The Big Muddy Challenge, an obstacle mud run designed for parents and their children, is kicking off the 2014 race series on Saturday, April 26, at Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville, N.C.
Adam Spisak, founder of the Big Muddy Challenge, conceived the idea of a parent-child mud run late one night while recovering from an adult mud-themed endurance race earlier in the day. “It was 2:30 a.m. I was up with my 4-month -old daughter, trying to get her back to sleep, and I thought I’d like to share a less intense but similar experience with her one day.” Spisak, who lives in Raleigh, began researching. Outside of road races, he found few events that welcomed children as primary participants and fewer still designed for parents and children to experience together. The Big Muddy Challenge was born.
Children ages 6 and up, along with a parent or guardian, will “race” through an age-appropriate course of 10 to 12 very muddy obstacles. Teams will navigate approximately 2 miles at their own speed. The races are not officially timed, although there are large digital clocks at the start and finish line. Spisak says, “We aren’t necessarily targeting endurance athletes, but we do want to attract them.” Many obstacles give participants the option to choose their route based upon desired difficulty level.
The inaugural BMC event took place in September 2013 outside of Raleigh and attracted more than 1,000 participants with an additional 500 spectators. Everyone was part of a team and most teams consisted of more than two members. Participant ages ranged from 6 to 72, with some teams comprising three generations of family members.
On race day there were fathers and mothers and sons and daughters, grandparents and friends. Spisak describes a group of about 20 parent-child teams from Single Parents of the Triangle (SPOT) that requested to run together as a group in the 10 a.m. wave. “They ended the course with an epic mud fight. They definitely weren’t trying to finish first. It was all about the experience and being together. And the mud. Participants just couldn’t get enough mud,” Spisak says.
BMC is expanding in 2014 across North Carolina, Virginia and into the DC Metro area. Spisak is encouraged that the parent-child dynamic of the Big Muddy Challenge is resonating with individuals and organizations alike. Past participants aren’t the only ones getting excited about the BMC series bringing together family, fitness and fun again in 2014. Last year, Big Muddy Challenge shared proceeds with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Triangle and has now expanded the partnership to support BBBS agencies at each event location.
Crabtree Valley Mall, Brunk & Laster Orthodontics and Triangle Rock Club are sponsors for the upcoming event in Raleigh. Carolina Parent has chosen the April BMC as an official event for their upcoming Fit Family Challenge. Sport & Health, a fitness club with 23 locations in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, has signed on as a sponsor for Northern Virginia BMC events. A natural partner for the Big Muddy Challenge, the Sport & Health website is full of inclusive and family-friendly themes such as “Fit for Every Body” and “A Healthy Family Is a Happy Family.”
BMC hit another home run in the venue choices. All events will be held at recreational farms that offer seasonal outdoor activities for families. Each has been enthusiastic about bringing a like-minded event to their grounds. Spisak is planning to round out the series with some really cool obstacles this year. The Triangle Rock Club has agreed to help create an obstacle for the Raleigh event and plans are under way to work with local home builders to conceptualize and construct the rest.
Despite the positive momentum, Spisak and his team are focused on making the experience even better for the 2014 race series. BMC events will include shorter stretches of running between obstacles and several access points for spectators to watch teams get down and dirty across the course. Spisak says, “Nobody will cross the finish line with a clean shirt this year.”
To learn more and find an event near you visit, www.bigmuddychallenge.com.
