Gladiators: Train 2 Win facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gladiators: Train 2 Win
Genre	Children's sports
Created by	Dan Carr John Ferraro
Presented by	Sharron Davies and Daley Thompson (1995) Various Gladiators on rotation (1996) Margherita Taylor (1997-8) Kyran Bracken (1997) Lee Sharpe (1998)
Starring	John Anderson (1995-6) Andrew Norgate (1997-8)
Narrated by	John Sachs (1995-6) Mitch Johnson (1997-8)
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	37
Production
Running time	25 minutes
Production company(s)	LWT in association with The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Distributor	Granada-LWT International MGM International Television Distribution
Release
Original network	ITV
Picture format	4:3
Original release	2 September 1995 (1995-09-02) – 13 March 1998 (1998-03-13)
Chronology
Related shows	Gladiators (UK) Gladiators 2000

Gladiators: Train 2 Win was a fun television series for kids. It was a spin-off from the popular British show Gladiators. This show aired on ITV and featured younger contestants. They played special versions of the games from the main Gladiators show. A Gladiator captain helped and guided each team. The show ran for four series, from September 2, 1995, to March 13, 1998.

About Gladiators: Train 2 Win

This section explains how the show changed over its four series. It also tells you about the presenters and commentators.

Show Format and Presenters

The first series of Gladiators: Train 2 Win focused on learning about fitness. Young contestants answered questions about health. They also played adapted games against each other. This series was presented by Sharron Davies and Daley Thompson. Sharron Davies was also a Gladiator named Amazon in the main show. This first series was shown on Saturday mornings as part of Scratchy & Co..

The second series changed a lot. The show moved to Friday afternoons. Most of the fitness education parts were removed. Contestants now played in teams of two. Each team had a Gladiator as their captain. This was the first time Gladiators competed against each other in a UK show. Teams played five games in each episode. The second series was presented by different Gladiators each week.

Later Series and Commentators

The third and fourth series kept the same team format. Margherita Taylor and Kyran Bracken presented the third series. For the fourth and final series, Lee Sharpe took over from Kyran Bracken.

John Sachs was the commentator for the first two series. Then, Mitch Johnson took over for the third and fourth series. John Anderson was the referee for the first two series. Andrew Norgate, who was the timekeeper, became the referee for series three and four.

Exciting Games and Challenges

This section describes the different games played on Gladiators: Train 2 Win. Each game was a fun challenge for the young contestants and their Gladiator captains.

• Danger Zone: In this game, the Gladiator captain acts as the contestant. They run through the Danger Zone. The goal is to avoid tennis balls fired by an opposing team member. The Gladiator has no weapons. They must use four shield stations for protection. Each station explodes after five seconds. If the Gladiator reaches the lower target, they get 5 points. If they are hit, they get 1 point for each station they reached.

• Skytrak: Both contestants and their Gladiator captains are attached to the Skytrak. This is a relay race. One team member runs the first half of the course. The Gladiator captain runs the second half. The first team to cross the finish line wins 10 points. The second team gets 5 points.

• Hang Tough: Like Skytrak, Hang Tough is a relay race. One contestant and their Gladiator captain each cross the Hang Tough grid. They tag their teammate when they reach the other side. The first team to finish the relay wins 10 points. The second team gets 5 points.

• The Wall: The Wall is also a relay race. One contestant climbs the first half of the wall. They then tag their Gladiator captain, who is waiting on an overhang. The first team to reach the top of the wall gets 10 points. The second team gets 5 points.

• Atlasphere Alley: This game is a bit different from the main show. One contestant is inside a giant ball called an Atlasphere. At the end of the area are ten huge bowling pins. The contestant rolls the Atlasphere towards the pins. They get 1 point for every pin they knock over.

• Pyramid: All three members of each team play this game. Pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle are spread across the pyramid. Each team member collects one puzzle piece at a time. They then put the puzzle together on the arena floor. Once the puzzle is complete, the Gladiator captain races to the top of the pyramid to get the points. The winning team gets 10 points.

• Eliminator: The Eliminator is a tag-team event for the two contestants on each team. It's like a race with obstacles, similar to the "Pursuit" course. Obstacles include balance beams, a wire bridge, and a hand ladder. Each contestant completes half of the course. They then tag their teammate waiting halfway. The team with the most points gets a head start. Every point difference gives them a half-second advantage.

Series Broadcast Dates

This table shows when each series of Gladiators: Train 2 Win was broadcast.