Big Sur Mud Run Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Michaela B.
Petaluma, CA

  (04-02-2010)

"Really, really fun race -- I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys running -- there's something cathartic about diving head-first into mud. (Although don't expect tons of organization at this race -- it's pretty bare bones, and was kind of a cluster-f at the end. But I still rated it well because the mud is just so awesome.)

A couple of things:

* There was no sweats check, and you will definitely a change of clothing afterward because you will be completely covered in mud and possibly also a little chilly. Plan to bring towels and clean, warm clothes and leave them in your car. Flip-flops are a good idea too.

* Wave start, with all male and all female teams going last. (This is the group I was in.)

* There are no mile markers on the course. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on how Type A you are.

* The mud pits are mostly in the latter half of the course. There's only one in the beginning, but it's enough to completely soak the lower half of your body. The first part of the race involves running on pavement, and then you move onto a somewhat hilly trail, where you will be running in sand. Yes, that's right -- uphill in SAND, while your shoes and socks are completely soaked through with mud and weigh a ton. While this may not sound like fun, strangely, it still is.

* Be prepared for push-ups because you'll have to do them at several points on the course.

* There is a beer station! Woo hoo!

* The actual finish line is confusing because there is basically no direction once you go through the last mud pit, so it kind of seems like you are done with the race, but you aren't. Also, you will have to dodge a whole bunch of people who already finished and all of their family and friends to get to the finish line.

* There weren't enough water/aid stations on the course.

* The finish line was disorganized. People who finished ended up clogging the path for people who were still on the course. There wasn't any food that I saw. There wasn't enough water. They ran out of size Small T-shirts.

* There are showers (basically, a big public showered rigged to a fire truck) for after the race, but don't expect to get totally clean. And don't expect warm water, either. You had to wait in a long line, and the water was ice cold."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010