More than a few Manitobans are likely going to spend the weekend cleaning the mud out of their ears.
Nearly 1,200 people ran the Dirty Donkey Mud Run on Saturday at Spring Hill Winter Park, just north of Winnipeg. A fundraiser for the MS Society of Canada, the event has run in Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary. This weekend marks the first time the event has come to Manitoba since its inception five years ago.
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“It’s big in the United States. They’ll often have events that get around 18-thousand people out,” said organizer Jan Cmela.
“We’re one of the first Canadian companies to do it here.”
Hundreds of participants set out on the 5 kilometer trek on and around Spring Hill. It’s classified as ‘adventure racing’, with a combination of trail running with unique obstacles including ‘The Monkey Ramp’, ‘Teeter Totter Topple’ and a lot of mud.
Even experienced runners said it was no walk in the park.
“I run track and field and cross country and I thought, how hard could it be?” said racer Joel Vankoughnet, “It was unlike anything I’ve ever run before. I’ve done marathon relays and stuff but that’s like, the longest 5 kilometers of my life.”
Organizers told Global News there’s a good chance the event will return to Spring Hill in 2013.
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