightly easier. “This makes it a scalable level of competition,” Manteit adds.
While the Summer Festival takes place outside, the Winter Festival is predominantly set indoors (apart from some running sections), so is more limited by space. Lee Phillips, a firefighter, PT and four-time winner of the Turf Games, is the mastermind behind the workouts this year. “We’ve got a good mix, from strength workouts that will favour the bigger, stronger athletes, to cardio workouts that will favour the lighter athletes,” he says.
One workout will see four teammates squat in synch, while lifting a long, heavy sandbag. Others will feature gym equipment like the SkiErg (an indoor skiing machine that tones muscles including traps, triceps, calves and hamstrings) and Torque Tank (like a sled on wheels that you load up with weights and push). “Teams will have to complete a set distance on the SkiErg, then complete as many lengths as they can with the Torque Tank in the remaining time,” Phillips says.
“Tactics will really come into play – teams need to decide how many ski strokes each athlete will do, when to rotate, how much rest they will have and which athlete is the strongest to save for the tank. But you also have to be adaptable, and potentially change your game plan mid-way through a workout if things start going wrong.”
Teamwork makes the dream work
Teams must work together to complete a series of gruelling workouts
© Jon Payne
What sets the Turf Games apart from other fitness competitions is that organisers don’t tell teams how to do the workouts, only what needs to be done in the given timeframe. It means that teams have to work out their own strategy, one that plays to their strengths.
According to Heloise Nangle, team captain of last year’s winning women’s team, teams should decide on their game plan as soon as possible. “Being organised was crucial to our success,” she says. “The workouts are released 10 days before the event, so my teammates and I sat down and worked out exactly who was going to do what. It meant that there were no questions or flustering on the day. The team captain needs to take the lead on the orders, and good communication is vital.”
Harvey Lawton’s all-male team came out on top last year, and the PT puts their win down to a solid friendship. “We were a well-rounded team and are all really good mates, so there were no egos on the day,” he says. “My top tip would be to train everything – strength, speed, power, fitness and endurance – and be prepared to work above and beyond where you think you can mentally and physically.”
Lawton is hoping to retain his team’s crown at this year’s Winter Festival, and is putting in the gym hours. “I train for an hour six-times per week,” he says. His routine usually involves deadlifts and single limb work (like arm and leg presses), followed by conditioning (such as running or box jumps). “On the day, it’s important to use your breaks wisely. Eat, drink, keep moving and stay warm.”
Harvey Lawton (second left) and his team aim to retain the Turf Games crown
© Jon Payne Photo
For Nangle, whose team is also hoping to retain their title, training with her teammates for an hour twice a week is key. “We practice movements we think will be involved in the event. You push yourself harder when you train with other people.” And she recommends carb-loading the night before. “I eat pasta with ketchup and cheese. It may not be for everyone, but it works for me. Don’t change your diet based on what someone else tells you – eat whatever works for you.”
She adds: “This is the most varied event I’ve done because it covers all aspects of fitness. It makes the competition more exciting because your overall level of fitness has to be better. The main thing to remember is that you’re in this together with your teammates. Yes, it’s competitive, but I’m also doing this with some of my best friends because we enjoy fitness and each other’s company. It’s tough – but it’s also meant to be an enjoyable experience.”
