OCD FOR OCR

Challenging? Sure. Muddy? Absolutely. An overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment? Most definitely. This is Tough Mudder. There are a couple of key points that set Tough Mudder (TM) apart from other mud runs: 1) each event/wave is not timed and 2) finishers are awarded with headbands instead of medals (more about that later).

• Parking:

Parking is typically purchased online with 2 options: Premium ($30) or General ($15). Premium parking ends up being right in close proximity to the festival area (Mudder Village), whereas general parking has various lots throughout the venue and could end up being a lengthy walk or shuttle ride (there were a few buses taking participants back and forth). Personally, I prefer the premium parking for the convenience.

• Registration and Festival:

Registration: With multiple lanes set up, one would assume a quick and easy time. However, it did start out to be time-consuming. But once the volunteers got their glitches worked out, it went smooth and efficient. There were a few lanes specifically for the Tougher wave (the first and only timed wave of the day), but these were not clearly marked, with several participants ending up waiting in the wrong lines. 

Festival Area: Mudder Village is alive with activity. Vendors and samples aplenty. Coach T. Mudd was cranking out tunes and they had many activities to keep everyone entertained. Including a beer garden to enjoy your hard-earned finisher beer (which everyone gets at registration). Rinse stations. Changing area. Washrooms. Even axe throwing. This area had it all.

• Start Corral:

This is where the magic begins! TM has a few standby corrals where runners assemble prior to entering the starting gate. This is a great idea, since waves are sent out every 15 minutes. It gets everyone together, in one spot so they can be on time for their wave. Once in the starting gate, we were greeted by Sean Corvelle, the motivating voice of TM and one of, if not the best emcee’s in the OCR business.

We considered it an honor to have Sean there, since he typically only does select events and usually only at the US venues. If you enjoy getting pumped up prior to running, attend an event that Sean is hosting. Another cool thing was they did the national anthem prior to every wave time throughout the day. 

• The Course:

This is the 2nd year the event was held at Christie Lake Conservation Area, near Hamilton, Ontario. If you’re not a fan of the soul-crushing elevation at ski resorts, this would be the perfect course. The terrain is relatively flat with slight elevation changes. Wooded trails, gravel roads, grassy fields, and a man-made dam made this a runner’s course. There are 2 race options: The Classic or the 5K. The Classic full course is around 8 miles/12K with 25 obstacles, while the 5K is essentially the first half of the Classic. There are also spectator routes where your entourage can cheer you on at several points along the course.

• The Obstacles:

It wouldn’t be much fun without the crazy obstacles. TM obstacles are daunting, challenging, and fun all at once. With names like MudderHorn, Funky Monkey, and Electroshock Therapy, how can they not be. Of course, you have your typical walls, crawls, and carries. But TM has their signature obstacles that need to be experienced to be enjoyed. MudderHorn is a 40′ high A-frame cargo net. Funky Monkey is a combination of ascending monkey bars, spinning wheels, and horizontal pipes. Arctic Enema is simply a dumpster filled with ice water (I know what you’re thinking, but it really is great).

And of course, Electro Shock Therapy (EST). This is several wires hanging down that the runner must penetrate in order to reach the finish line. And yes, you likely will receive a shock or two. There is an optional bypass lane for those who choose to forego the challenge (but really, why would you want to). Placing this obstacle at the finish line made for exciting viewing for spectators.

• The Bling:

As mentioned earlier, there are finisher headbands, not medals. Orange for the Classic and white for the 5K. There’s also Legionnaire headbands. These are for those who have run 2 or more Tough Mudder’s. And they’re different colors depending how many times you’ve run (2x =green, 3x =blue, etc.). It’s very cool seeing how proud runners are to be sporting their respective headbands.

It gives everyone a unique feel, not just one generic medal. On a side note, if you run the competitive Tougher wave, you also receive a Tougher bib, a Tougher headband, and a Tougher medal. The finisher shirts are decent. I believe they’re called tech shirts. They used to have specific shirts for Tougher, Classic, and 5K. Now it’s a generic shirt for everyone, which is unfortunate.

• Overall Feelings and Event Rating:

I would rate this TM event 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would give it a 5 except for the glitches with registration on Saturday morning, and the lack of finisher shirts that differentiate the particular course you ran. Tough Mudder puts the fun back into obstacle runs. Highly recommended.

Article Written by: John Cross & Susan Rice.