Picture this: making your way through 10-12 miles of fiery, icy, muddy terrain. If that's not enough of a challenge, why not add in some 10,000 volt electric wires, barbed wire and a giant half-pipe. For Tough Mudders, this is just another normal weekend.
The event, with obstacles designed and tested by British Special Forces is hailed as "probably the toughest event on the planet".
A BIT OF BACKGROUND
The concept of Tough Mudder was created by English native, Harvard Business School graduate, Will Dean. He entered his Tough Mudder business plan in the 2009 Harvard Business Plan Contest with hopes of recruiting 500 participants for for each event. This was met with doubts from Dean's professors. The business plan made the semi-finals.
With the help of a former school friend turned corporate lawyer, Guy Livingston, the two invested £12,000 and with the aid of online social media forum Facebook, recruited 4500 participants for the first event, charging $100 a person.
Since the inaugural Tough Mudder event in 2010 in Bear Creek, Pennsylvania, events have been held all over the US. In 2012 Tough Mudder made international waves with the addition of Australia and the UK to the Tough Mudder map.
WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT
Unlike many other endurance challenge events where timing is everything, Tough Mudder pushes the elements of challenging your fears and working as a team. Basically it doesn't matter how long it takes you to finish or if you even complete all the obstacles, as long as you challenge yourself and do it with a sense of humour that's all that matters.
Before the start of each event, participants are required to recite the Tough Mudder pledge:
1. I understand that tough mudder is not a race but a challenge
2. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time
3. I do not whine - kids whine
4. I help my fellow mudders complete the course
5. I overcome all fears
At the end of the race, participants are greeted with a beer as part of the post-event celebrations.
Another aspect of Tough Mudder is their partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project - aimed at providing wounded servicemen and women returning from the battlefield with "combat stress recovery programs, adaptive sports programs, benefits counseling and employment services" that aid in their transition back into civilian life. So far, Tough Mudder participants have raised over $2.9 million.
OBSTACLES
Each event is unique with obstacles designed around the local terrain. Some of them include:
1. Let there be fire
Running through the flames, hot coals and ashes is not even the hardest part; it's trying to close your eyes while running to avoid the smoke. This is one obstacle that will bring a grown man to tears.
2. Chernobyl Jacuzzi
There is simply no pleasant way of describing this obstacle: wading through 120,000 pounds of ice while trying to ignore the hypothermia and brain freeze. And you have to submerge your head under the water to get past the planks.
3. Kiss of mud
Bear-crawling through gravel-filled mud is not too bad, it's the barbed-wire sitting 18-inches above the ground.
4. Nature's pocket
This is definitely not for claustrophobics - crawling through war-like trenches under the ground.
5. Everest
Climbing up a half-pipe covered in mud. This obstacle can only be achieved with teamwork (well, unless you're spiderman).
6. Electroshock therapy
Mudders have tried many a way to get through this obstacle without getting shocked: crawling on your stomach - only to realise not only is this impossibly slow OR charging straight through hoping the wires will be too slow to jolt you. It seems there is no way to avoid getting electroshocked - you just have to decide if you want to experience it the slow way or the fast way!
So the next time you find running a marathon or doing boot camp too conventional, why not go crazy and become a Tough Mudder! Plus you get a really cool free orange sweatband, just like this guy!
So, how tough are YOU?
JW
References
- www.toughmudder.com
