Mud Run fundraiser was filthy fun
Linda Sappington
Kale Korella rolls through the wet maze of baling twine during the first annual Mud Run fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County.
Linda Sappington
Derek Kramer splashes through the mud bog.
Linda Sappington
Jessie Griffith, 11, climbs through a watery maze of baling twine.
Linda Sappington
Crossing the arena in the Polson Fairgrounds was a dirty deal.
Linda Sappington
First-place finisher Rob LaBair of Polson, top, traverses a two-story round bale on his way to the finish line, followed closely by Mark Murphree of Ronan.
Linda Sappington
Jessie Griffith, 11, climbs through a watery maze of baling twine.
Linda Sappington
Kale Korella climbs a fence ahead of family members.
Linda Sappington
Mud Run participants kayak Flathead River for a portion of the race.
Linda Sappington
Collen and Montana Korella scale a fence along the obstacle course.
Linda Sappington
Mark Murphree of Ronan leaps from the top of a round hay bale.
Linda Sappington
Covered in wet grass and mud, Montana Korella makes her way over an obstacle.
Linda Sappington
The Korella family runs through a deceptively tricky mud bog.
Linda Sappington
Mark Murphree and Rob LaBair jog up from the Flathead River.
Linda Sappington
Participants jog up from Flathead River toward the next obstacle.
Linda Sappington
First-place finisher Rob LaBair of Polson, top, climbs a two-story round bale on his way to the finish line.
Linda Sappington
Participants carry tires up a steep hill along the obstacle-course style run.
Linda Sappington
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Numerous fundraisers help support the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County and the Flathead Reservation, but not many offer a chance for children to participate.
So board member Lowell Tyler devised a “dirty” plan — the first annual Polson Mud Run.
With a fun 1K obstacle course fit for kids, and a complete 5K with numerous challenging obstacles, the inaugural fundraiser was a hit.
Ninety-one participants ran the bleachers, slogged through mud pits and lugged heavy tires uphill. They carried sandbags across a gooey arena. They leapt fences, snaked over bucking horse chutes and navigated a wet maze of baling twine. They traversed two-story round bales and kayaked Flathead River.
It took Tyler two weeks to prepare the course; it took first-place finisher Rob LaBair less than an hour to dash through it.
“There were some really tough spots,” the Finely Point tri-athlete said. “And it’s for a dang good cause.”
Dressed in tie-dyed T-shirt, colorful locks and a fair share of grass and wet dirt, 11-year-old Jessie Griffith thought the run was “pretty fun. I like climbing over everything and falling into the mud.”
Polson sisters Claudia and Olivia Hewston giggled as they flung fistfuls of mud at each other, dressed as Superman and Batman.
Tyler volunteers at the organized Spartan obstacle race in Bigfork, and figured the 40-acre Polson fairgrounds would be the perfect spot for a similar event.
“I hate running distances, so I thought a lot of obstacles would keep it interesting,” Tyler said. “Hopefully we’ll get money for the club, and a lot of people will get in shape and have fun.”
Tyler anticipates the fundraiser will become an annual event.
