Mud Guts & Glory review – May 2016

I have realized that any discussion of Mud Guts & Glory’s (MGG) position in the OCR industry must begin with its mission.  This permanent course obstacle race at King’s Domain was established solely to raise money to support at-risk inner city youth.  Kindness and generosity pours forth from the organization as a whole and through each individual who plays a role in making this race a huge success. Although MGG professes to not be in the OCR business, they do it better than many companies who ARE trying to be an OCR company.

The May 2016 race was “blessed” with heavenly rains and unseasonably cool temperatures, making the race considerably tougher as the hills, trails, and ravines became a veritable skating rink of mud.  If you didn’t have good OCR shoes with deep lugs then I feel sorry for you. The course design that winds through the wooded hills of King’s Domain was largely the same as years past, but a few tweaks, new obstacles, and unexpected path changes kept it interesting for the scores of MGG veterans who come back year after a year for their favorite race.  This year’s event was a little special for me in that the men’s podium contained 3 of my favorites with Chris Schapman, Taylor Clark, & Junyong Pak going 1-2-3.  The women’s podium was no less impressive with Erin Brooks, Michelle Warnky, & Adriane Alvarod. For more details of the May 2016 race, check out winner Chris Schapman’s synopsis.

Rather than visit the past by recounting the May 2016 race, I would rather tell you what you should expect to encounter if you decide to come to a future Mud Guts & Glory Race (like the one on Sept 17, 2016) ?

• Great people who go out of their way to make the experience a positive one
• A lively, but comfortable festival area that promotes conversation, bonding, and new friendships
• Some REALLY good food from the vendors.
• Hills.  Steep hills.  Steeper hills.  More steeper hills….and the steepest hill of all (aptly named Pinnacle Hill)
• Beautiful course that is 80-90% through beautiful forest scenery
• A whole slew of well-built, unique obstacles like the weaver, castle tower, sternum checkers, slanted walls, inverted walls, table tops, a pole traverse and a very long water slide
  
• A course that is very difficult, but doesn’t set you up for failure – an important, but often overlooked feature of balancing the needs of both elite and novice racers.
• A bonus family course in which kids and adults alike can tackle unlimited times
• Most of all, you should expect that when you leave the venue, you will feel great about completing that race and even better knowing that your money is going to help some kids who might just have their lives changed for the better because of it