Yesterday’s World’s Largest Corn Maze Run is probably the closest I will ever get to completing a “mud” run.
We had an 80% chance of rain in our area all day Saturday and Sunday. When the skies cleared up for the race, I was happy we would not have to run in the pouring rain. Then I got a text from my favorite coworker, who was also doing the race – “It’s muddy.”
“I’ll be okay,” I thought, “I have my trail shoes on!”
Ha ha ha.
I was “okay.” My trail shoes stayed on for the entire race. And… I would call that a success! Because of the way this race is set up (one person starting every 3 seconds), the corn maze path was really beat up by the time we got to run on it. The mud was really thick and deep. With every step, it felt like my shoe wanted to stay in the ground, not lift up with my leg. It made for an interesting challenge! I thought it was fun! But… I was happy when it was over – the last two years I have run this course it has seemed a bit short of a 5K. This year I was like “Please be short. Please be short. Please be short.” Ha ha.
This race is becoming a family tradition though! My brother-in-law has been in town each year this race has been held (2010 and 2011) so we’ve done it each year. And Steven joined us this year (after taking 2011 off to be the official photographer).
So I know we will be back next year. Mud or not!
Have you ever run in the mud… on purpose?
I just really want to do a mud run in general. I think it’d be so much fun!
I can TOTALLY picture you doing one! I hope you get to!!!
I have never. But that looks like fun! One of these years I will actually come with you guys 🙂
I think you would get a kick out of it 🙂
Oooh fun! Do you hit a lit of dead ends in a Corn Maze race?
I had an inadvertent mud run yesterday! A 10k in the pouring rain through giant puddles and gushing streams on a muddy path. My compression socks were brown at the end and I was completely drenched! Fun times though!
It is completely marked (roped off where you are not supposed to go) so no dead ends for us!
Ahh! I need to see pics from your race! 🙂
Nice recap. Was it really a maze? If so, you may end up running farther than 5k (if you get lost)!
It is really a maze, but marked off, so you know where to go 🙂
Shoot I was hoping this race was later in the year because I wanted to check it out. What a day for a fun run! Sometimes a little mud is fun. Did they have a hose or somewhere for you to wash off afterwards? What a great family tradition to have too.
Next year! Nothing to wash off with. I brought towels, so we wouldn’t get the car crazy muddy!
Are your shoes recoverable? Jason and I spent like 30 minutes last night rinsing off our boots after our corn maze adventure.
I think they are! I used these shoes to run yesterday, and hoped that the stomping of running would get some mud off. Ha ha. Did you get all the mud off your boots?
I run in the mud as often as I can, love it! Laima and I did the Warrior Dash this year which was a blast as well.
I hate running in the mud – I hate getting my shoes muddy!
Glad you guys made it without falling or losing a shoe!
I ran a mud/obstacle race with Joey once. I am not sure I’d do another one. I have run on muddy courses in high school and other cross country style courses. I’ve never done a course wehre the entire thing was muddy though.
Last year I did a haunted obstacle 5K in October (like Warrior Dash, but with people dressed in “scary” costumes). Anyway, we were in a late-morning wave, so by the time we got through, there were some really muddy spots, and I worried about my shoes coming off. I tried to avoid the mud as much as I could, but it was unavoidable in a lot of spots. I realized after that race that I’m not really into obstacles and all that, so I prefer regular road races (although I want to try a trail race).
That sounds like a lot of fun! Two of the ultras I’ve run were mud fests and while it was fun for a short period of time, mud all day long is really draining! 🙂
Yeah, I was thinking about that when I did my ultra – what is this trail was muddy from the rain? It would probably take me twice as long!
Oh, yay! My favorite blog post of the year… the Corn Maze Run!
Aww, thanks 🙂
I did the Warrior Dash last year, and it was SO much fun. I’d do mud runs all the time if I could.
The corn maze race sounds so fun though, I wish they did something like that around here.
This looks so fun! I’ve never run in the mud, but I like running the snow so I would probably like it!
I’ve seen this advertised the last few years but never signed up for it. It looks like so much fun (minus the mud), glad you enjoyed it!
That corn maze run sounds awesome minus the mud 🙂
I did muddy buddy once and will never do a mud run, warrior dash or anything like it ever again. As you mentioned, the closest ill get to a mud run would be a trail run in the rain 🙂
I’m not much of a runner, and I think running in the mud would be rather difficult. I do, however, think it’d be a lot of fun to do one of those mud runs/obstacle course events I keep reading about.
Looks so fun!
Wow, seeing Steven and his brother next to each other in a picture like this – yeah, they definitely look alike!
I’ve yet to do any mud races, since simply running is enough for me right now. Bob and his friends have done various Warrior Dashes the past couple of years, and he really wants me to join them next year because it’s so fun, so I might mud up then. In general, I think the last time I got muddy was probably a rainy outdoor summer music festival, so no running involved there at all 🙂
I can’t believe I am only learning about this awesome event now! Definitely adding it to my list of must-run races for next year…it looks like so much fun!
No! Not on purpose. That mud looks horrific to me, but I’m glad you had fun!
This was Richardson’s Farm, right? Love that I know what you’re talking about!
Yep!
Running in the mud is super fun! Love it! Living in the Pac NW I don’t really have a choice but to embrace it.
This race sounds so fun!!! And kind of neat to add in the mud factor even if it wasn’t supposed to be there. I don’t think I have ever ran in mud without it being a mud run specifically. But I’m glad y’all had fun!!