Trail Running Blog

Del Mar Mud Run Report

After completing the Spartan Race, I knew that running the Del Mar Mud Run would be a nice change. In comparison, this race was shorter (5K vs 12 miles), cooler (80 vs 100 degrees), with easier and less obstacles (16 vs 28) and at a slower pace. I was participating in this race with a co-worker and her husband so it was a nice change from running solo like I do in most races. I was also able to get some great footage on my GoPro. The organizer of the Del Mar Mud Run is Vavi, who does a lot of the social events and sports leagues in San Diego. Knowing they were involved, I knew this would be more about fun than competition (which I was fine with).

None of the obstacles were meant to be too challenging, more to get your muddy and wet. You can check out all of the obstacles here, but my favorite one was definitely the Mud Plunge. It was basically going down a giant, wet inflatable slide into a pool of muddy water. I definitely wouldn’t have mind if the slide was longer J As I attempted Coronado Crossing, the guy who was volunteering saw that I wasn’t as muddy as the others so he shook the rope to try and get me to fall into the mud. He didn’t succeed though and I hung onto the rope a little bit harder and successfully crossed unscathed. A lot of the other courses was just walking (or crawling) through a bunch of mud, foam, and dirt. Fortunately, there were volunteers at the end of the race with hoses to allow us to rinse off.

The Del Mar Mud Run costs more than most 5Ks, but is probably comparable to other similar obstacle/fun runs. I stopped running 5Ks because for a little bit more money, you can run a 10K or half marathon instead. Each distance is hard in its own way (speed vs endurance). I’ll probably do a few more 5Ks every now and then. What’s great about this race is that proceeds benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which is a great charity.

If you’re interested in doing a fun / obstacle run, you should definitely consider the Del Mar Mud Run!