The time it will take to finish your first mud run will depend on the weather, terrain, and training leading to the race. However, we can have an estimated time based on your training runs or other previous races.
The time it will take to complete a 5k mud run with 20 obstacles will range from 35 minutes to 4 hours. Other events like the World’s Toughest Mudder 
offers a 24hr challenge. And the Spartan Death Race could take up to 70 hrs or more to complete.
There are other distances you can try. For example, the Spartan Super offers a 10K, and the Spartan Beast provides a half marathon distance. Whichever distance you choose, I promise you will find it to be fun and challenging at the same time.
Find a similar time and distance.
Keep in mind that not all races are created equal, and even if you had the best training and came prepared to perform the best, these races will always throw you a curveball and throw you off your game.
For this same reason, I like to have a plan for my obstacle course races. Therefore, having a time goal in mind will help us with our training, and it will prepare our bodies and minds for the challenge ahead.
First, let’s find information about races, times, and distances. My recommendation to you is to go to the most popular obstacle course race organizer. Go to the Spartan Race site, click on the results tab. Look for past races in the areas that you are planning on running. This will give you all the information you need to get started.
In the meantime, enjoy the following examples. I desire to use this information to give you an idea of how long your next race might take. I picked two events with the same distance, however, with completely different terrain profiles.
Race Events and Time Examples
In the examples below, I compared the 2019 Carolina Beast vs. Vermont Beast. Without a doubt, we can’t argue that Vermont is a more challenging race. But the equalizer between these two races, in this particular year, was the weather.
| VERMONT BEAST/ HALF MARATHON 30 OBSTACLES | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 3:36:45 | 3:23:13 | 2:38:36 |
| LAST PLACE | 11:53:29 | 10:57:52 | 13:05:46 |
| CAROLINA BEAST/ HALF MARATHON 30 OBSTACLES | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 2:57:31 | 2:21:34 | 2:11:50 |
| LAST PLACE | 17:57:03 | 7:26:40 | 7:22:43 |
Spartan has moved the Carolina Beast event several times throughout the years. Finally, landing in Mill Springs, NC, for the Spartan Beast 2019 event. I had the pleasure to run the Beast distance, and a friend of mine ran his first Ultra Beast, and he crushed it. Great job, Angel!
After running the Ultra Beast in Vermont in 2016, I was not impressed with the area or the terrain. Honestly, I was expecting a relatively “easy” race. But once again, I was proven wrong, and I ended up doing 160 penalty burpees and finished the race in 3:40:23 hrs. I was cold, wet, and humbled.
So what made it so tricky, you might ask. Definitely, without a doubt, the constant rain was the main culprit. It was a freezing November morning, I knew the water obstacles were going to be freezing. No surprise there. I was mentally prepared for the cold showers.
But the rain made a cold day even worse. I was cold the whole time. My hands were freezing; goodbye dexterity. The rain also made it really hard to navigate the obstacles, especially the upper body obstacles like monkey bars. The “easy” terrain became a “mud-skating” rink.
| CAROLINA BEAST 2019/ HALF MARATHON 30 OBSTACLES | CAROLINA BEAST 2017/ HALF MARATHON 30 OBSTACLES |
| 3:40:23 / Raining all day. | 2:35:04 / Dry conditions. |
But this is why I love obstacle course races. If you want to push yourself out of your comfort zone, this is the perfect way to do it. I was really having fun tackling the challenge in front of me one mile at a time. But, I also knew I was uncomfortable, that my body was not in an ideal situation. But I kept pushing forward.
Additional Races and Times
Congratulation to all my friends who ran the 2019 Carolina Ultra Beast and completed the challenge. Without a doubt, this was a tough race to complete. You had to be physically, and most importantly, mentally tough to get through this course.
Some of my “Ultra” friends thought of quitting because of how cold they were after completing the first lap. They could not imagine going out there on the course for a second 15-mile loop with 30 obstacles. But like real-life warriors, they pushed past their discomfort and completed the race.
It was bad enough that the race organizers had to close all water obstacles by the late evening due to freezing conditions and steady rain. Also, the constant rain, again, made the obstacles really hard to complete. Which resulted in multiple penalty burpees.
| CAROLINA ULTRA/ 50K 60 OBSTACLES | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 7:57:34 | 6:36:42 | 5:42:20 |
| LAST PLACE | 13:29:20 | 13:13:54 | 13:29:44 |
| VERMONT ULTRA/ 50K 60 OBSTACLES | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 10:11:15 | 9:16:17 | 8:00:11 |
| LAST PLACE | 14:18:29 | 14:45:23 | 14:48:27 |
For those new to the sport, the Ultra Beast is a two-lap around the Beast course. The Beast consists of a 15-mile loop with 30 obstacles. As an Ultra Beast competitor, you have the option to refuel at the half waypoint before continuing with the second loop.
The rules for failed obstacles in the Ultra Beast events are the same as other events. The Open heat has the optional burpee penalty. The Age Group and Elite have a mandatory burpee penalty for incompleted obstacles. If you skip burpees, you suffer a time penalty or DQ.
Sprint Race, Time and Distance.
Now, let’s say you want to run the Spartan Sprint. The Spartan Sprint is a 5K or 3-mile race with 20 obstacles thrown in the mix. The tables below will show you two races and times from two different venues. If you want to get your feet wet, literally, I will recommend you start here and work your way up.
| CAROLINA SPRINT | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 51:24 | 44:29 | 40:31 |
| LAST PLACE | 10:44:21 | 2:57:21 | 2:34:13 |
| JACKSONVILLE SPRINT | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 41:09 | 33:31 | 29:31 |
| LAST PLACE | 3:43:06 | 4:30:06 | 1:34:13 |
Super Race Time and Distance.
Another popular distance is the Spartan Super. This race is a 10K or 6-mile race with 25 obstacles. Once again, the tables below will show you two races and times from two different venues. If you want to know the obstacles you will face on race day, go read this post.
| FAYETTEVILLE SUPER | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 1:17:38 | 1:10:14 | 1:03:22 |
| LAST PLACE | 9:57:58 | 4:53:42 | 3:32:47 |
| ASHEVILLE SUPER | OPEN | AGE GROUP | ELITE |
| FIRST PLACE | 1:49:03 | 1:34:02 | 1:22:10 |
| LAST PLACE | 12:52:03 | 6:57:42 | 5:44:27 |
Savage Race
The Savage Race is another excellent mud run I recommend. They have two options, the Savage Blitz with 3 miles and the Savage Race with 5-7 miles. If you decide to do this race, something to keep in mind is that they have more upper body obstacles than Spartan does. So you better start working on that grip.
On this occasion, it was the first time I was running with a group, we really had a blast. We did the Savage Race 5-7 mile option. I was very impressed with the Savage Race obstacles, and the after-party was a lot of fun.
Another thing I noticed in the Savage Race is that they do not have many mud obstacles. For those mud averts out there, like my wife, this is an excellent alternative for your first obstacle course race.
| SAVAGE RACE | OPEN | PRO |
| FIRST PLACE | 59:55 | 44:48 |
| LAST PLACE | 4:03:55 | 2:27:54 |
Final Thoughts
Now you have some information about the different distances and approximate times that it could take you to complete your first mud run. Now is time for you to take action, to start training, and to sign up for your first race. I hope to see you on the course.