We’re about halfway through the DEKA FIT season, and athletes traveled to North Carolina to throw down in the DEKA FIT area. There were a few big names on the men’s side, a returning DEKA FIT champion on the women’s side, but ultimately, low turnout for the women’s field.
DEKA FIT Carolinas hosted individual elite & age group races, along with the DEKA FIT Ruck and DEKA FIT 2-person teams.
Livestream
The OCR Report had livestream coverage of the elite waves of men & women at the 2025 DEKA FIT Carolinas.
The teams & ruck races were not covered.
Recap
Men’s Race
Ryan Kent led from wire to wire to take the victory in just over 30 minutes (unofficially 30:15). Many times podium finisher, Nick Ryker, stayed close to Kent through the first 4 stations, but Kent pulled away during the ski (Zone 5) and never looked back.
As Kent finished his 20th RAM burpee, he reached out into the crowd to fist-bump his son before running across the finish line. In a brief interview after the race, Kent stated he doesn’t know what event is up next for him, but he’s officially on his comeback tour.
Ryker saw a little competition from Joseph Cotto for the 2nd place spot, but ultimately finished comfortably ahead of Cotto, who finished in 3rd.
Joshua Gonzalez from Underdog Fitness had a great race, finishing in 4th. He started to make up ground on Cotto during the burpees, but didn’t have enough time to catch him.
Women’s Race
Terra Jackson and Janelle Teal were in a back-and-forth battle. Terra took an early lead, while Janelle started conservatively. Imogen Cross & Karyn Guidry were right in the mix to round out the top 4 early on. These 4 ladies were all within 10 seconds of each other at the beginning of the race.
By the med ball situps, Janelle had taken the lead, and Terra & Imogen were neck and neck for 2nd. Janelle opened up even more a lead (~30 seconds) going into the farmer’s carry, and held it through the bike.
The tank is where Terra made her move, passing Janelle convincing in Zone 9. By this time, Imogen was also comfortably in 3rd.
The women stayed in this order across the finish line, with Terra taking the win, Janelle in 2nd, Imogen in 3rd, and Karyn in 4th.
Results
All times are unofficial, based on the livestream. The official results have not been posted yet.
Elite Men
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Ryan Kent | 30:15 |
| 🥈 | Nick Ryker | 31:54 |
| 🥉 | Joseph Cotto | 32:26 |
| 4 | Joshua Gonzalez | 32:36 |
| 5 |
Elite Women
| Place | Athlete | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Terra Jackson | 35:08 |
| 🥈 | Janelle Teal | 35:47 |
| 🥉 | Imogen Cross | 36:30 |
| 4 | Karyn Guidry | 37:33 |
| 5 |
Prize Money
The top 3 elite men and women each receive:
- 1st place: $1,000
- 2nd place: $500
- 3rd place: $250
See previous years DEKA prize money here →
- Age groupers receive podium recognition and a Spartan delta trophy
- Ruck winners receive a flag, courtesy of Titan 6 Actual
- The top 3 overall teams also receive podium recognition
Spectators
New for the 2025 season, DEKA now charges a $10 spectator fee. (see all 2025 season changes)
Save time by purchasing a DEKA FIT Carolinas spectator ticket in advance, or purchase one at the door. Athletes are not required to purchase a spectator ticket.
About DEKA FIT
DEKA is an indoor fitness competition featuring 10 functional fitness zones preceded by a 500-meter run, 5k in total. DEKA is fitness gamified and designed for all levels. No matter your background or experience, DEKA will help you set your baseline so you can train with a purpose.
There are 4 different heat types:
- Age Group Heat: eligible for podium recognition
- Elite Heat: eligible for cash prizes
- DEKA FIT Ruck: ruck or backpack – Male 30lbs & Female 20lbs – a limited number of loaner rucks will be available on-site. Eligible for prizes from Titan 6 Actual.
- Team Division: teams of 2 (Female, Male, & Coed) divide and conquer the DEKA FIT arena
Learn more about DEKA below:
