After each mud run or obstacle race I compete in, you'll get my review and grades for each event to help you decide which ones you might want to sign up for. The following categories will be discussed:

1. COURSE- the design, venue, and setup of the race itself- how creative/ adventurous/ difficult the obstacles were, and obviously... how was the MUD?!?

2. FESTIVAL- all the fun beyond the actual race- the social atmosphere which usually includes food, beer garden, dj/ music/ concert, contests, vendors, and more during the after-party

3. SWAG- the included goodie bag and prizes up for grabs- all the "free" stuff that comes with price of entry and the quality of awards, shirts, and other giveaways

Feel free to use the search box to read up on any past topics you might be looking for.

RUNAMUCK, Harriman State Park NY, 6/16/12

Second round for me at RunAmuck (which seems to be changing to the name "Run-A-Mud" now?), one of the less competitive events on my schedule. While still held in Harriman State Park, the specific location moved to nearby Anthony Wayne Rec. Area, since I believe Sebago Beach is closed this year. Seemed like a good turnout, bigger than 2011, but in some ways I felt it was a step down from what they had before.

1. COURSE- A little disappointed in the location switch, which meant changes to the course such as no water crossing at the beach/lake, my favorite part. Whether people liked it or not also, the course was longer than last year and a further distance than advertised- closer to 4+ miles than the supposed 3 miles they posted. The majority of the course was essentially a technical trail run, with pretty low level obstacles (balance beams, over/under walls, and rock climb inclines) thrown in mainly toward the end. Last year, RunAmuck provided one of my all-time most favorite deep, sticky, mud pits- this year just reduced to an above-ground box of mostly water and topsoil.  GRADE = B

2. FESTIVAL- Decent as far as setup and location, for plenty to view the start/finish, mud pit, and stage where emcee and a DJ kept the people loose with tunes and crowd interaction (race warmups, on-stage awards, etc). Still, too little to earn a solid grade when missing vendors, contests, or much of anything to really do after finishing the race. GRADE = C

3. SWAG- Same as last year, so not much to add. Simple cotton tshirt is all you get for the registration, and medals just for top-3 men and women. Need better, and more, giveaways (although the signup IS just a relatively cheap $40 or so). Maybe as this race grows, its goodie bag will too.  GRADE = C


OVERALL GRADE = C