Mud Runs...
Today I am going to talk about Mud Runs, now for some people out there you may be thing what??!! Well fear not I will explain more.
First of all though I would like to just mention the run that I will be doing this November for Parkinson's UK.
It is called The Suffering and it is a 10km run with 25 obstacles, this event is held at Rockingham Castle in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, UK.
I have chosen to run for Parkinson's UK as my late Grandad was a sufferer of Parkinson's and this disease tragically hampered the last years of his life and cut it in my mind too short.
Parkinson's do great work all over the UK, so please donate or get involved yourself.
Everything can be found here on my previous blog and donations can be made here.
So..What is a Mud Run??
Obstacles of some sort have been presented to athletes for thousands of years.
The concept of using obstacles for an endurance event is a contemporary phenomenon.
It is widely thought that Tough Guy is the oldest obstacle course race, with the first race in 1987.
Tough Guy
First staged in 1987, Tough Guy claims to be the first official and toughest obstacle course race in the world. It is held on the last Saturday in January in Perton, Staffordshire, UK. The race is held twice a year in winter and summer. The winter event requires competitors to compete in near freezing temperatures and contend with ice and snow.
In 2011, approximately one million people registered to participate in obstacle racing events in the United States (US) alone.
The Basics.
New race formats are popping up seemingly every day. Races vary in distance and level of difficulty. Some feature unique challenges, such as rugged terrain, water, electric shock etc.
A very popular example:-
Spartan Race.
Spartan Race was founded in 2009 by Joe Desena, Mike Morris, Andy Weinberg, Selicia Sevigny, Richard Lee, Brian Duncanson, Shaun Bain, and Noel Hanna.
The first Spartan Race was held in Williston, Vermont in 2010.
Course.
Spartan Race courses vary in distance and difficulty from 3+ mile “Sprint” courses, to 8+ mile “Super” courses, to the 13+ mile “Spartan Beast”.
Projected finishing times for their events range from as quick as 30 minutes to as long as 6 hours, depending on the particular course and fitness level of the racer.
Race venues have included ski slopes, state parks, paint ball parks, and more. Any competitor who completes all three race distances is said to have completed the Spartan Trifecta. The Spartan Beast, which is held in Killington, VT serves as the Championship event each year, with a $20,000 prize purse.
Competitors.
Spartan Race seeks to attract competitors of all fitness levels. Competitors range from 14 years of age and up.
Event features.
All finishers receive a medal. The top three male and female competitors in each event receive swords, helmets, and shields - each a replica of equipment from the movie 300. At a Spartan Race, each event concludes with a “Gladiator Arena” in which a racer must run through a series of gladiators with pugil sticks, seeking to knock them down.
Peak Races/Death Race.
Spartan Race's parent company, Peak Races, has hosted extreme events, most notably The Death Race. Most people who participate in the Death Race do not finish.
It is a race that is meant to break even the strongest of athletes.
While a Spartan Race may last a few hours, the Death Race may last multiple days. Athletes battle sleep deprivation along with challenges such as eating ten pounds of onions, solving a Rubik's Cube, lifting rocks for many hours, and swimming laps around a freezing pond with a lit candle.
So Why subject yourself to this??
Obstacle runs are thought to be grueling events only for the super fit, but remember you don't have to go and win...have fun, run with friends and just enjoy the challenge.
There are now certain races which can only be completed as part of a group due to the nature of the obstacles...this can be great for team building for colleagues or just with friends.
Don't forget to get a charity involved when doing any form of event, they will always support you throughout.
In the Part 2 of this Blog I will make you aware of some notable events across Europe and the USA and how to get involved, so keep a look out here for more.
Sam.
FitandFull.
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