8 thoughts on “Wicked Mud Run”

  1. Amber

    Having done this course in 2013, here are my comparison thoughts:
    – Communication has improved
    – They are using the location for the course much better to do lots of hills, but I feel like at the expense of obstacles. I feel like there used to be more.
    – There was way less mud this year. My 2013 finisher photo I am muddy…not so much this year.
    – Adding a 10k option was a nice touch
    – Medal design has not changed and the ribbon is not longer designed. Also, would have been nice as a 10k runner to get a different medal or something extra. The winner trophy’s were awesome looking
    – They had added a bag check
    – I never found the alleged changing tents…were they gone by the time I finished?

    Festival area was so so and I didn’t feel it was worth it to battle for my free beer or wait in line for food so another Spahten and I ate offsite.

    I would do this race again. I have a love for it. It was tougher with the extra elevation this year, but is overall still a pretty easy course. Like others said, if they added some obstacles like monkey bars or a rope climb that would be awesome. Would love the slip n slide to be a little longer.

    The volunteers were great. Enthusiastic and helpful. Super well marked course. Glad to see them as part of race local.

  2. Jennifer

    I am still confused by this race. There were awesome things — and pretty bad ones.
    Parking was easy to find and free. Registration had no signs, so after I asked around I’ve been directed inside. Same day registration was super easy, and all the people working there were incredibly nice.
    Bathrooms were clean and the line moved fast.
    Bag check was free.
    The 10K wave was the first to go out at 11am. We got directions on how to proceed after the first lap, and off we went.
    I was one of the people who got stung multiple times by the Yellowjackets. I still don’t know how they didn’t encounter that nest when marking the course as there were hundreds of them. It was pretty bad. On my second lap I saw they had redirected the route around it. It was great to see immediate action being taken. I had no issues there again.
    The course: I don’t know what to say. They made good use of the terrain as they had us go up and down that mountain a couple of times. And not just straight but in serpentines. And there were basically almost no obstacles.
    A couple of easy walls. Rolling mud. And a very light sandbag carry.
    I was so disappointed in the course that I had a hard time convincing myself to go out there for a second lap. I felt stupid driving three hours and paying $60 for just hiking up a mountain. The only thing that consoled my money spending mind was the fact that it was for charity.
    I sound very negative here, and I shouldn’t, because they really did a fantastic job with the venue (band, food etc), and were all very nice and helpful, but if I sign up for an OCR, I want, well, obstacles. It was a mud run, as advertised, so I shouldn’t complain.

    There was water and a medal (no special one for 10K) at the finish. No t-shirt, no banana or bars. I guess that’s fine considering we didn’t pay for parking and bag check, but something special for the 10K people would’ve been nice.
    Awards (trophies) for first male and female were awesome. Nothing for second and third. There was a prize for best costume.
    I didn’t see the changing tents or hoses.

    Would I do it again? Right now I would say No. It’s too long of a drive for just running up a hill for me. If they incorporate some more technical obstacles I might do it again. Because it’s for a great cause, the venue is nice and the organizers very engaged and super sweet.

  3. Kelly

    Communication: Leading up to the event there was ample communication so as to know what to expect and where we should go.

    Venue & Festival: While I did not get to enjoy much of the festival there was quite a bit there with the band, raffles, and a food option. There were also bathrooms and a port-a-potty. There were supposedly changing tents but when I went looking for them I was unable to locate them. I asked three different people who appeared to be staff/volunteers and either was told they didn’t know or was given a vague direction.

    Course & Obstacles: A lot of wall variations. I enjoyed the mud, though it was all more towards the end. Great use of the natural land forms such as the hill and that rock right before the first water station. There were ample water stops – totally grateful for that. The volunteers on course were fantastic.

    Swag & Awards: Medal and a Beer. I did not cash in on my beer partially because it was a big chaotic in the patio area and partially because I forgot. Shirts were there for sale, which was totally fine and reasonably priced.

  4. Danielle

    Communication leading up to the race was plentiful, easy to understand and to the point. The race took place at Ski ward in Shrewsbury Mass. The venue was easy to find. Parking was free and plentiful. It was on site, only a short walk to the start line. Registration was smooth and I saw no backups. There was a bag check/key check on site. I personally didn’t use it but it is nice to have available.

    The festival area was nice. There was a raffle table raising money for charity. There was a band playing live music and in between sets they kept up the festivities with music from a playlist/IPOD. At ski ward there is a restaurant and bar with indoor and patio seating. The food was a little pricey but reasonable and delicious. The lodge also provided running water and flushable toilets. There was an addition port-a-potty, a changing area available, a hose to rinse off if needed.

    Runners had the option of running a single like 5k or 2 laps for a 10k. 10k runners were the first off at 11 and the subsequent waves went off at 11:15 and 11:30. The course measured 3.2 miles per my GPS. The course was great! The first 1/3 or so of the race was mostly running, a combination of running up a hill, through the woods with a small ladder wall to go over, back down the hill and then back up in a series of switchbacks. From there you went back into the woods and started encountering some obstacles. There was a variety of walls any where from 1 1/2 foot to step over to 10 ft walls. Most walls had an easy option and a harder option. There was an a-frame, some mud mounds with muddy water in between, over a wall in muddy water, over or under the pipes in muddy water. There was one sandbag carry and a nice short slip-and-slide right near the finish line.

    The course was challenging. The hill was the biggest challenge and took a lot of people by suprised. According to my GPS we manage to squeeze ~950 ft of elevation out of that hill. I would have loved to see a couple more challenging obstacles (rope climb, monkey bars, or something a little different) but overall I thought it was a great course and I had an absolute blast.

    Another aspect that I thought was great was the agility of the race director and staff. In the woods we encountered a yellow jacket nest and many competitors got stung. A volunteer was informed when I reached the bottom of the hill and by the time I climb back to the top of the hill I saw either the RD or someone from the staff heading into that part of the woods to check it out. I was told by racers who did the 10k that they were able to divert the course a little bit to avoid that area. I also saw them on the course, talking and supporting the racers and fixing obstacles on the fly. It is great to see such awesome and quick response, especially considering it is such a small race.

    Finishers received a nice medal and were able to claim a free beer. There was no t-shirt with registration but they were available for sale for 15.00. Considering the race only cost 38 dollars to register I am fine with the fact that there is no t-shirt, I would rather them save the money, keep cost low and have more to donate to their charities.

    This is definitely a race I will be doing again!

    1. norman carrier

      The 1st place trophy was kick ass! Nice to see the addition of the changing area and hose to clean up this year. Maybe add a rope climb, monkey bars, balance beam or teeter totter type obstacles. Other than that a great race put on by two great guys. You saw them on the course taking care of things as needed. From taking on a bees nest and rerouting the course away from them or fixing lose boards on a wall. Cool medal and I do not care that there is no shirt. ( how many of us actually use them?) Keep cost low and more money going to the charities. Hope they come back to #racelocal next year. I will go back.

  5. Amber

    I have so much affinity for this race as it is where I fell in love with OCR. It was my 2nd OCR if you count Warrior Dash and has a totally different feel. Small and local and an interesting mux of obstacles. I would put this in the not entry level/first OCR level – intermediate range. I was hurting the next day due to the hills.

    Parking was great, medal was great – still one of favorites.

    I am looking forward to the 10k option in 2016 and running with fellow spahtens.

  6. Danielle

    Great course for beginners with plenty of non-intimidating obstacles. The terrain and the hill also provide enough of a challenge to other competitors.

    Nice unique medal, no shirt unless you paid extra which is fine with me when it is a charity event and the entry fee is not high.

    Festival area is set up near the ski lodge, running flushable toilets were a definite plus and it was a cold crappy rainy day and it was nice to have somewhere inside to warm up after the race. Ski ward’s lodge has a bar and food available for a cost which made it great for hanging out after the race. Plenty of parking and the parking was free.

    Overall this was a fun race and raises money for some good causes.

  7. norman carrier

    Danielle and I did this race in 2014 and had a fun time. It is a great fun #racelocal entry level race, not a Shale Hill, Bonefrog or FIT by any means. So do not expect these massive large rigs or heavy carries. They had the normal walls, sandbag carry, rope climb and mud pits you see at most of the races. The venue is Ski Ward and it is not a large venue so this limits the size of the event and the festival area.
    We had no problems with communication or registration. When we ran this race the only area to change was inside the ski lodge with no showers or wash off stations. This could be a big plus if they could fix this issue. But they had plenty water out on the course if you needed it.
    Swag as ok. Cool looking little medal, but not shirt when we ran it.
    The co-founders and their families are there at the race and are an active part in the day, either by being out on the course or at the start line. Great guys and great cause with the money going to some worthy charities. Go have fun and support a #racelocal event.

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