Polson Mud Run continues to challenge competitors
Rob Zolman
A competitor splashes down during the sixth annual Polson Mud Run at the Polson Fairgrounds on Saturday morning.
Rob Zolman
Contestants get increasingly muddy during climbing obstacles.
Rob Zolman
Rebecca Judd makes a splash in her first ever Mud Run race.
Rob Zolman
Ash Cardoza slides headfirst into a big batch of bubbles.
Rob Zolman
Contestants get increasingly muddy during climbing obstacles.
Rob Zolman
Rob Zolman
Rob Zolman
Rob Zolman
Rob Zolman
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
Thick slimy mud on the faces of the competitors couldn’t hide the smiles as they wallowed, sloshed, and splashed their way through the muck and mire during the Sixth Annual Polson Mud Run hosted by the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County at the Polson Fairgrounds on Saturday.
The fundraising event featured more than 15 mud infused obstacles strewn across a 5K course that proved to be both challenging and fun for the participants. This year’s course brought in serious competitors, like Lexx Habit from Bigfork who has participated in various obstacle course challenges and Spartan Races.
“This course actually had a couple obstacles that were a lot harder than some of the bigger races,” said Habit. “Yes, the other races are more challenging and competitive, but they are not fun. That’s what really hooked me about this race. This race is fun.”
The Polson Mud Run features muddy obstacles like the Tarzan swing across a mud pit, a crawl going through a corrugated plastic tunnel, a hay bale pyramid climb, an “Army crawl” through a thick mud hole and a salmon ladder over a waist-deep muddy water hole, all designed on the simple principle of challenging the runner to conquer obstacles while having fun getting covered in mud.
After seeing an advertisement for a fun mud run, first-time runner Rebecca Judd from Helena thought it would be fun to give it a try. “I didn’t realize there were going to be so many obstacles,” said Judd as she laughed. “It was still fun though.”
While many participants take part in the Polson Mud Run as a personal challenge, others choose to run and take part in support of a good cause. Although the final count was still being calculated, organizers estimated more than 75 competitors competed in this year’s obstacle race. One hundred percent of the registration fees for the race go to help support various Boys and Girls Club provided programs for youth in both the Polson and Ronan areas, which include summer activities as well as after-school activities throughout the school year.
For more information about the many programs the Boys and Girls Club has to offer, check out their website at www.flatheadbgc.org or call 406-676-5437 or 406-883-5623.
