Nothing beats finishing a race with your pal, your “doorman”, and all-around best friend- your dog. Almost always, you’d only see mud run races with your dogs as fundraisers and not an annual event. But, there have been a few recently!
February 2020 seemed to be doggy and pal mud run month. Bates Nut farm held it’s Rad Dogs Mud Run
in California. Likewise, Iron Doggy, who is globally known for such events, also held mud run races in several states in the same month: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, and California, had a taste of running with their best mate.
Of course, since February 2020 has passed, you might ask what about the rest of the year? Well, thankfully, Iron doggy compiled all of the mud run races that you and your dog can participate in. Check out their website to see all types of races available, they even have a virtual one. Besides, on February 27, 2021, Rad Dogs Mud Run would have another mud-tastic race!
Mud runs and what exactly are they
Ever wished you had the opportunity to get down, dirty, and downright fit? That’s what mud runs are. A whole obstacle course is made to test your endurance. As I mentioned before in my previous posts, there is a lot to consider when participating in these races: The duration, checklist, and types of obstacles.
Mud runs with dogs, however, are less painstaking. After all, the entire point of the race is to strengthen bonds. 15-20 obstacles from a mud crawl obstacle to a sprint. Though, I think the mud crawl is more for you. As for your dog, they have the freedom to sniff and turn back. So you end up carrying them.
The pros and cons
Now, that you know the gist of the event. Let’s talk about the pros and cons (if there is even any).
PROS:
- For new doggy parents, now is your chance to show your dog they could trust you. Just gently guide them through the course,
- For a long time doggy parents, you know how hard it is sometimes to live with an energetic, and up for new adventures kind of dog. This is your shot to give them a chance for release. Put their crazy energy into a form of exercise that you both can benefit from.
- For your best pals, this could also be an opportunity for them to have new friends. At the end of the day, when the race is through, it’s technically a soiree for your dogs.
CONS:
- You would have to get down, get dirty, and be patient with your dogs.
The checklist
Of course, like any race, you should come prepared. For the human or hooman, as dogs would like to call it, be sure you have the following:
- Food and water– although most of these events have food stalls or kiosks since they’re a fundraiser, it’s still good to have even just a granola bar in case you get hungry. Water is also a must. Even if you think the obstacle course is not as draining, your body still loses water. So, stay hydrated.
- Cash- As I said, there are readily available food stalls at most of these events. Besides, I doubt if a bar of granola would satisfy your hunger, especially after the race. One more thing, remember that ATMs are not always at the venue’s disposal.
- Extra clothes, and towel– For the entire event, you’d have to crawl, run and jump on muddy surfaces. Your race outfit would get drenched in muddy water. So, it’s best that after you get yourself to remove all the dirt, you already have a change of clothes prepared. The same goes for the towel.
- Wet-bag– This I would highly recommend. After you get cleaned up, you need a wet-bag to put all your muddied clothes from your socks to the shirt.
- Clear car mat– Even after changing into new clothes, you’d also have to face the problem of where to put your dirtied shoes. Now, normally I would suggest reusing your grocery plastic bag. But, I found an even better solution. For less than $20, you could buy these clear car mats from Amazon. These mats would protect your vehicle’s original carpeting.
- Water-proof phone case– With this once in a lifetime event, it’s best to have some sort of keepsake like a photo. Keep your phone protected at all times, while you take snippets of a great day,
For your doggos and puppers:
- Food and water– Your dogs would also feel drained after a high energy workout. So be sure, you’ve got some dog food and water for them. You can also add some treats in there.
- Towel– Getting cleaned up and dried goes for your dogs, as well. You wouldn’t want them to shake off all the mud in your car seats.
The rates
As I previously mentioned, Rad Dogs Mud Run would have another race next year, February. For doggo parents like me, I checked their website to answer all my inquiries, specifically registration.
It turns out registration is on-going as early as now. You could choose from three early bird packages:
- Adult + dog for $50
- Adult + Child (5 to 17 year/s) for $60
- Adult only (no dog) for $40
If you’d like they also give you an option of either forming or creating your team. For further information, click this link to be redirected to the registration portal.
The purpose
Mud races, aside from being a human + doggo bonding, can be much more meaningful. Take, for example, Paws FUR pink. It’s another mud race with your dog that’s listed in Iron Doggy. What makes this particular event special is the purpose behind it.
Paws FUR pink is a fundraiser for Charity PAWtners, to support breast and canine cancer. If you go to their website, you could see that they offer either a virtual run or register for next year’s February race.
In all honesty, it was also the first time I have ever heard of a virtual run. After all, the selling point of the whole mud race is well, the mud— and the whole experience of having other people by your side, getting muddier by the minute.
All of my skepticism was answered by checking out the official website. In it, it says that the virtual run has three options: 5k race, 5.59 miles, or 13.1 miles race. The beauty of it is, you could complete it anytime, anywhere. Each participant would also receive goodies prepared by the organizers.
If however, you’d prefer to celebrate a mud-tastic February, you can sign up right now. The rates, as shown on their website are:
- 5K race= $38 ( the price will increase after October 31, 2020, of this year )
- 5k (kids price) race= $20 ( the price will increase after December 19 of this year)
- 1-mile walk= $30 ( the price will increase after December 19)
- 1-mile walk (kids price)= $18 ( the price will increase by December 19 of this year)
- Costume contest= $5 (registration ends by February 19,2021)
- Doga in the Park= $5 (registration ends by February 19, 2021)
I have yet to participate, but I’ve been dying to try it. I have two sweet American bullies, Appa and Panda. Honestly, I think they would be perfect for events like this.
I remember there was a time that when we got home, the garage was covered with mud. The weather was terrible that day, strong winds and rain crept throughout the city. Lo and behold. The two partners in crime were sitting by the gate, barely recognizable, full of grass, twigs, and mud.
That’s when I thought to myself, there must be some event that these two can enjoy. One that would require movement and lots of getting dirty. It was a good thing I heard from a friend that mud runs can also include dogs.
In summary:
The two key takeaways on why you should try it out, too, are:
- It’s an event that brings joy to you, your doggo/pupper, and the beneficiaries of the race.
- It doesn’t come often.