- while we were away... - clear the steeple. to "spartan." martino: ...the tightest race of the season got even tighter as comeback kids and team grit jostled for position at the steeple run. nice and calm. martino: and free spirits scramble to keep pace. it's downhill. jones: as we rejoin the action, free spirits are 54 seconds behind the leaders. keep going. i got her. you got this. grant's gonna catch you, okay? - big jump. - and plant and go. - jones and martinooh! - you're okay. jones: ryan woods just throws tiffany across the creek. martino: what a tough position for tiffany nguyen. jones: and it's a sea of red and black up ahead. comeback kids captain ian deyerle

out in front followed closely by team grit's monica gilmore. martino: there's ninja lance pekus. and look at grits captain spencer mahoney. this course brings elite athletes to their knees. oh, my. look at kevin bull. he's exhausted. hell need to catch his breath before the dunk walls. jones: what a race. remember, the only way to guarantee a spot in the championship is to win this heat. if you don't, you got to beat american dream team's time from semifinal heat 1 to capture the wildcard. come on, guys. jones: kevin bull is still at the first dunk wall, kyle. martino: he's struggling. jones: with bull slowed up, comeback kids need to carpe diem and jump into the lead. martino: kevin has been powerhouse, but he's not moving. keep pushing. keep pushing. jones: here come the free spirits. they're gaining on us! jones: ryan woods won't let tiffany quit. - what a leader. - give him a shove. - martino: "crazy" craver dives head first. - jones: i love it. martino: and finally, kevin bull dives under that narrow, 18-inch gap. we'll see if that delay cost team grit.

you okay? jones: you could hear kevin apologize to spencer. meanwhile, ian deyerle goes under the second wall. comeback kids in the lead. martino: and kevin bull, the last to go again for team grit. jones: and here come free spirits at wall number two. incredible. all three teams are just seconds apart, and evan dollard has the best seat in the house. this is it. the comeback kids are coming out of the dunk wall and onto the final obstacle of the slip wall. it is slick. it is wet. this is gonna be an incredible challenge at the end of our extended course. and neck-and-neck with them is team grit. they're building their human ladder right how. this is an incredible finals. this is what the "spartan race" is all about. and here comes grant mccartney of the free spirits. all three of our teams are on the slip wall at the same time. martino: comeback kids place 6'1" beni and 5'7" lynnae in the middle of their ladder, and matt climbs right up to the top. dhani, grant mccartney needs reinforcements.

- he's slipping. - jones: and just in the nick of time. - oh! - martinowatch out. dollard: neil craver comes tumbling down all the way from the top, and he's quickly back up. that is a ninja response right there. martino: let's see that again. ouch! right there neil just spring boarded right off tiffany's back to get up. jones: apologize later. martino: up top comeback kids laura messner, trading spots with matt campione as they hold on to a very slim lead. jones: and kevin bull got his second wind. he summits for team grit. martino: but 6'1" beni gifford's about to make his move. dollard: he leaps. he grabs. he's got it. step on my foot! martino: it looks like tiffany and the free spirits may have hit a wall here. you really have to wonder how they would've faired with a healthy joy cox. jones: beni's ready for their captain ian deyerle to grab his legs. come on. get up here! - jones: boom! - martino: that's big. jones: got both of beni's feet. he's on his way up. ( crowd chanting ) climb that wall!

( cheering ) martino: using the arms of his teammate like monkey bars. this takes complete trust, and comeback kids clearly have it. no one is letting go. grab my shirt. go! jones: comeback kids have done it again. they just beat out two of the most formidable opponents we've seen all season long. martino: i didn't see that coming. jones: spartans take down the ninjas martino: comeback kids living up to their name. they were in 3rd place at the lake crossing and trailed free spirits most of the race. ( chanting ) comeback kids! what an amazing victory. ( crowd cheering ) yeah! martino: this group of friends helped each other overcome hard times and now they get to celebrate all they've accomplished. jones: and there's team captain ian's dad enjoying the moment. we stashed 'em! martino: let's get back to the slip wall where the last remaining spot in the finals is still up for grabs.

both teams are well ahead of the pace set by heat 1 runners-up american dream team, so, barring a disaster, whoever crosses the line next, will earn the wildcard and still has a shot at $250,000. jones: free spirits and team grit each have three at the top. martino: lance pekus sizing up the jump for grit. jones: and on the left, grant mccartney fighting to lift up ryan woods. come on, grant! martino: lance is up. look at him climb up spencer mahoney. ( crowd chanting ) go! go! go! jones: grit is in the home stretch. they have to pull spencer over. - this could be it. - give me your other foot. relax it, relax! give me your other foot. relax! jones: desperation setting in for free spirits. - ( cheering ) - move down! jones: so team grit finishes ahead of fellow ninjas, free spirits, and faster than the runners-up from our first semifinal, american dream team. martino: so kevin bull and lance pekus earn bragging rights over grant mccartney and neil craver. but more importantly, they still got a shot at the $250,000 grand prize.

jones: they crossed the finish line only 43 seconds after the winners. and don't forget, they've been here before. martino: and just a few weeks ago. jones: grit didn't win their first heat in qualifying either, but came back to win the final. martino: these two teams battled with team grit jumping out to an early lead. but when they stepped on their fellow ninjas at the lake crossing... i love you, ninjas, but get out of the way. ...they'd open the door for comeback kids to do just that. and at the slip wall, comeback kids were just a little faster and reached the finish line first. jones: let's check in with mj acosta who's standing by with the winners of the second semifinal. comeback kids living up to your name. you beat both "american ninja warrior" teams. - i mean... - ( all cheering ) ...how are you feeling about that? i'm-- i'm just gonna say, this is a "spartan race." this is obstacle course racing. this isn't "ninja warrior ." i wouldn't come out cocky into a "ninja warrior" tournament. that's for sure. this is "spartan race," and we are spartans. acosta: keep that up, 'cause you got to do this again.

in the final you got team grit there, so got get 'em, guys. - we're bound to. - see you guys! jones: coming up... the final three teams are set. - grit! grit! - comeback kids! all: best team ever! hunter mcintyre: we're not the youngest team. we're not the strongest team, but we love each other... and that's why we will be champions. we're going to encourage one another, and support each other, and help each other. and, guys, thank you so much for joining me on this. if we were to win this race... it would represent overcoming all the struggles that we've been going through. yeah! we're gonna go win this thing. i love you guys, man.

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this is it. welcomethe big dog.artan." the main event. a quarter of a million dollar mile, and it's about to go down. all the cuts, the sprains and the bruises, they'll fade, but the memories these teams are making, those, they'll last forever. and, dhani, there are 15 athletes remaining in the chase for the title, but what i see are three very strong united teams. in spartan, no one triumphs alone. and i'm glad we're up here and not down there, - because this course... - it's a lot safer up here. - it's a beast. - martino: in tonight's championship final, each team will have to hit five spears at the spear throw. plus tackle the vicious log traverse requiring immense arm and leg strength to walk a 200-pound log down 60 feet of wall. there you see the muddy minglers getting ready for the championship final.

earlier today in semifinal heat 1, stephanie buech of the minglers had some problems on the giant tire swing. - yeah, yeah! okay! - jones: she cleared the water, but crash landed hard on that pad. ( crying ) jones: and badly twisted her left ankle. now the minglers did have an opportunity to replace stephanie like the free spirits replaced joy cox, but even with $250,000 on the line, they've decided to stick together. you gotta win together or lose together. mj acosta is standing by with the minglers now. - mj. - muddy minglers. what a tremendous journey to get you guys here to the championship heat. but now without its hardships. stephanie, your ankle bothering you a lot almost made you doubt whether or not you were gonna run this with your team. but, they stood behind you. they did. they did. um, i didn't what to be the reason that we lose, because i know that we can take this entire competition. but they said we stand behind you 100%. uh, they said it would not be the same without you, and they cared more about running for me. acosta: how quick were you guys to tell her, um, that's not an option.

if i have to choose between splitting $250,000 between people and running with her, i'm running with her. win together. lose together. that's what it's all about. all right, good luck, you guys. we'll see you out there. back to you guys. - thanks, mj. - thank you. jones: thanks, mj. true spartan spirit showing there. you dance with the one who brought you. martino: we'll have to see how much stephanie's ankle - slows 'em down. - the race is ours. - all right. - together: yeah. martino: i don't know if any can slow down comeback kids. but, honestly, i couldn't be more proud of the team that i have right here. i've been looking around at the other competition, and ian truly does have the best hair. all right... campione: that's what keeps us going. all right, ready? all: one, two, three, comeback kids! whoo! jones: kyle, these guys just need to do what they've done every race. win. martino: the team in black, team grit, failed to win their qualifying heat. you don't get a second chance on ninja. you know they're going to make the most of this opportunity. pekus: we lost by 45 seconds, we know where we can pick up some time.

let's go out and do it. guys, thank you so much for joining me on this. - i... - for real. i couldn't be happier with the team that i've got here. and i'm really excited to do this last race with you. - so... - it's been an honor. - for real. - amen. - let's do it for the team. - grit. on three. all: one, two, three... grit! jones: this crowd's fired up. and our racers are almost ready to go. martino: in these final minutes you can see team grit captain, spencer mahoney, better known on instagram as spartan spencer, setting his tomtom fitness watch to track his heart rate and calories burned throughout the race. jones: so here we go. these three teams are as ready as they'll ever be and they're hungry for that $250,000 prize. three teams left and only one will win the championship. there's really nothing else left to say. martino: actually, there is. together: blow...that...horn! - ( air horn blowing ) - jonesand they're off. team grit in black, muddy minglers in blue, and the comeback kids in red sprint up the hill

towards the walls. ( yelling ) - hunter: no surrender, team. - martino: no surprise. hunter is pushing his team as grits' lance pekus is quickly up and over. help her up. jones: wow, stephanie buech already limping here. it's gonna take a real team effort to get her to the finish line. my feet, my feet. hold me up. jones: all season long we've heard their rallying cry... "everything you've got!" no way stephanie's going down without a fight. martino: meanwhile, the ninjas of team grit are sailing through this obstacle. cattle rancher lance pekus single-handedly boosting his entire team up the ten-foot wall. - you got it. come on. - way to go, vinnie. jones: they have a slight lead here over comeback kids. martino: finally, hunter getting his team cover the first wall. the minglers fall behind early. good. jones: grit and comeback already moving on to that imposing 16-foot wall. martino: let's watch the strategies here. who goes first and who goes last for each team. lock, lock. jones: both teams send their team captains up first.

spencer mahoney for grit, and ian deyerle for comeback kids. martino: wow. dhani, both teams making it look easy. matt campione and kevin bull fly up the wall, followed by monica for grit and lynnae for comeback kids. keep going. keep going. martino: lynnae is a software analyst and credits spartan racing with turning her life around. lynnae kettler: i got married young and things weren't healthy. when i decided to to get a divorce, i was going through a really rough time and i needed an outlet other than drinking, and spartan helped me with that. as i started getting more into spartan races, i started running with a coworker of mine, and we really got along well. our relationship progressed. he asked me to marry him... ( crowd cheering ) and we're now married. ( giggles ) so, that's how we met. i just want people to realize that even if you're down or-- or something's going wrong in your life, that you can come back from it.

martino: lynnae, looking strong as her team keeps pace with team grit. - dani: good job. - come on, up, up, up, up, up. jones: back at the 16-foot wall, ken martin is last up for the minglers as stephanie makes her way down. oh, my god. - okay. - ( stephanie crying ) martino: you can hear the agony she's in, dhani. hold me. hold me. martino: ian and spencer are first to the lake swing for comeback kids and grit. - hold on. - let's go, girls. jones: and they'll go with the same strategy, women first. - one, two, three, go! - go! go! jones: oh! and lynnae lands in the water. she'll have to stay there until her whole team is across. martino: ian and matt glide together. good job. jones: and the ninja men fly three across. oh! and lance gets soaked in that freezing water. now he's already out and onto that pad. martino: this is so tense, dhani. these two are very evenly matched. grit and comeback kids battling for 1st. nice steady pace. good job.

martino: the rematch is just as tight as the original. and finally, the muddy minglers are at the lake. stephanie's ankle becoming a major factor. - great job, crew. - keep it up, guys. you're doing great. jump, go! swing just let go! just let go! martino: you can hear hunter, "just let go!" but they should be going two at a time. - nice swing. - and you both, let's go. jones: oh! and dani stratman's short. together: three, two, one, go! - martino: there they go. - jones: now they've got it. ryan and ken make it across together - oh...watch out! - martinothere goes hunter. not even waiting for ken to clear the pad. jones: he's a beast! martino: almost all the muddy minglers are soaked. - go! go! go! go! - keep going. jones: comeback has a slight lead over grit as they approach the shore. pull! pull! pull! pull! jones: muddy minglers getting on their raft. let's see if they can make up some time, kyle. - ( grunting ) - row! row! - come on! - row at the same time! martino: listen to hunter barking orders and willing them across the lake. row like you mean it, ryan. give it some ( bleep ) muscle! let's row! we're okay. almost. jones: matt campione out front for comeback as they hoist that 200 pound log.

your front. your front. jones: $250,000 to the winner, kyle. martino: and i'd carry you on my shoulders for that kind of money. - how're you guys doing? - both: good. good. jones: look at this. hunter's already pulled the minglers 300 feet across the lake. martino: that guy's a machine. jones: they've just made up about 15 seconds. - yeah. - guide us. martino: comeback kids putting the shorter teammate matt up front and taller beni gifford in the back. to get them up those steps. even the smaller strategies make a difference in a race this close. all right. jones: comeback locked into the brackets first. okay, up. jones: now grit's locked in. one, two, three. jones: comeback kids with a clean dismount. drop. jones: and they're both across quickly. - ( groaning ) - martinohere come the muddy minglers. man, they really made up some time on the lake crossing, dhani. jones: and now the log traverse. you need to work together to walk that log down 60 feet of walls.

martino: ian deyerle out front, and beni gifford in the back. they're like the engine and the caboose. push it, push it. jones: and monica gilmore just hanging there for grit. and that's dead weight. - come on, guys. push! push, you guys. jones: wow. look at beni. martino: the caboose is doing pretty good. jones: using his long legs to get them across. martino: grit's still fighting their way down the walls. okay, we got this. hang on. one more. good! - ( grunts ) - jones: and they're done. and moving on to the army crawl. ♪ don't surrender, team! jones: but the muddy minglers aren't tapping out - just yet. - up, up, up! jones: there are only 15 seconds behind grit. we're almost there. okay. martino: and grit completes the traverse. and look at the minglers still in it. legs up! legs up! jones: hunter is pushing his entire team through the traverse. - beast mode! - ah! introducing t-mobile's most epic deal ever!

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while we were away, comeback kids' red uniforms turned brown martino: welcome back to "spartan." as they slithered through the muddy waters - of the army crawl. - we got this, guys. there's a whole lot of race left, you guys. martino: 34-year-old former beauty pageant winner maggi thorne pushed the ninjas to keep pace with the leaders. we gotta move. martino: while the over-40 muddy minglers stalled out - on the log traverse . - ( groaning ) you aren't. oh, god. jones: as we pick up the action, comeback kids have a 45 second lead over team grit. they're closing in on that $250,000 prize, and for beni gifford, the big guy in the middle, the money would go right to his best friend... his dad. beni gifford: my dad and i have always been really close. we would bike all the time-- eight, nine hours a day just him and i. - all right, keep up, beni. - yeah, right. ( laughing ) last year, my dad came across some health issues, and he lost his job that he's had his entire life as head of it for a major international company. it was hard.

so my dad took a job bagging groceries and stocking shelves at a grocery store. you could tell there was pain there, because, you know, he doesn't want his son to see his superman like that. ever since then, i've always wanted to surprise him with a huge check and just saying, "dad, you're done." so, if we were to win the prize money, that's not enough to retire somebody, but it could say, "dad, if you want to spend your time looking for a job that you like, that's great. you're taken care of. i got you, dad. jones: beni's dad couldn't make it here today, but comeback kids are making all of their families proud right now. they fought so hard for this opportunity. martino: they're first to the spear throw. and don't forget in the final, teams must hit five spears to move on instead of the usual three. jones: beni will go first. - nice. - jonesand that's one. four to go.

martino: ninjas-- team grit, really need to pickup the pace here. - stay positive. - yep. - yeah. still a lot of race left, you guys. martino: up next for comeback kids, 33-year-old team captain ian deyerle over two years of spartan competition, dhani, ian hasn't missed a single spear throw. and he keeps the streak going. jones: up next, singer and dancer, laura messner. she wanted to be the next britney spears. i think she's got more of a pat benatar thing going. martino: you're totally dating yourself right there, dhani. take your time. - jonesfurniture mover matt campione. - take your time. - jones: that's two misses in a row. - lynnae, you're up. - this is a good one. - we got this, guys. get on the other side. other side. martino: lynnae kettler up next. go, lynnae, you got it. martino: that's three straight misses, and comeback kids' lead is evaporating. grit can see comeback kids have only made two spears. remember, they need to hit five to move on. jones: and beni gets the leaders back on track. restaurant manager, ian deyerle... - order up! - martino: got it!

jones: they've got that fire again, and they're just one away. martino: first up for grit, mother of three, maggi thorne. nice try. martino: they needed that one. - ( grunts ) - ( smack ) jones: and laura messner closes it out for comeback kids. martino: kevin bull gets grit on the board. nice, kevin. martino: but they need to be perfect the rest of the way. - nice, lance. - jonesoh, wow. martino: the cowboy connects as comeback kids start the totem climb. jones: matt, the moving man, campione headed up first. - look at that. - martino: he's flying. - jones: he's moving fast. - matt, to the top. martino: back at he spear throw, team captain spencer mahoney, - ( smack ) - grit's heating up. go, monica. jones: former college track star, monica gilmore's turn next. martino: should keep this momentum going. jones: oh! those javelin skills are a little rusty, kyle. solid grip, no slip. martino: beni gifford's gonna be the third comeback kid to mount the rope. - and kevin bull comes through again! - jones: i love it! martino: pekus lines it up. - he's got it! - jones: he's a beast! - martino: here they come. - jones: and the ninjas are heading to the totem climb. they closed the gap by 11 seconds at the spear throw. every team pushing themselves to the limit.

- go, go, go, go, go! - martinoand look at this. the muddy minglers are still in it, dhani. can the over-40 underdogs make one last push - for the title? - pull, pull, pull, pull! come on! jones: laura messner is the last comeback kid out of the water and she sends up their flag just as team grit arrives. martino: ninja kevin bull headed up first. no surprise there. jones: matt campione of comeback kids is having trouble with that clip. martino: clip in it, matt. jones: every second counts, and he's gotta hook that flag on. martino: he's got it. but the ninjas are flying up that rope making up time. - go, go, go good job, lance. great job, lance. martino: as comeback kids move on, let's check in with evan dollard down at the timber drop. dollard: thanks, guys. now at the semifinal, they didn't have to tackle this thing wet. now this obstacle is hard enough when you're dry. when you're soaking wet, it can be a beast. - ready? - all: one, two, three, pull! ian deyerle and beni gifford taking the base. the lock their shoulders out and they are walking that thing up. - strong legs. - one, two, three. one, two, three. one, two, three. dollard: one more final push,

it reaches the tipping point... and it is down. - ( clicks ) - ( crowd cheering ) dollard: team grit, meanwhile, has finished the totem climb and they're trying to make up some ground here on the timber drop. jump, kev. come on, come on. ( cheering ) you're doing a good job. dollard: lance pekus and spencer mahoney of team grit hoisting that giant log skyward with all they've got. ( crowd chanting ) go! go! go! crowd: whoa! dollard: but right next to them comeback kids have all five teammates moving up 25 feet of timber holding onto that slim lead. guys, back to you. - go! - jones: thanks, evan. look at lance pekus fly up that log right past the comeback kids. - ride 'em, cowboy. - do it nice and easy. don't slip. martino: spencer being a little more cautious. and that allows the leaders to get up and over with team grit still on the log. but this is anybody's race, dhani. - go, beni. - jones: and both teams know that anything can happen on our next obstacle... the giant tire swing. martino: this is only the second time these teams have had to grapple with this physical and mental challenge.

- sorry, matt. - you ready? - go! - one, two, three-- go! - ( grunts ) - let go. martino: team grit arriving 23 seconds after the leaders, but in heat 2, they completed this obstacle 22 seconds faster than the comeback kids. so this could decide the championship. jones: well, they better get moving. okay, here we go. jones: comeback kids look very well organized. they'll be sending lynnae kettler airborne first as team grit arrives on the scene. martino: remember, if you don't make it on the pad, you have to go back and try again. - jones: there goes lynnae. - ( lynnae grunts ) - jones: and she makes it on the first try. - martino: good start. team captain ian deyerle up next for comeback kids as grit works hard trying to get that massive 400-pound tire moving. - big push by beni gifford! - yes! - jones: nice. - martino: that's two for comeback kids. jones: team grit sends maggi thorne. and she sticks it! two to one! grit is closing the gap. and now monica to tie... - martino: this is crucial. oh, no! - jones: oh, my gosh! way short! martino: and more from comeback kids. sticks are landing.

now it's three to one. and let's take a look at those two jumps one more time. the key is to jump when the tire is still moving forward. monica just hesitates for that little moment, and it steals all of her momentum, and comes up short. then laura lets the tire fling her forward and gets a strong push-off-- textbook technique. - matt! you got it! - jones: comeback kids looking to stretch their lead here martino: now, matt campione hesitates as well. go quickly. quickly. jones: if spencer mahoney can nail this landing, grit will only be one team member behind. - ( grunts ) - martino: he's got it! - he doesn't! - jones: oh, so close! who has what it takes to capture the grand prize... $250,000 is up for grabs on "spartan: ultimate team challenge."

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- come on, beni. - martinowhile we were away, beni gifford... - ( all cheering ) martino: ...completed the treacherous giant tire swing and comeback kids held onto 1st place... let's go, lance. martino: ...with team grit following close behind. no, we're still good. keep on pushing. martino: and the tire swing ended yet another team's season. oh, ( bleep ). ah! martino: unwilling to let stephanie buech risk a long-term injury... martino: ...the muddy minglers threw in the towel.

we are all champions out here. - we are all champions. - ( sobbing ) martino: this group has been so inspiring. look how close they've become during this incredible journey. - walk on strong. you can do this. - let's do it. jones: that means either comeback kids or team grit are going home with $250,000. martino: comeback kids team captain ian deyerle leading the charge towards the creek jump with a 30-second lead. every stride putting them one step closer to victory and $250,000. let's get it, guys! martino: less than 100 yards behind them, ninja, kevin bull, trying to motivate his team. great, job, grit. come on. martino: team grit desperately trying to stay in this race. jones: it all comes down - to the final two obstacles - martino: this is it. jones: beni gifford looking a little winded. matt and laura, quick to go under as beni lags behind. wait for beni. wait for beni. go. okay, one, two, three. go, girls.

martino: working together as a team right till the end. the three men lift the wall for lynnae and laura. you guys, don't give up. anything can happen. martino: team captain spencer mahoney keeping grit motivated. we're doing good. martino: only 28 seconds behind now. jones: grit's closing the gap. but comeback kids, they've emerged from the dunk walls. crowd chanting: comeback kids! comeback kids! - martinothis is it, dhani! - jones: sensational! martino: to the final slip wall of the season! a place in history, and $250,000 wait on the other side of that wall. jones: there's ian's dad, david, cheering him on. you heard him, "no mistakes," and they're the first ever "spartan" champs. martino: and here comes grit led by ninja kevin bull. they'll need fast time in the dunk walls if they want to beat comeback kids. there you go, guys. martino: laura holding ian's ankles for extra support as beni gets into place. - lynnae. - martinoand again, dhani, they'll put their height in the middle 6'1" beni, followed by 5'7" lynnae. - go easy on me. - jones: look at matt.

already climbing into position. as soon as lynnae gets set, matt will already be there. martino: remarkable teamwork and trust as team grit working their way under the second 250-pound dunk wall. jones: matt to the top of comeback, and he immediately spins around to pull up lynnae. - oh, in the eye. - ( crowd chanting ) jones: wow! and laura's already getting a lift - martino: execution. - jones: ...by beni, and matt has her up. martino: ian's slipping, and he has to see team grit coming under that third wall. jones: ian recovers and prepares for his jump. go, ian, go! martino: grit's really got to hold it here as ian's about to make his leap. and he's got it! - jones: he got it! jones: i don't think they need any luck, kyle. - martino: no. - come on, guys. jones: look how fast grit is building their ladder - martinoyeah, they have to. - yeah, climb, spencer. - jones: it's not over yet. jones: it's not over yet. - i got you. - i got it. - go, beni! - martinoand ian's made it to the top. jones: ian's at the top.

i got it, beni. - crowd: climb that wall! - jones: sensational! and beni turns and grabs matt's shirt. martino: grab his shirt, grab his hair, grab his face... - anything to get to the top - jones: get up there. the entire team. martino: oh! and as the comeback kids go up and over, down goes grit. jones: and that'll do it. comeback kids are about to be the first champions of "spartan: ultimate team challenge." ( all cheering ) ( screaming ) whoo! i love you guys! - i love you guys so much! - i love you guys. we did it! martino: dhani, there isn't a more deserving group. jones: no question. martino: with all that they've been through... just incredible. number 1!

i'm so proud of you! you did it, man. martino: and a great father-son moment as ian's dad said, "you never give up on family." - you did so good. - we all did. - we all did. - i love you. jones: throughout the season, comeback kids attacked every course with cold-blooded efficiency. what started off as five individual journeys to overcome life's obstacles, resulted in a collective victory that will bond these five together forever. mj speaks with the first ever spartan champions. comeback kids, you guys have been solid this entire season. what a championship heat. my goodness. ian, what about you? i mean, this journey has just been tremendous for you. oh, i can't believe we're actually here, let alone, standing right here. believe it, bud, believe it. beni, if you could talk to your dad who we understand is going through some tough times-- he's watching you right now-- what do you have to say to him? ever since i was a little kid, i always wanted to walk into my dads office 'cause he's worked so hard and just walk in with a-- i don't know--

a big fat check and say, "dad, you're done." and, uh, this may be a first step towards, uh, - towards getting him there. - acosta: money is nice, but you got these, too. you guys have made history. our first ever "spartan" champions. ( all cheering ) jones: what a truly inspiring victory. for kyle martino, evan dollard, and mj acosta, i'm dhani jones. congratulations to the comeback kids. our first ever champions headed home with $250,000... and memories that will last a lifetime. we'll see you all next year for another season of "spartan: ultimate team challenge." good night.

the fight carrie told him that she and justin had that saturday morning. >> reporter: did she say what the fight was over? >> romantic issues. i guess that'd be the best way to put it. >> reporter: of a sexual nature? >> that was my impression, yes. >> reporter: and then what happened after that? >> there was some throwing. a couple of things had gotten broken. there was a little bit of a physical altercation between the two of 'em. >> reporter: tim said the last time he saw carrie was when he drove her back to her house, just before he went to the airport. >> she was walking into the garage at her house -- alive,

happy, as well as could be. >> reporter: tim said he still loved carrie, even though they'd broken up. but how could he explain the seemingly damning lyric -- "i used to love her but i had to kill her" -- that he sang at the karaoke bar while she was still missing? maybe not the best choice of song given -- >> oh, i agree with that. actually, i -- i told my brother-in-law -- he was with me that night. i said, "why didn't you slap me when i put that song in? that's kind of a bonehead move." just -- but it had nothin' to do with carrie. it was nothin' to do with anythin'. it was a song. >> reporter: but to prosecutors, it was more than a song. it was a look inside the mind of a killer. and they were determined to prove that in court. tim mcvay was about to stand trial for murder. coming up, a showdown in court. one boyfriend accused and another on the stand. >> she stormed out of the door. and i thought maybe if i upset her. >> what really happened to carrie.

>> reporter: tim mcvay's murder trial started in june of this year. there was no jury. judge michael meersman would decide. mcvay's defense attorneys believed they held the winning hand. >> he had passed the polygraph. so we thought this could be the truly innocent accused here. >> reporter: prosecutor john mcgehee knew he was facing a tough test. >> you had no cause of death. you had no weapon. you had no ironclad forensic evidence. >> i did feel that it could be an uphill battle.

it was gonna be a real challenge. >> reporter: as the trial began, mcgehee presented the prosecution's theory as to how tim did it. even though there was no official explanation for how carrie died, the state presented something called burking -- a method of suffocation designed to leave no marks by sitting on someone's chest and covering their nose and mouth. to support that scenario, the state called one of mcvay's ex-girlfriends, cati smiddy. >> are you a little bit nervous today? >> yes, i am. >> why are you nervous? >> i'm scared of him. >> reporter: cati described an incident one night in 2013. she said she was startled awake by mcvay sitting on her chest. >> i couldn't breathe, he had cut off my air, i couldn't -- he was, he's a big man and i'm not a very large woman i couldn't, i couldn't inhale. >> you moved out after that? >> yes.

>> reporter: the evidence in prosecutor mcgehee's case was largely circumstantial, but he still felt it was strong. he believed mcvay was the last one to talk to carrie. he had her car, used her debit card, and her body was found just minutes from where he parked her car at his girlfriend's house. and the prosecution had the test results for the carpet fibers found in carrie's hair. they matched that rolled-up carpet in mcvay's house. >> how does a piece of carpet get lodged in someone's hair and remain in her hair? her head must've been on tim mcvay's floor at the time of her death. >> reporter: the prosecutors also used mcvay's internet searches to show how he was constantly checking the website of the newspaper in the distant town where carrie's body was found. >> he knew that he had concealed her body in hastings. so he started accessing the hastings "star-gazette" in january, wanting to know the headlines when her body would be discovered.

he accessed that website 100 times. that is an action of a guilty man. >> what were you looking for? you don't live in hastings. it's kind of a long ways away. >> a newspaper's a newspaper. but i'm not gonna answer any questions about that. >> reporter: and why not? >> all i can say is a newspaper's a newspaper. i don't have any other comments about that. >> just interested in hastings? >> move on to your next question. >> reporter: finally, prosecutors called to the stand carrie's boyfriend -- justin mueller. he testified about the last time he saw carrie. >> did you say good-bye? >> i didn't really have a chance to say good-bye. the way she left. i tried to say good-bye, yes. >> reporter: justin acknowledged that she was upset with him. >> the way she stormed out of the door, and i thought maybe i upset her in maybe some minor way or, cause i wasn't paying attention to her somehow. >> reporter: as the hours of carrie's unexplained absence and silence grew, so did justin's

concern and his texts. prosecutors had him read them in court -- >> "baby, come home. i love you." "i'm sorry for whatever i did. i love you. kolby and i miss you." "is everything okay? i gave kolby his pill." >> did you get a response? >> no. >> now it's sunday night at 8:10. were you starting to get worried then? >> yes. >> reporter: although there was no evidence presented about mcvay's motive for murder, in closing arguments the prosecutors offered their theory -- he killed carrie in a twisted fit of rage, because he demanded her car to get to the airport and she'd said no. >> we see it all the time that people are murdered for sometimes the smallest little things. and you're just surprised that another human being can do this to another human being. but that's what happened.

>> reporter: mcvay's attorneys -- aaron dyer, dan dalton and john ruud -- argued that the prosecution's theory of motive was preposterous. >> the idea that he could kill her and take her car to just get a ride to minnesota, i think is laughable. >> they didn't have a cause of death, so how do you point the finger at somebody? >> reporter: the defense didn't produce any witnesses of their own. instead, they aggressively challenged the state's witnesses, like that former girlfriend. the defense tried to show mcvay was more playful than violent. >> you said when i finally did get him off me, he said he was just playing around, but you didn't find it funny? >> yes. >> he wasn't striking you, right? >> no, he wasn't striking me, he's never struck me. >> reporter: defense attorneys also attacked detective bill thomas, who traced that kid's shovel to a big lots store in wisconsin. >> you have no videos of that transaction, right? >> no. >> you have no receipts with tim's name on any of 'em for that date, right? >> no, it's paid by cash.

>> reporter: the defense confronted justin mueller. police had said he was spotted in the town where carrie's phone last pinged, but he wouldn't admit it. >> you remember being in the milan area at all during that week? >> no. >> his phone records put his phone, at the very least, in milan. another person indicated to the police that he was seen in milan. >> reporter: what do you make of that? >> i think it's a huge hole in the prosecution's case. >> reporter: the defense also challenged the state's evidence -- like the carpet fibers found in carrie's hair that investigators said matched the carpeting in mcvay's house. >> she worked in a carpet store. so just because it happened to be in her hair certainly doesn't indicate anyone intentionally killed anybody. >> reporter: they even challenged the idea that a crime had been committed at all. >> how did she get there? we don't know. how did she die? we don't know. it's one of the biggest mysteries that not even sherlock holmes, i don't think, could solve.

>> reporter: tim mcvay declined to take the stand in his own defense, but he maintains that he's a family man who loves his kids, not the violent thug described in court. >> i'm just not that kinda person. >> i couldn't inhale. >> you were accused by cati smiddy though of -- >> well, that was a lie. >> reporter: - getting violent. >> that was a lie. >> reporter: did you kill carrie? >> i did not. >> reporter: there's a lot of coincidences -- >> there are. >> reporter: -- going on. terrible -- >> there are. >> reporter: -- coincidences for you. >> i agree, yeah. >> reporter: what do you say to those people watching who just maybe don't believe you right now? >> all i can say is what i know. i know that i did not kill carrie. she was a beautiful person, a wonderful friend, a lover, a confidante. she was -- she meant the world to me. >> it's been the end of a long trial. >> reporter: after more than two weeks of testimony and argument, judge meersman was ready to give his verdict. >> timothy mcvay, i'm finding you guilty of count one murder, count two concealment of a homicidal death.

>> i jumped out of my seat. i was so excited and happy. >> reporter: tim mcvay was stoic, showing no emotion. and three months later, he was just as stoic when the judge sentenced him to 45 years in prison. >> i believe you killed her. and the saddest part is, you killed her for a car and some money. >> reporter: for justin mueller, the cloud of suspicion finally lifted. for carrie's family and friends, the verdict meant justice and bittersweet relief. >> i just bowed my head and started crying. and it felt just like this huge weight was gone. >> reporter: but justice for carrie still couldn't explain the why. >> if it was over a ride to minnesota, a car, and money, it's not a very good why. >> reporter: what will you miss most about carrie?

>> what i ultimately miss is she's not there, pulling in that driveway, honking, you know, announcing that she's here. she had a heart of gold. she was there for everybody. >> she had a lot of hope for her future. she had everything to live for. >> that's all for now, i'm lester holt, thanks for joining us. next at 11:00, donald trump's unlikely supporter from silicon valley. and the burglar who targeted only the world's most expensive wines. near 100 degree temperatures on the way. my forecast is next. outcue=...(nats of cheering)

trt=:09 my pledge reads, i'm with you, the american people. >> right now at 11:00, donald trump makes his plan loud and clear. his fiery speech setting the stage for a fight to the finish. the news at 11:00 starts right now. good evening, everyone. >> his vision for the nation clearly outlined in a speech that lasted more than an