“The Samurai Sprint Mud Run is a 5k ninja warrior inspired race. Samurai Warriors trained in the elements to make themselves tougher. This race combines the outdoor elements, with the most challenging obstacles that won’t disappoint the best competitor. This one of a kind race allows for relay teams for those of you who are new to the sport.” – www.samuraisprint.com
Located in Westport, MA at Westport Winery, this was the 2nd event for Steve and his crew, and I have to say they did a great job making improvements from last year. You can find last year’s review here.
Parking: $10 with some friendly volunteers that helped get you to into a spot.
Registration: Way more organized than last year. It was split into lines by last name, so instead of a ton of people in one single line there was a more organization and a faster turnaround Once you received your packet, you hopped in another line for your t-shirt.
Festival: While there was more going on in the festival area last year, there was more space for everyone to hang out and relax after finishing the course one lap (or, in some cases 5 or so laps) later this year. The jury is out on which is the preference of the masses. There were healthy food options, and the opportunity to support Westport Winery by making a purchase.
Starting Line: Located right at the Festival Area, it was easy for spectators and those awaiting their shot at the course, to cheer on those taking to the course.
Course: As promised, there were Ninja Warrior (TM) inspired obstacles. Angled platform hops. Trapeze Swing to Vert Pipe. Devil’s Staircase. There were also some standard favorites: Rope Climb, Traverse Wall, Slippery Wall, Tire Flipping. All constructed obstacles were well built. If there was any apprehension to attempting an obstacle, it certainly had nothing to do with it appearing poorly built. Last year there were a few issues with course marking, but this year the course was marked really well. Additionally, there was plenty of water available for participants on the course, and it was a warm day so this was definitely a good thing.
Finish Line: Like last year, the finish line was very far away from the Festival Area and food. There was plenty of water here for those finishing, and there was quite a crowd to cheer on finishers. From here, you could see several of the obstacles at the end of the course, which was fun!
Pros: Improvements on Registration!!
Better Course Markings
Quality Obstacles – Including New ones
Good Quality Finisher Shirt and a slight redesign of the Finisher’s Medal
Needs Improvement:
Bottlenecks – Tire Flip, Rope Traverse
Something more than just water at the finish – Bananas, Gatorade (or something other than water), etc.
This race is a great local race on the South Shore. It will remain on my “must do” list even if there are other races on the same day!
Thank you Jessica for your kind words. We will continue to work to get better every year your comments pros and cons are heard. Steve Ferreira Event Coordinator