Mud run full of obstacles and plenty of mud

A first of its kind event in Cape Girardeau is expected to push runners to their limit through a series of hills, obstacles and mud -- lots of mud.

The event, the Berserker Challenge 5K Obstacle Mud Run, will start at the 5H Ranch at 9 a.m. Saturday and will feature a course that covers hilly terrain with more than 20 obstacles, none of which is considered to be friendly toward the runners.

"The terrain at the 5H Ranch is awesome," said Bleau Deckerd, an event organizer. "There's a lot of hills, and runners will be doing a lot of climbing and crawling in mud. They'll be working their tails off."

According to Deckerd, the five-kilometer course will present obstacles for runners that will include dark tunnels, mud pits and a giant mudslide.

"Every obstacle will be different," he said. "The people who enter will have the option of running through them or walking at their own pace. Either way is fine, because the pride in finishing the course is key to the whole challenge."

Runners in the Berserker Challenge 5K Obstacle Mud Run must be at least 18 years old and sign a waiver before they are allowed to participate. Anywhere from 30 to 40 runners will be released in "waves" at different intervals from 9 a.m. into Saturday afternoon.

"So far, we have over 200 runners who have registered," Deckerd said. "We don't want all of them to get bunched up."

Deckerd said the idea for creating the mud run was hatched last Thanksgiving along with co-organizers Dan Fritsche and Matt Weber.

"We're all into health and fitness," Deckerd said. "We had participated in mud run events in St. Louis and in Illinois, but there was nothing like a mud run around here. We thought a mud run would be a fun outdoor activity to promote."

The course Deckerd and his friends envisioned has developed since they initially decided to present the mud run. According to the event's website, the course contains stations such as cardiac hill, scratchy backside and Hale's gates. The common denominator, however, will be the mud that will permeate the entire course.

"It's been a rough time for rain in the last part of summer," Deckerd said. "But we've been working on the course for the last two months. We've been hauling water in and the holes are dug. It's going to be quite a challenge."

Fritsche said probably one-third of the runners will be serious competitors while others will just be looking to complete the mud run.

"They'll be able to say that they did it," Fritsche said. "Some might finish the course in an hour or so, but others might take a little longer. But it's really all about having fun. Along the course, there will be at least two people at each obstacle offering encouragement."

The run also will feature live music starting at 2 p.m., and food stands, a beer wagon and showers for the muddy runners. CrossFit 573 of Jackson will be at the mud run to present other physical challenges for attendees.

"They'll be putting on challenges that involve things like pullups and sit-ups," Fritsche said. "Anyone, especially the non-runners, can get involved with that if they want to."

Deckerd said that he's glad the time for the mud run is getting close.

"It's involved a long time of planning," he said. "The first year for an event is always difficult, but we're already thinking about next year. We want it to grow."

Partial proceeds from the Berserker Challenge 5K Obstacle Mud Run will go to the St. Louis-based Backstoppers Inc., which aids the families of Missouri and Illinois police officers, firefighters and publicly funded paramedics or EMTs who lose their lives in the line of duty. For more information on the Berserker Challenge 5K Obstacle Mud Run, visit berserkerchallenge.com. For more information on Backstoppers, visit backstoppers.org.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address: 2701 County Road 618, Cape Girardeau, MO