obstaclemudrunner.co.uk
ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners
36
The 20km is two laps of the 10km route, so in order
to give an accurate comparison review I ran the 5km
course first and then the 10km afterwards.
The 5km race is perfect for beginners coming into
the OCR world. It offers award winning mud (and
lots of it), water, hills, a good selection of obstacles
along with a true insight of what this sport is about.
Although to some it is “only a 5km,”, you can see the
Race Director’s have taken just as much time and
care in this distance as they have the longer ones to
ensure this is a great OCR and not just a trail run with
a few hay bails thrown in for good measure. In some
races you only get the good obstacles if you do the
longer distance and although clearly not everyone can
do them all, the 5k distance certainly gives a brilliant
insight as to what the rest of the course offers.
The 5k for me was a really good, challenging, quite
exhilarating race.
The 10km race was a different beast altogether.
You can see the RD’s have invested wisely into new
obstacles since their first race a couple of years
back. One of which is so good, it featured at the UK
Championships 2016. Yes, you know it, the Ninja
Rings.
There was a lot of dispute the week building up to
this race, when it was announced a tyre carry would
be one requirement for UK qualification. Myself,
amongst others could not understand how a simple
tyre carry could be a qualifying obstacle, especially
when there were other far more technical obstacles
such as the weaver. The RD’s did not disappoint
when push came to shove, we’re not talking car tyres,
we’re not even talking van tyres, we’re talking big,
giant, huge tyres! It must have weighed as much as
I did, if not more, (or so it felt). Only being allowed
to carry them, not roll or push, we went up a low
but steady incline for about 30m, tackling two low
hurdles and back again. It was a true test of stamina,
strength and sheer determination. So the simple tyre
carry became a very very worthy qualifying obstacle
after all. I saw many a person struggle at this point.
In a nutshell, the course is magnificent. I have never
run in mud like it. It was literally oozing out of the
ground like lava from a volcano. It took every muscle
and every bit of strength I had to crawl through parts
of it. It took time and zapped energy just to breathe.
Again, plenty of water, constant in’s and out’s, up’s
and down’s. Mud Monsters also boast walls, the pre
mentioned weaver, a water slide, plenty of crawls,
monkey bars and hang tough rings, ninja rings, tyre
climbs, Irish table, rope traverse, cargo nets, mud,
mud, mud, mud, mud to name a few. Did I mention
the mud?
Camaraderie on course was second to none (as
expected), volunteers and marshals all were excellent.
So, to compare the two, I would say that the 5k is a
brilliant all rounder. Whether that is for the newcomer
or a seasoned runner wanting to enjoy the shorter
distance. The 10k really jumps up another level and
is a real challenge for even an experienced runner.
Do not under estimate how much energy the mud
drains from you, the variety and plenty of obstacles
available on both distances means you really get a lot
of bang for your buck!
As for the 20k, well I may be nuts, but I’m not sure
I’m that nuts! Well, maybe next time...
With the obvious investment of time, care and money
that Mud Monsters have clearly injected, I look
forward to seeing what they unleash in 2017. This
is a race that is quickly becoming a big fish in a big
pond. I genuinely believe this race deserves a place
on your 2017 calendar, whether you’re a newbie or a
regular racer.
28th May 2017. Will I see you there?
RACE : REVIEW
camaraderie on course was second to none
Mud Monsters
Martin Bullock
Ex Infantry Soldier
Mud Monsters offer 3 distances, 5km, 10km and 20km.
Photos:
Epic Action Imagery
Do not under
estimate how
much energy
the mud drains
from you
