The Tough Mudder is a 12-mile long obsctacle course designed by British Special Forces, and it was no joke.
It’s not really a race but a test of mental and physical toughness and camaraderie. Both were prominently on display. The course was extremely grueling. Participants started by chasing a monster truck down a racetrack, followed by jumping off a 15-foot high plank into a frigid lake. And that was just the beginning. More and more trying experiences followed, including a “mud mile”, relentless slick mud hills, barbed wire to crawl under, tires to step through (and carry), running through flaming straw, climbing over walls, crawling through rocky tunnels, and in the end, just as the mudders had gotten relatively dry, treacherous monkey bars over another frigid pond. Am I forgetting anything? Oh, yes, the final, surprise obstacle – a forest of dangling live electrical wires to run through.
Covering the Tough Mudder was fun – and tiring. On both days I covered the entire course in about 6 hours each time – always either shooting or walking/climbing to the next obstacle. It felt almost like combat photography at times – covering real drama and physical duress, and great displays of teamwork. At every obstacle, strangers were helping each other. Tough Mudder emphasizes camaraderie over competition, and just finishing the course is a badge of honor (on Saturday, only 78% of entrants actually completed the course). It was all pretty raw and inspiring. I kind of want to gather some mates and do the event now. Maybe in warmer weather. Click through for many more photos from the amazing event.
The teams looked so happy and fresh BEFORE the course.
Some participants were extra hardcore...
Many costumes were on display
Soldiers manned every obstacle and gave their special brand of encouragement.
Gotta look good
Mudders had to cross the lake, run for a couple hundred yards... then cross the lake again.
Straighten your tie and keep moving
The "Mud Mile"
Many different ways to descend a hill
The "Cliffhanger". This was maybe the best obstacle. It really couldn't be cleared without help from your fellow mudders.
Not everyone made it
The Mystery Obstacle - Live electrical wires
Crossing the finish line
Donating shoes
Writing the bib number on as many surfaces as possible
At the start line - getting ready to chase the monster truck
Jumping off the 15 foot high plank. The water was so cold that some people went into shock and had to be pulled out. Seriously.
That's real pain there
Teamwork at the Cliffhanger
This man was injured earlier in the course when he was hit in the face by a flotation buoy. He needed stitches, but decided to complete the course instead.
Much of the course was on a dirt bike track.
Helping their mate after the electric shocks he received made him cramp up. Did I just write that sentence?
The monkey bars over another frigid lake were greased for extra treacherousness.
The "Twinkle Toes" - keep your balance and you don't get wet again
Apparently, the electric shocks really hurt...
Super friends. Batman cramped up near the finish line
I don't think he had a toddler with him the whole time. That would be really badass
The National Guard provided heat shields
Firemen provided "showers" afterwards
Finishing together.
For more of my photos from the event, check out the Tough Mudder Facebook Page.
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5 Comments
These are PHENOMENAL! So good, love the whole set. Great colors, composition and best of all wonderful expressions. Love the way you captured this.
Thanks Bill!
Wow. That looks incredibly grueling!
Awesome images you captured of the event!
wow, wicked photos! somehow found my way here from your flickr.. started out looking at cyclist photos. i got some laughs out of these! even your captions.. “Helping their mate after the electric shocks he received made him cramp up. Did I just write that sentence?” ha! looks/sounds like itd be a lot of fun to capture.
[…] a monster truck (the “Terrordactyl”) from the starting line. This is where I shot my first Tough Mudder event 1 year ago, and they have really come a long way. This was the biggest Tough Mudder event to date […]