A new down-and-dirty event is coming to Auburn in March.
"Mud runs are gaining popularity everywhere," said event coordinator Gabe Gotthelf. "If you come out and run it, you'll think that's the most fun you've had in a while."
Mud Mania is happening March 31 at Southern Springs Equine Farm, about three miles from Auburn University campus. Gotthelf and his wife decided to bring the event to Auburn after participating in the Warrior Dash in northern Georgia.
"There was 12,000 people that ran," Gotthelf said. "So we're trying to bring that here."
The event will be organized into 14 heats spaced 30 minutes apart.
"The struggle that we will probably encounter is bottlenecking along the route," said event coordinator Janie Marino. "By looking at where we've placed the obstacles, we've tried to really keep it in mind so that we're not having people wait in line for the obstacles and eat up their time."
The 5K will feature more than 20 obstacles, most designed to be challenging, but not impossible.
"You're nervous about what to expect," Gotthelf said. "When you're running and you see the obstacle, it's nothing you can't finish. It's nothing you can't accomplish."
Obstacles throughout the 120-acre horse farm will include creeks, ponds, hay bales and climbing walls.
"Everyone needs to do it," said Elizabeth Orantes, sophomore in sociology pre-law. "Some people are scared because it's a 5K, but it's not that hard. It's more about having fun with your team than racing through the finish."
Orantes said she competed in the Warrior Dash last May.
"My team dressed up in costumes, and by the end of the race we were covered in mud from head to toe," she said.
Gotthelf said he hopes people will dress up for Mud Mania.
"Guys and girls are encouraged to put something crazy together," Gotthelf said.
He said he's seen people participate as Waldo, in tutus and even as a bride and groom.
Orantes will be dressing up and participating with her sorority.
"We are thinking about doing something with neon," Orantes said. "Maybe neon bandanas and neon shorts and socks--just something to help us stand out a lot."
Costumes should be something that can get dirty.
"Because it is a horse farm there are several big horse arenas, and one of those big arenas we are going to flood and make it the biggest mud pit, mud crawl you've ever seen," Gotthelf said. "We wanted to make sure there are enough obstacles on this course to make it fun and to make it something you remember."
Registration for the event is $40, which includes a T-shirt and other goodies.
"Each racer will receive a race bag, compliments of Big Dog racing, and we're hoping to stuff as many coupons and free stuff as we can from our sponsors so that the racers have something to go home with," Gotthelf said. "You get the T-shirt, you get a lot of pictures, you get the memories from it."
For the Greek community, another incentive may be the Greek challenge open to fraternity and sorority teams of 25 members or more. The fraternity and sorority with the fastest average finishing times will be given $500 for their philanthropies, Gotthelf said.
Marino said they are also hoping to attract groups from the surrounding areas, like Atlanta, Birmingham and Montgomery.
Not one to miss out, Marino and other event coordinators are also planning to compete.
"My biggest challenge is going to be the creek run crawl out," Marino said. "I can run through the creek, I just don't know that I'm going to get myself out of it."
For people who want to stay mud-free but still have a good time, there will be a spectator area. Spectator tickets cost $10. Live bands will be playing, and Momma Goldberg's will sell food.
Gotthelf said spectators will be able to see several of the big obstacles, but he had a message for people unsure about participating.
"It's just mud," Gotthelf said. "Some people are like, 'I don't like running. I don't want to get muddy.' It's just mud. We'll have washing stations there. You wash off, you go home and take a shower, you're clean again."
Registration ends Feb. 29.
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