Mad Mud Run

Jason, Cesar and Allan at the Mad Mud Run

As extraordinary of a city Las Vegas is, extraordinary experiences throughout the valley are becoming our norm. The latest unconventional event to hit the northwest valley was the Mad Mud Run held on May 21st through Sierra Adventure Sports promotion in tandem with Safe Nest of Las Vegas. The event consisted of a 4.6-mile, obstacle-ridden trail run on a stunning Las Vegas morning.

The course began at 10:00 AM so participants didn’t have to rise early to enjoy the event. Upon arrival, I noticed many people in costume. Superman, Superwoman, cavemen, Elvis. The characters were endless. I also noticed the 15-foot mud bath being created and I knew in due time, we would all be filthy from head-to-toe.

On the course, each obstacle was placed roughly a mile apart. This broke the monotony of “normal” events because we were tested periodically throughout. At the very beginning, we were soaked by toddlers, pre-teens, and teens with water guns. Then, we began our first mile. The initial obstacle was a series of hay bale hurdles. At the second mile, we were tested with a balance beam. The beam was only 6 inches or so off the ground so it wasn’t life-threatening if we slipped off! Next, we came across a 6-foot wall to climb over. Some folks whisked right over, whereas others had some trouble. It didn’t matter because those who hopped over easily remained on the other side to assist the others. Great display of teamwork! The next obstacle was a sprint through a water puddle while we were gunned down with a HUGE water hose. At about the 4-mile mark, we low-crawled 10 feet. Luckily, this was on grass so we weren’t shred to pieces with rocks! Finally, at the very end, we clambered through a 15-foot long, 3-foot deep mud bath! Some tread slowly to remain as clean as possible (which didn’t really work) whereas others dove, belly-flopped, cannonballed, etc. to get as filthy as possible. At the end of the “big kids” run, younger kids, aged 4-12, were able to partake in the Mudpuppy Splash which was a journey through the mud bath. What kid doesn’t like to get dirty?!

The event commenced with a donation from Sierra Sports Adventures to Safe Nest of Las Vegas. Safe Nest’s mission statement is “To be the leading advocate in promoting the eradication of domestic violence by providing confidential assistance including shelter, food, clothing, counseling, education and other services to individuals experiencing domestic violence, while maintaining the highest respect and dignity for our clients.” With domestic violence being a very serious issue in the valley, any donation, large or small, will make a difference in ensuring this mission is carried out. A May 2010 report noted that Las Vegas Metro PD was expecting to respond to 60,000 domestic violence calls for the year. That’s about 3% of our population!
Testing my mobile abilities in an event as unique as the Mad Mud Run was exceptional enough. However, the attitude at the event remained steadfast on assisting Safe Nest with reducing domestic violence in Las Vegas while striving to achieve their vision of “a world where domestic violence is not tolerated.” Overall, great event for a great cause!

~ Jason

For more information on Safe Nest visit their website or to volunteer sign up for one of their opportunities on our website HERE.