Tough Mudder
| Tough Mudder | |
|---|---|
 A participant completes the Walk the Plank obstacle at the SoCal 2013 Tough Mudder event. |
|
| Type | Endurance race |
| Website | http://toughmudder.com/ |
Tough Mudder is an endurance event series in which participants attempt 10–12 mile long military-style obstacle courses. Designed by British Special Forces to test mental as well as physical strength, obstacles often play off of common human fears, such as fire, water, and heights.[1] The organizers encourage teamwork, and many obstacles are purposefully designed so as to be very difficult to complete alone.[2] The events are untimed,[3] but on average only 78% of entrants successfully complete the course.[4]
The first Tough Mudder challenge was held in the United States in 2010.[5] In 2012, roughly 500,000 people worldwide participated in a total of 35 events,[6] making Tough Mudder the world’s fastest-growing adventure series.[7]
Contents |
History [edit]
Tough Mudder was co-founded in 2010 by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone, both British citizens living in New York. Dean had developed the idea for the company while studying at Harvard Business School, where the concept was a semifinalist in the school’s annual business plan competition.[8]
Dean and Livingstone launched the first Tough Mudder event on May 2, 2010 at Bear Creek Ski Resort near Allentown, PA. Promoted exclusively through Facebook advertising and word of mouth, the event drew more than 4,500 participants.[9]
Two additional 2010 events were held in Northern California and New Jersey. The next year, 14 events were held throughout the United States.[10] In 2012, 35 events were held in a total of four countries.[11] After only two years of existence, the Tough Mudder as a company is worth $70 million.[12]
For 2013 Tough Mudder has scheduled 53 events in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and Germany. Registration prices for these events range between $85 and $180, depending on how far in advance participants sign up.[13] Tough Mudder has also started an early registration for 2014, including 60 different locations in South Africa, North America, Europe, and Australia.[14]
Course [edit]
The typical Tough Mudder course is 10–12 miles long and features 20–25 obstacles. Terrain type varies from course to course; natural features of the land at each venue are incorporated into the course design, resulting in a unique experience at each location.[15] Past venues have included ranches, motocross tracks, and ski resorts.[16]
The list of obstacles also varies from course to course, though there are several “signature” obstacles at almost every event,[17] including:
- Arctic Enema: Participants plunge into a dumpster filled with ice water, dunk underneath a plank that crosses the dumpster, and pull themselves out on other side.[18]
- Electroshock Therapy: Live wires carrying up to 10,000 volts of electricity hang over a field of mud, which participants sprint through to reach the finish line.[19]
- Funky Monkey: A set of incline and decline monkey bars crosses a pit of cold water, which participants will fall into if they lose their grip. The bars are slicked with a mixture of butter and mud to increase the difficulty.[20]
- Everest: Participants run up a quarter pipe slicked with mud and grease.[21]
In 2012, Tough Mudder founded an off-site “Obstacle Innovation Lab” in New Jersey, where the company designs and tests new obstacles.[22] Some find the Tough Mudder so difficult that many believe there is nothing more difficult than it.[23]
World’s Toughest Mudder [edit]
World’s Toughest Mudder is an invitation-only 24-hour challenge. Unlike other Tough Mudder events, World’s Toughest Mudder is a competition, with the top-ranking man, woman, and team receiving prize money.
To qualify for World’s Toughest Mudder, participants must finish a standard Tough Mudder event in the top 5% of self-reported times. The competition itself consists of a 10-mile looped course, which participants continuously run through for 24 hours. The participant who completes the most laps is declared the winner. Along with bragging rights, whoever wins the title of World's toughest Mudder receives a $15,000 prize.[24]
World’s Toughest Mudder was first held in 2011 at Raceway Park in New Jersey. Junyong Pak claimed first place, and Juliana Sproles was the first female finisher. In 2012, Pak successfully defended his title. Amelia Boone was the first female finisher and the second finisher overall. The team competition was introduced for the first time in 2012; a team from Pennsylvania calling themselves “Nine Inch Males” took first place. There were over 1,200 competitors in 2012.[25]
Charity affiliations [edit]
Tough Mudder partners with a charity in each territory it holds events, encouraging participants to raise money to aid veterans. Current partners include Wounded Warrior Project (in the United States), Wounded Warriors Canada, Help for Heroes (in the United Kingdom), and Legacy (in Australia). To date, Tough Mudder participants have raised more than $5 million for Wounded Warrior Project.[26]
Safety [edit]
As with all endurance events, there is an element of risk inherent in Tough Mudder challenges. However, Tough Mudder has often stated that “safety is [its] top priority.”[27][28][29] All obstacles are designed by experienced engineers and tested by safety experts.[30]
At the April 20, 2013, Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic event in Gerrardstown, West Virginia, a 28 year-old participant, Avishek Sengupta, died following an incident on the "Walk the Plank" obstacle.[31][32] The local police department ruled the death an accident.[33] This was the first fatality in Tough Mudder’s history, after more than 50 events and more than 750,000 participants.[34][35]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Brian Kilmeade Gets Dirty in the Tough Mudder Challenge on ‘Fox and Friends’ Set". FOX News.
- ^ "As Sportsmail prepares to enter the toughest team sport around, Britain's best Mudder offers his advice". Daily Mail.
- ^ "Racing dirty". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ "Turning a profit on the "toughest event on the planet"". CNN Money.
- ^ "The Tough Mudder: ‘The Toughest Race on the Planet’". ABC Nightline.
- ^ "Office Workers Run Amok". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ "Tough Mudder’s 20 Most Badass Obstacles". Men’s Fitness.
- ^ "Playing with Fire, Barbed Wire and Beer". The New York Times.
- ^ "Playing with Fire, Barbed Wire and Beer". The New York Times.
- ^ "Turning a profit on the "toughest event on the planet"". CNN Money.
- ^ "Forging a Bond in Mud and Guts". The New York Times.
- ^ http://www.cracked.com/blog/running-tough-mudder-12-mile-long-torture-chamber/
- ^ http://toughmudder.com/events/
- ^ http://toughmudder.com/events/2014-event-preregistration/
- ^ "Getting tough in the Black Diamond mud with Tough Mudder this weekend". Maple Valley Reporter.
- ^ "Tough Mudder: Mud, Sweat & No Tears". Men’s Journal.
- ^ "One Tough Mudder". Vermont Sports.
- ^ "Tough Mudder’s 20 Most Badass Obstacles: Arctic Enema". Men’s Fitness.
- ^ "Tough Mudder’s 20 Most Badass Obstacles: Electroshock Therapy". Men’s Fitness.
- ^ "Tough Mudder’s 20 Most Badass Obstacles: Funky Monkey". Men’s Fitness.
- ^ "Tough Mudder’s 20 Most Badass Obstacles: Everest". Men’s Fitness.
- ^ "Obstacles Test Athletes’ Grit". The New York Times.
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/apr/07/tough-mudder-military-style-assault-course
- ^ http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/who-will-be-the-worlds-toughest-mudder-in-2012
- ^ "The toughest obstacle course on earth: 24 hours of hell in New Jersey, US". Financial Times.
- ^ "Obstacle course craze has Floridians getting dirty". AP.
- ^ http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2013-04-22/news/bs-md-tough-mudder-death-20130422_1_tough-mudder-plank-obstacle-ellicott-city-man
- ^ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tough-mudder-the-obstacle-courses-for-adults-that-are-now-worth-250m-8603427.html
- ^ http://westminster.patch.com/articles/tough-mudder-witnesses-describe-scene-after-ellicott-city-man-jumped-4baec5c1
- ^ http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/multisport/A-History-of-Accidents-in-Tough-Mudder.html?page=1
- ^ http://toughmudder.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/mid-atlantic-2013-incident-statement_03.pdf
- ^ http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/593648/One-dies-after-participating-at----.html
- ^ http://www.baltimorenewsjournal.com/2013/04/22/towson-university-graduate-dies-in-w-va-tough-mudder-endurance-event/
- ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20130422/us-tough-mudder-death/?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=green
- ^ http://www.baltimorenewsjournal.com/2013/04/22/towson-university-graduate-dies-in-w-va-tough-mudder-endurance-event/
