PORT ANGELES — A mess will be made Saturday and the dirtier and wetter the conditions the better for contestants looking to make a mess at Saturday’s Run-A-Muck obstacle mud run.
Racers will complete a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) course containing 18 muddy obstacles to clamber on, over, and in some cases, through.
Muddy bogs, tunnels, balance beams, concrete pillars, hay bales, giant tires and a 100-foot-long water slide are all in the mix for Saturday’s slip and slide through the slop.
Gates open at 10 a.m., races begin at 11 a.m., and heats run on the hour until 2 p.m. at Extreme Sports Park, 2917 W. Edgewood Drive, southwest of William R. Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles.
“It’s going to be a 5K at least, organizer Stephanie Hyatt said Wednesday. “The course will probably end up being a little bit of a longer distance than that with all of the obstacles.”
Participants will begin the event with a splash.
“They will start out by running straight into the water during the Boat Launch Plunge,” Hyatt said.
“The event is held at ESP where they have the sprint boat race, so we are going to take advantage of the layout.”
Hyatt said there are some challenging walls to climb, some catwalk leaps into water and giant tractor tires to traverse.
And plenty of mud.
“There are a bunch of mud pits where they have the choice to crawl through or go over,” Hyatt said.
Hyatt said she’s looking forward to watching people travel down the slide.
“It’s about 100 feet long,” Hyatt said.
Dogs and their owners can run in the final heat at 2 p.m.
Obstacles weren’t built specifically for the pooches, but there is a gift provided.
“We have little bandanas for the dogs,” Hyatt said.
And there will be a Kids Zone for children ages 10 and younger.
“We will supply some mud and some toys,” Hyatt said. “We will have some super soakers out there so they can soak each other.”
A food truck will offer wares from Coyote BBQ Pub and a beer truck from Bar Hop Brewing will be on hand to quench thirst.
A DJ also will provide music to get runners ready to roll near the starting line.
Registration is $10 for kids age 9 and under, $30 for kids ages 10-13 and $45 for adults.
To sign up, visit https://secure.getmeregistered.com/get_information.php?event_id=132803.
Proceeds from the event benefit Pennies for Quarters, a nonprofit working to build a tiny home community for homeless veterans in Port Angeles.
“We are at the stage where we have purchased land and we know what we want to build,” Hyatt said.
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Sports reporter Michael Carman can be contacted at 360-417-3525 or mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.