n: ian deyerle leading the way. all five people must be really in sync to lift and maneuver that 300-pound weight. -apolo: when you talk about the two women in strike a pose, you have to remember, they can deadlift 300 pounds. i would imagine that's very helpful right now with the pendulum run. -apolo: what's going to be even more important going forward is endurance as there are still six obstacles to go, and that favors commanding officers. -kelvin: strike a pose finishes with commanding officers right behind them. and for the first time in the competition, the ninjas find themselves in third place. let's check in with swish. -nick: hey, fellas. i'm here at the timber drop. just a little something to think about, the ninjas have dominated every obstacle they have come to on pure athleticism. but they have never seen timber drop, where brute strength is absolutely key, and that's not something they bring to the table. so, watch out. -kelvin: thanks, swish. no brute strength issues for bodybuilders, strike a pose. -you guys ready? -kelvin: and they're first to arrive. -mack: pull! pull! -kelvin: ian and the two women are on the rope

n just muscle up that 850-pound telephone pole. -man: keep going. -man: right behind mack. go on, push her up. -apolo: it took seventeen and a half seconds to get their timber up. that's the fastest we've seen anyone lift the pole all season long. -killian: pull! come on, liam, pull! -man: pull! -killian: pull! -apolo: listen to captain killian calling out a cadence for his team. -pull! go! go! go! -apolo: they did that nearly as fast as strike a pose. -kelvin: apolo, what's going on with the ninjas? they're struggling right now to raise that massive timber. -kevin: well, there's one big weakness that the ninjas have. and that is that we don't have any single large powerhitter... (chuckles) uh, so to speak. everybody's about the same size, and none of us are very large. -apolo: the ninjas were nearly flawless in the first two rounds, but they are stuck here. -man: go! -apolo: i don't know about that technique, kelvin. they say, "get your back into it,"

commanding officers also have come to a dead stop. fatigue is setting in. -come on, liam! you gotta go! -apolo: we're hearing some concern there in the voice of robert killian. this is what separates champions from the rest, the ability to dig deep and find the stamina and the will to continue. strike a pose has two people over the timber drop. and colonel liam collins is still struggling. -kelvin: and look at sarah harrison sliding down the rope, guns blazing. neither the commanding officers nor the ninjas have mastered the technique required, but they'll need to get a move on if they want to overtake the stunt junkies who are currently sitting in the wild card spot with a time of 18 minutes and 19 seconds. -push it! push! push! -apolo: and with captain ian deyerle securely down the rope, mack and strike a pose have completed the timber drop, and they are moving on to the spear throw where my main man swish has jumped ahead. swish. -if you thought this obstacle was tough in round 2, they have pushed the target back an extra four feet.

we'll see exactly how well they're gonna do. -are you guys pulling? -yeah. -sarah: yeah! -amanda: whoo! -apolo: ian strikes first blood for his team in blue. in round 2, the spear throw was strike a pose's achilles heel. it took them seven throws and cost them a big chunk of their lead. let's see if they've made any improvements. that's two misses for strike a pose. can sarah turn their fortunes around? not so much. back at the timber drop, the ninjas are still struggling to get their 850-pound timber up. and they finally got it over. now they'll have to use their speed to close the gap on the commanding officers. -man: liam, help her. -kelvin: colonel collins has finally reached the top for commanding officers. -pull me in. -kelvin: and he's lending ashley a leg to pull her up. -(grunts) -kelvin: both teams need to move quickly.

strike a pose has been here for a couple minutes right now. that's four misses in a row. if they don't turn it around soon, they're gonna have company. -woman: yeah! -coach ian two for two. this dude is a stud. -man: go, mack, you got it. -nick: mack is trying to close out the spear throw for strike a pose. and here come the commanding officers. -you're so good at this, mack. you're so good at this. yes! -ian: let's go! -apolo: big mack with a clutch throw. that's three for the team in blue, but their lead has shrunk considerably. the question is, can the commanding officers take advantage? -kelvin: wow! perfect throw. robert killian is not gonna let his team go down without a fight. -woman: guys, go! go, go, go! -kelvin: back at the timber drop, the effort to get that telephone pole up really took its toll on the ninjas. i'm shocked they're sitting here in third, apolo. none of us saw this coming. -go! -i'm trying. -kelvin: that's two, but they've still got work to do. even a shot at second place is slipping away. -apolo: captain killian is up again.

-kelvin: military precision. and with that hit, the commanding officers made up a minute and 13 seconds on the leaders. impressive! -man: wait, guys. -sarah: up on three, ready? -kelvin: strike a pose is at the sled pull. we saw them crush the timber drop earlier. let's see if they can set another obstacle record here. -apolo: with ian, mack, jonathan, and those two powerful women pulling on the rope, strike a pose is having no problem dragging that 1,000-pound sled. -kelvin: they blew through that sled pull. are you kidding me? -killian: looking good. -apolo: here's the commanding officers. let's see if they can match the blue team's pace. -killian: keep going! pull hard! we're almost there! come on! -man: go! -man 2: let's go. -watch the-- watch the sled behind you. -man: all right, go! -woman: go! -kelvin: this team has no "quit." -woman: right here! -i'm thirsty. -no, we got it! we're almost there, mack. -amanda: you can drink all you want. -five more minutes. all you got.

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-kelvin: welcome back to "spartan." . it's championship night, and we are in the middle of the second semifinal. while we were away, ian deyerle and strike a pose maintain a small lead as they fought their way through the dunk walls. -mack: i got it! come under!

rs held on to second place as they made their way to the arena just one obstacle behind the leaders. -killian: let's go! -kelvin: and in third place, the ninjas made up time on the spear throw and gained ground on both teams. -michelle: almost there. come on! -kelvin: as we rejoin the last heat of the semifinals with a shot at $250,000 on the line, strike a pose approaches the granddaddy of them all, the slip wall. -ian: hey, mack how are your feet? -mack: it's muddy. it's deep. you want us to hold them? -mack: no. -apolo: look at the top right hand side of your screen. the commanding officers have just set down their shield. remember, this team had never won a heat but have twice advanced in the competition as the wild card. -kelvin: if they can't catch up to strike a pose, they can still once again earn the wild card spot and the championship if they beat the stunt junkies' time of 18 minutes and 19 seconds. -go! -amanda, sarah, straight to the top!

ke a pose's strong women come into play. bodybuilder sarah is flying up that wall followed immediately by amanda. -man: hurry, guys. -apolo: look at mack roesch down below as the base. he's literally striking a pose like a statue. -kelvin: strike a pose is getting closer to being able to strike a victory pose. -(grunting) -apolo: team captain ian deyerle locks on to the top. -kelvin: look at jonathan's resolve. he's fighting to get a good grip on that shoe because he's gonna be supporting 220 pounds of mack in a few seconds. -come on, mack. you got this. -apolo: mack better move because here come the commanding officers. -they're starting-- -they're starting to get over. -okay! -kelvin: there he goes. hold on, mack! -kelvin: commanding officers quickly assembling their ladder, but big mack is already at the top

ou. -you got him? -apolo: and strike a pose does it again. sarah and amanda lead them into the water. oh, jonathan just jumped and landed right on his captain, ian. -kelvin: i'm sure ian will forgive him just this once. three races for strike a pose, three convincing victories. and they join heart of texas as the second undefeated team to advance to the final. no one saw these bodybuilders and fitness models as a threat, but they have proven everyone underestimated them. -apolo: strike a pose moving on to the championship final. -(ian speaks) -man: we did it! -kelvin: it's party time here at the finish line but on the course, it's all business. the commanding officers still working their way up the slip wall. and the ninjas, refusing to quit, have just entered the dunk walls.

of 18 minutes, 19 seconds for the wild card spot in tonight's final? -come on, climb! -apolo: that's west point grad, ashley keller, working hard for her team and her former coach, colonel collins. -kelvin: team captain killian extending his arms to support his mentor. it looks like colonel collins is struggling to hold on to that shoe. -apolo: and the ninjas are halfway through the dunk walls, making one final desperate push. the slip wall is where they shine. -kelvin: it's all about the clock now. commanding officers have just under one minute left to get to the finish line. captain killian is gonna make the big jump. he's got colonel collins by the sneaks. -apolo: of course this team wanted to win outright but in this competition, it's survive and advance. they've got 40 seconds of life left in them. colonel collins starts up for the top. -go! -that's it, climb! -go! -apolo: thirty seconds left.

and they know what this means for their chance at quarter of a million dollars if they can get this wild card spot. -woman: give me your arms! arms! -apolo: fifteen seconds left. will it be the stunt junkies? will it be the commanding officers? ten seconds. and the commanding officers have done it! they are headed to the final. what an incredible story. this team has not won a heat all season, and they're set to compete in the final. -thank you, guys. whoo! -thank you. -kelvin: i am shocked, apolo. after seeing the ninjas crush the competition in the first two rounds, i thought the ninjas were the favorites here in the semifinal. but after they gassed out in the timber drop, they were never able to recover. -apolo: but look at them still going at the slip wall. these guys have heart. there's no way the ninjas aren't going to finish this course.

-kelvin: coming up... the best of the best compete for "spartan" glory and quarter of a million dollars. -pull! dig, dig, dig! -kelvin: will ian take strike a pose all the way and win the championship a second time? -i'm here to prove that i can win with any team. -kelvin: commanding officers lost every battle, but will they win the war? -killian: this is a completely different race, completely different day, and we're gonna go into it and just give it everything we have. -apolo: and heart of texas have triumphed over adversity, but can they pull together to bring home "spartan" gold? -brandon: even with joey out, we still have a great shot at winning this thing. -the race for $250,000 and the "spartan" title when we return.

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the road to "spartan" glory ends here tonight is it! as we crown our champions. it's the finals. this is "spartan: ultimate team challenge." welcome back to our finale. tonight, one team will capture the "spartan" title and $250,000. apolo, this has been an amazing season filled with incredible athleticism and inspiring teamwork. -it absolutely has, kelvin. this season we've had a little bit of everything. we've seen teams of all shapes, sizes, and forms, from little giants to big giants. and teams from all different backgrounds, from cowboys to broadway dancers. and now, only three teams remain. these worthy finalists survived this merciless competition,

and what an amazing season it has been. and i have to admit, kelvin, i do not want it to end. -neither do i but, apolo, it's not over yet, because our three finalists still have to get through the most ruthless "spartan" course they have faced so far. time to check in with our high-octane world series champ, nick swisher. swish, what's up, man? -thanks, kelvin. bro, i am stoked! i've not been this pumped since the 2009 world series, and i know every spartan racer here tonight feels the exact same way. it's all on the line, and all obstacles are in play, almost twice as many as they faced in previous rounds. tonight on this tougher-than-ever course, they're gonna face 15 obstacles. nearly everything these teams saw in rounds 1, 2, and the semis will be right here in front of them tonight. if you've got a weakness, it's gonna be exposed. i can't wait to see this race. fellas, let's get it!

passion all season long. -kelvin: indeed, brother. now, let's meet our teams. they stole our heart this season. in yellow, it's the heart of texas. this tight-knit family team has gone a perfect three for three and is only one victory away from taking home $250,000. and yet tonight's competition feels bittersweet. -brandon: my little brother, joey, is actually biologically a cousin, and i was adopted into the family after i lost my entire family in a-- in a house fire. -joey: amazing job, guys. me and brandon share a very special bond, having both gone through something so tragic. -brandon: watch your footing. -joey: it's kinda amazing to just be sitting here today and know that, um, that we've made it this far. -(cheering) -it was a tough decision to withdraw from the semifinals, but brandon has become our leader in my eyes. -i got first. i got first. -i think the biggest thing is that there is no "quit" in us. -woman: yes! -man: yeah!

brandon is gonna give it everything he has. -brandon: one, two, pull! straight back. one, two, pull! -brandon: because i'm the older brother, i think that i also have some, uh, ability to command the group. pick it up! pick it up! pick it up! and with joey out, i'm gonna really need to step it up this time. joey's always been there for me. now's my chance to represent for him. -joey: i have all the confidence in the world we have what it takes to bring home the championship. -all: heart of texas! yee-haw! -apolo: joey will be giving the team all the emotional support he has to give, but the burden of leading this team will fall on his adopted brother, brandon, and the man who replaced him, lawrence. -i just wanted to remind everybody embrace the fact that we are gonna go through some pain out there and know that you are more capable of handling that than they are-- -kelvin: they've proven twice before that they were more capable than the next team as they defeated them in two earlier rounds. -apolo: from the battlefield to the "spartan" field. in red, it's the commanding officers.

have advanced to the finals without winning a single heat. now, captain robert killian and his team know that second place is no longer good enough. -man: one, two, three! -heart of texas: heart of texas! yee-haw! -the heart of texas beat us twice now but doesn't mean anything in our books. the finals is gonna be anyone's game. we're doing almost every single obstacle on the course, so it's gonna be a little bit longer. -we have a team of endurance athletes, so the longer the course, the better we think that suits our strength. -we haven't won a race this whole season, so i think, you know, that would be the first and foremost thing. we ready to prove that, you know, we're not a team that's just gonna be a wild card the whole time. -ashley: personally, if we won this competition, i would really be overwhelmed with honor that we were able to represent our country, represent the us army. -killian: this last race, it's gonna be a fight to the finish. -killian: this is it. last race. we know endurance is our strength. we're not gonna fail. we got this. -we got this. -all right, let's do it. -all: aroo! aroo! hooah! -women: whoo!

there's a tough battle ahead, but they are 0-2 against heart of texas and were just defeated in the semifinals by our next team. storming into the arena in blue, it's the beast from the south east, strike a pose. -apolo: coming into the finals undefeated, they've got brains, the speed and, in mack roesch, lots of muscle. mack was a construction worker before he started racing and was known as the king of obstacles, even competing on "american ninja warrior." but this past year, mack has had to overcome challenges off the course as well. -last year, i had a tough year. i was on the vegas finals of "american ninja warrior," and i found out my step-dad passed away within an hour of having to compete. i was devastated when i got the news, and i didn't do well on the course. after my step-dad died, i tried to do other competitions, but i didn't win a single race all year.

go! yeah! good job! -amanda: whoo! -mack: i love this team. i picked them out myself. we all work like we've known each other for years, and we're like a family. and athletic, fine-tuned obstacle course family. one, two, three. -sarah: you have mack who is a tank but also a very inspirational person. he makes you just appreciate every day. -i'm feeling so pumped up, my adrenaline rises every time i think about getting on the course. this is my redemption race. (shouting) -apolo: mack has been the heart of this team, but captain ian has been the brains, leading them to three consecutive wins. can he make it four? -all we can focus on is just our race. on three, okay? -woman: pumped up, guys. let's go! -ian: one, two, three! -all: strike a pose! -kelvin: this is what we've been waiting for. who's gonna win? $250,000 and the "spartan" title. -apolo: in yellow, with joey cheering them on...

-apolo: ...it's brandon brickley and heart of texas. -kelvin: in red, aiming for their first win, it's captain killian and colonel collins and the commanding officers. -apolo: and in blue, it's team captain ian deyerle and mack, looking to prove once again that he's the king of obstacles, it's strike a pose. the finals, baby. -it's time to spartan up! making an: in three, two, one!-n to the barrel roll. -on three. one, two, three! -apolo: this time, strike a pose alternates their men and women to distribute their strength evenly. all five of them working in unison to get them up to an early lead. -kelvin: with joey out of the race, brandon's taking charge. but heart of texas is struggling to get that barrel moving. -woman: legs! legs! legs! -apolo: heart of texas -climb, climb!

t to lock in their barrel, with jonathan ruiz leading the charge towards the table tilt. -man: first one on the left e twice earlier this season. -ian: i'm good. -kelvin: ian sends mack sliding to the other side. mack is helping sarah and amanda lift the table to get ian closer to jonathan. he's got him! -man: now! turn around. -man 2: go! -apolo: and that's a new "spartan" record

. -kelvin: strike a pose is moving on to the back half of the course: the machine yard. -yeah! -kelvin: this is the finals. and so far, strike a pose is looking strong. mack jumps on the first of the six slippery mud humps. both teams chasing the leaders. -man: grab her! grab her! -apolo: strong men, light women, a winning combination for strike a pose. -kelvin: look how jam pa-- ohh! did you see that? allison in yellow accidentally clotheslined ashley of commanding officers. ashley may feel that tomorrow but right now, there's no time for pain. there's a "spartan" title on the line. -apolo: this race is tight, but strike a pose is first to the tire swing. this obstacle was brutal in the earlier rounds. and guess what? these three teams have never faced the 450-pound tires before. this is their first time. plus they've made it even harder. that tire is now four feet further from the landing pad, so it's going to take a lot more muscle to make that jump. -kelvin: let's check in with swish. -dude, all three teams right here, man.

this is what it's all about. check out strike a pose. that's a long jump. at some point, you just have to go for it-- oh, no! sarah goes down. -kelvin: strike a pose makes their first mistake. and this race is dead even. -man: don't hesitate. -now! -woman: jump! -man: go! -apolo: oh! and a second miss for the team in blue. -kelvin: strike a pose left an opening, and mom of four, cheryl, just leapt through it. heart of texas takes the lead.

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