Fitness Adventure = Mud Runs 2013

Obstacle Mud Runs exploded in popularity recently. The races require athletes to display both strength and endurance as they navigate obstacles spread out over courses ranging from 3 to 12 miles. They’re fun and different, like an adult playground. You’re climbing and getting dirty and that’s the appeal. And even people who are serious about fitness say that they love the fact that these races aren’t serious. Participants wear crazy costumes and form teams for camaraderie. Check out Tammy’s Training Tips for your Mud Run. Moves that will get you ready to climb, crawl and kick ass. And here is the break down of the biggest nationwide mud runs. They are coming soon to your area, so check the websites for dates.

Merrell Down & Dirty Mud Run: Prefer fitness challenges (crossing monkey bars, lugging sandbags) to mud-drenched obstacles? Go for a 5K or 10K route, and expect tests of strength every 1/4 mile. There’s one mud pit and a free BBQ post-race.

Rugged Maniac: This 5K, obstacle-laden race (expect 20+) allows unlimited people in a group. Wacky costumes and all. Expect mud crawls, wall climbs and 50-foot waterslides.

Warrior Dash: A 5K mud race with 12 obstacles, which could include running across the hood of broken-down cars and powering through hanging tires. Cold beer and turkey legs await.

Tough Mudder: This 10- to 12-mile course is tough indeed. You dive into ice baths and 100,000-gallon mud pits and scale “Berlin Walls.” Runners help each other at every step.

Spartan Race: Less dirt, more obstacles. First-timers: Pick the 3-mile course, and mentally prep for fire jumps, commando-esque crawling under barbed wire and surprise challenges.

Dirty Girl Mud Run: Like a spa day with your gals but with a better calorie burn. The 5K female-only, beginner-friendly course has 12 to 15 obstacles that target all skill levels. (Example: Choose to jump a 2-, 4-, 6- or 8-foot wall.) Cocktails at the finish!

Columbia Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series: Enlist a pal, bring a bike, and psych up to ride and run over a 6- to 7-mile trail. One of you begins on two wheels, the other on foot; you swap activities each mile, conquering not-too-gnarly barriers in between. Then the dirty finale: crawl side-by-side through an 80-yard mud pit.

Kid Races take place on portions of some actual race course. Return to the childlike sense of adventure. The Down and Dirty by Merrell has an Adventure Kids course is a fun filled race for children ages 4 through 13 features running, obstacles just their size, and a trip through the biggest mud pit they have ever seen. All racers receive t-shirts and prizes.Spartan Kids Race is about a 1⁄2 mile filled with junior obstacles for Jr. Spartans.