12/31/2002: Mud race
 

http://cellar.org/2002/mudrace.jpg

We've seen the redneck games. We've seen the bog races in Wales. We've seen the punkin chunkin contest in Delaware.

Now we see the annual Maldon Mud Race, in Maldon which is in Essex, England.

It came about in the 70s when a couple of pub regulars looked at the muddy banks of the River Crouch and thought it might be hilarious if someone were forced to serve a meal in the hip-deep mud whilst wearing a tuxedo.

From there, someone decided it would be even more hilarious if there was a race across the mud to drink a pint on the other side of the river and then return.

And pretty soon it was a tradition: every year, the weekend after Christmas, teams would race to cross hundreds of metres of slimy black gunk. It's a charity thing now, raising thousands of pounds.

If you're not one of the first to hit the banks, you're in trouble; insiders say that once the first few people have left their foot-holes in the stuff, the fastest way to move is to crawl. It's apparently a very difficult physical challenge, and extremely cold as well.

But stupidly, the midway pint is no longer a part of the event.

This should be a New Year's event or something here in the states. Can we section off a part of the Mississipi so we can do this?

Why is the man to the left in the picture wearing a purple wig? Thats weird.

This is great!
You Gotta WANT it.
If anyone wants to sponsor me, I will represent the Cellar next year.

Well, I find this incredibly off-putting! I mean, what the hell?! No more alcohol?! What fucking bullshit.

Oh, wait... I thought that there was still the pint at the other side....my motivation is waning. In fact, it is gone.

Wait a minute. These guys are crawling through frigid mud from one side of a river to the other, without even a pint as a reward, and you think that what's weird in this picture is that somebody is wearing a purple wig?

Now if they were smart, they'd use snowshoes. Or put lubricant on their legs to quickly pull out of the mud.

These are people who think it's fun to run 140 meters (70 there, 70 back) in knee deep mud. Somehow I you've got your answer to why they don't.

Quzah.

I wear the purple hair to display my team colours. It is usually the only part of me that does'nt get covered in mud.

I got an email from someone in Maldon who wants to set the record straight: the race is across the River Blackwater, not the River Crouch. Ah well, this is the nice thing about IotD being a thread, a "living" publication: we can update the record. As of 6/12/2003, consider the record updated.

I see that UT posted on this story 8 years ago, time for an update!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-mud-race.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/essex/hi...00/8431869.stm

Can I just point out that one of the comments on the Hate Mail page says, "This is the sort eccentricity I love about our country, and thats why we must not let it all be destroyed by the looney left!"
This has been running since the 70s under Goverments of both flavours with no suggestion of banning.

Good for them anyway (the competitors I mean). My sis was the first woman across the line in the local Santa Run. Colour me impressed. I'd like to suggest the Iron Man comp to her (shown in prev IOTDs), but I'm not sure I could cope with that degree of impressed with someone who doesn't really like me.

Short video of this year's race, held yesterday (Dec 27 2009.)

That is some nasty cardio there!!!