‘SPARTAN: ULTIMATE TEAM CHALLENGE’ PREPARES FOR THE MOST DEMANDING COURSE YET AS THE LEADING TEAMS MEET IN A PULSE-POUNDING TWO-HOUR FINALE

‘SPARTAN: ULTIMATE TEAM CHALLENGE’ PREPARES FOR THE MOST DEMANDING COURSE YET AS THE LEADING TEAMS MEET IN A PULSE-POUNDING TWO-HOUR FINALE

NBC’s Competition Series Concludes Its Second Season on Sunday, July 23 (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) With Six Teams Vying for the Championship and $250,000 Grand Prize

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – July 18, 2017 – The “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge” season concludes with a two-hour Sunday, July 23 telecast (9-11 p.m. ET/PT) in which six teams will face off in semifinal heats in hopes of competing as one of the top three teams to race against each other on the most demanding Spartan course ever devised.

The championship heat will feature a longer course with 15 obstacles that will put the teams through their toughest race yet as they push through the pain to win the $250,000 grand prize.

The competing teams are:

THE NINJASMichelle Warnky (Columbus, OH), Lance Pekus (Salmon, ID), Kevin Bull (Scotts Valley, CA), Maggi Thorne (Lincoln, NE) and Meagan Martin (Boulder, CO)

This team of good friends and “American Ninja Warrior” superstars is out to prove they can take their successes on the Ninja course to Spartan victory.

COMMANDING OFFICERSRobert Killian Jr. (Longmont, CO), Ashley Keller (Fort Bragg, NC), Samantha Wood (Colorado Springs, CO), Liam Collins (West Point, NY) and Bryce Livingston (Black River, NY)

This accomplished team of elite soldier-athletes are out to prove that when it comes to teamwork, the U.S. Army can’t be beat.

STRIKE A POSEIan Deyerle (Monterey, CA), Sarah Harrison (Tampa, FL), Amanda Tchir (Beverly Hills, FL), Jonathan Ruiz (Riverview, FL) and Mack Roesch (Oldsmar, FL)

Ian Deyerle, season one’s winning team captain, is out to prove he can come back from adversity to lead a new team to the top made up of fitness models and body builders.

HEART OF TEXASSpencer Mahoney (Marblehead, MA), Allison Brickley (Austin, TX), Brandon Brickley (Austin, TX), Joey Kelly (Austin, TX) and Cheryl Carrell (Round Rock, TX)

Brought together by tragedy, this family of competitors will dig deep and use their unique bond to show that they have what it takes to conquer the Spartan course. After an injury in the last heat, the spirit of the team, Joey Kelly, is sidelined and alternate Lawrence Sakorski is stepping up to fill in.

STUNT JUNKIESMatthew Kempson (Woodstock, VT), Jordan Thoma (Costa Mesa, CA), Janelle Beaudry (Los Angeles, CA), Mark Miscione (Tarzana, CA) and Luci Romberg (Van Nuys, CA)

Combining courage, quick thinking and incredible athleticism, this team is made up of some of the best stunt professionals in Hollywood and are a force to be reckoned with.

MATHLETESKyle “Wooch” Graff (Houston, TX), Ellen Lutnick (Grand Island, NY), Trevor Bernard (Deer Park, NY), Chris Komin (Grand Island, NY) and Zoe Herrick (Rochester, NY)

Led by thong-wearing team captain Kyle “Wooch” Graff, the youngest team, and possibly the one with the highest IQ in the competition, use their love of problem solving in hopes of outsmarting more experienced teams on the Spartan course.

“Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge” is executive produced by the “American Ninja Warrior” team of A. Smith & Co. Productions’ founders Arthur Smith and Kent Weed. Brady Connell also serves as executive producer alongside Joe DeSena and Jeffrey Connor from Spartan Race Inc.

The hosts include decorated U.S. Winter Olympian Apolo Ohno and ESPN radio personality Kelvin Washington. NBC and Telemundo sports reporter MJ Acosta and World Series Champ Nick Swisher serve as course reporters.