America’s Toughest Mudder is our unique event for Mudders insane enough to push themselves beyond anything they’ve ever experienced. This 8-hour endurance challenge starts at 12:00am midnight and ends at 8:00am. The goal is to complete as many 5-mile loops as possible- half and quarter loops don’t count. But while this event is a race, camaraderie is ever present on the course. So far in 2017, five out of six Toughest Mudders have been completed with the last taking place in Chicago, IL on August 26 of this year.

Television station CBS has been there to capture all of the awesome badassery of the Toughest Mudders and has put together 1-hour episodes dedicated to each of the six Toughest Mudders, which will air on CBS starting July 22. See the world’s top obstacle course racing athletes such as previous World’s Toughest Mudder winners Ryan Atkins, Trevor Cichosz, and Stefanie Bishop compete for $5,000 in prize money per race plus a $10,000 bonus for the fastest three Toughest Mudder times.

For those that want to take it their toughness one step further, the Toughest Mudder can qualify you for the Contender Category at World’s Toughest Mudder. Contenders receive a 25-mile Toughest Mudder patch, premium pit location, front start position, and eligibility for cash prizing at WTM.

The seventh installment of World’s Toughest Mudder, a grueling, pulse-pounding,  24-hour endurance event, will take place on November 11-12, 2017 from Lake Las Vegas, NV. On December 23, a 1-hour World’s Toughest Mudder TV show will air on CBS.  

Read on to find out what to expect from each of these action-packed TV shows.

Get official Toughest Mudder results.

EPISODE 1: TOUGHEST MUDDER WEST

Location: Glen Helen Raceway in Los Angeles, CA 

Race Date: March 29, 2017 

The first-ever America’s Toughest Mudder saw 3-time World’s Toughest Mudder winner Ryan Atkins make a late push to pass 2015 World’s Toughest Mudder winner Chad Trammell for the win. Atkins logged 50 miles in 8 hours taking home both the $5,000 prize and another $5,000 bonus for reaching the 50-mile mark. Lindsay Webster, who completed 18 hours at WTM in 2016 and is married to Atkins, won the women’s $5,000 prize after a back and forth with second place finisher Allison Tai and third place finisher Sara Knight. 

Official Toughest Mudder West Race Recap 

Tune into CBS on: July 22, 2017 at 4:00pm EST. 

EPISODE 2: TOUGHEST MUDDER SOUTH

Location: Bouckeart Farms, Atlanta, GA

Race Date: April 29, 2017

The dynamic duo of Atkins and Webster went on to win another $5,000 a piece finishing America’s Toughest Mudder first in their respective categories. Atkins earned another $5,000 bonus for conquering 50 miles of the course in what was a “brutal” Mud Mile 2.0, according to Atkins. Participants had a tough time trudging through deep, slippery mud, even Atkins finished a few minutes slower than he did during Toughest Mudder West.

Official Toughest Mudder South Race Recap 

Tune in to CBS on: July 30, 2017 at 1pm EST

EPISODE 3: TOUGHEST MUDDER NORTHEAST

Location: Plantation Field, Coatesville, PA

Race Date: May 21, 2017

Thanks to the cool coastal climate, Toughest Mudder Northeast was a wet, icy, and grip-strength heavy course. 2016 World’s Toughest Mudder champion Trevor Cichosz dominated the cold course and won the $5,000 1st place prize, completing 40 miles in 7 hours and 33 minutes. Allison Tai won the women’s division and $5,00 prize with a time even faster than Cichosz at 7 hours and 19 minutes. Previous winners Ryan Atkins and Lindsay did not compete in this race, making the event as wide open as possible for potential winners.

Official Toughest Mudder Northeast Recap

Tune into CBS on: August 19, 2017 at 2pm EST

EPISODE 4: TOUGHEST MUDDER MIDWEST

Location: Rockford International Airport, Rockford, IL 

Race Date: August 26, 2017

The final America’s Toughest Mudder will go down less than three months before World’s Toughest Mudder. The results of this race will determine who earns the coveted ranking of the Toughest Mudder season leader. The man who woman accumulated the most Toughest Mudder miles, from their top 3 Toughest performances throughout the year, win the $10,000 bonus prize. Even if Atkins and Webster do compete in this race, it’s quite possible that other Mudders will win this race and sneak past them in the total mileage ranking to win the $10,000 bonus. “Plus, if you’ve got your eye on the money and want to qualify for the Contender category at WTM, all you have to do is show up to Toughest Mudder Midwest and log 25 miles.” 

Register for Toughest Mudder Midwest

Tune into CBS on: October 28, 2017 at 2pm EST

EPISODE 5: WORLD’S TOUGHEST MUDDER

Location: Lake Las Vegas, NV

Race Date: November 11-12, 2017

The culmination of the Tough Mudder season is World’s Toughest Mudder. In addition to laying eyes on out of this world (see what we did there?) obstacles that’ll be found on course at 2018 Tough Mudder events, you’ll also be seeing all the big names in OCR. First place individual winners of the 24-hour obstacle course race receive $10,000 while winning teams split $10,000 between their members. New for 2017 are two-person teams and a four-person national teams, which allow duo’s and quad’s to register to represent their country. Find out how everything plays out during Toughest Event on the Planet by tuning into CBS. 

Register for the World’s Toughest Mudder

Tune into CBS on: December 23, 2017 at 12pm EST

The average 5K is completed in 30 minutes. The average marathon is completed in 4 hours and 30 minutes. The average Ironman is completed in 12 hours and 30 minutes. Think about that. And then think about 24 hours on the Toughest Obstacle Course On The Planet. Welcome to World’s Toughest Mudder, where 24 hours isn’t just the average completion time, it’s the only completion time.

World’s Toughest Mudder was designed to give the world’s most hardcore OCR athletes the opportunity to display their competitive spirit in a non-stop 24 hour battle of grit and willpower. It’s where Mudder Nation and OCR-fanatics push their physical strength and mental toughness beyond their limits. Oh, and as a bonus, they’re also the the first to test *potential* new 2018 obstacle innovations.

This year we’re serving up more ways than ever to get in on the challenge of a lifetime no matter where you are. So whether or not you’re making the trip to Las Vegas, being a part of the World’s Toughest Mudder action has never been easier.

Here’s how to tune in to #WTM 2017 without stepping foot on the desert sands of Lake Las Vegas.

3 Unique Show, 14 Hours of Coverage on Facebook Live

1. World’s Toughest Mudder Day 1 Kick Off (6 hours): Saturday 11/11, 11am PST to 5pm PST (2pm EST to 8pm EST) 

2. World’s Toughest Mudder Midnight Special (1 hour): Sunday 11/12, 12am PST to 1am PST (3am to 4am EST)

3. World’s Toughest Mudder Day 2 Finish (7 hours): Sunday 11/12: 7am PST to 2pm PST (10am to 5pm EST)

Follow the Tough Mudder LIVE Facebook Show Page for 14 hours of sports programming featuring OCR experts in the box and Hunter McIntyre on the sidelines. We’ll embed the livestream here too, to make it even easier to find.

Behind The Scenes Social Coverage

When: Live social coverage will kick off on Friday, November 10 and run through Sunday, November 14.

Follow along on our Instagram story and Snapchat for behind the scenes footage. And keep your Twitter feed open for 24+ hours of race updates from the race center.

Top Athletes to Watch

This year it’s going to be an epic battle of grit and toughness between the top 5 women’s and men’s competitors.

Women To Watch

This year the 2016 World’s Toughest Mudder Champion Stef Bishop will be fighting to hole onto her 2016 title of World’s Toughest Mudder. But just because they’re newer to the OCR scene doesn’t mean they can be discounted: the 2016 World’s Toughest Mudder Runner-Up Suzanne Kraus, American’s Toughest Mudder Midwest & Northeast first-place finisher Allison Tai, and American’s Toughest Mudder South & West first-place finisher Lindsey Webster, are all serious contenders. More *formally* meet the 5 female Mudder’s who’ll be fighting each other for podium spots at WTM 2017.

Men To Watch

This year 5 of the Toughest Men On The Planet will have Mudder Nation wondering: What happens when 2016 WTM team champions put their toughness to the test by racing as individuals? And who’ll come out on top when the 2015 and 2016 WTM Champ go head-to-head?

With 2016 WTM team champion Jonathan Albon and Ryan Atkins going up against the 2015 and 2016 individual WTM podium holders Chad Trammell and Trevor Cichosz, and the 2016 runner-up Austin Azar coming back tougher than ever, WTM will show just what happens when OCR athletes are pushed past their limits. Study up on the toughest men.

Adaptive Athletes To Watch

This year the first paraplegic athletes (that’s right, plural) are taking on the mud.  Mudder Nation, meet Superman and Jessie.

Tyson, aka “Superman”, is a 33 year old is a paraplegic athlete from Woodland, California. He’s a true Legionnaire with 10 Tough Mudder Full’s under his belt. And this year he’s been training every single day with his team to prepare for WTM  2017. With a goal of completing 25 miles with his team and Coach, he will be one of the first paraplegic athlete to attempt this grueling race. Watch his story.

Jessie might have just started obstacle course racing this year, but she’s ready to tackle the mud with her mighty mud-lovin’ team and ERock.

Top Teams To Watch

This year Team Rubicon, the official US Charity of Tough Mudder, has 5 teams competing with grit and glory at World’s Toughest Mudder to raise money for their cause and spread the awareness of Team Rubicon’s efforts. Facing natural disaster, Team Rubicon gives a whole new meaning to “Tougher Together”, and this year you’ll do the same at World’s. Meet the Team Rubicon veterans who’ll be proving their badassery and selflessness in the mud. Plus, you can donate while you watch from home.

And in case you haven’t heard,  this year, in addition to the tried-and-true solo and team categories at WTM, we’re creating a new layer of competition…Enter the National Team Relay Category. This format promises to pit teams of 4 (or more) from nations across the world against each other in a fast-paced, strategic 24-hour test of toughness.  Relay teams will be required to run their first and last laps together as a team, and at all other times at least 50% of the team must be active. But the strategy the nation uses is up to them. With 9 National Teams competing, it’s sure to be a tight race. Study up on the team’s strengths, stats, and experience before wagering your bets, Mudder Nation.

Track the Athletes

Have a sweet spot for certain athletes and teams? Track your fave athletes in real time.

World’s Toughest Mudder Special on CBS

Mark your calendars to tune into CBS Sports’ coverage of World’s Toughest Mudder 2017 airing on 12/23 at 12:00pmEST only on CBS. It’ll be an epic 1-hour show down that’ll have you asking, are they even human? There’s never a bad time to relive the magic. (And when you get hooked on Tough Mudder TV the way we know you will, check out all our other shows.)

More WTM Info

Get more details if you’re still wondering what the heck World’s Toughest Mudder is all about.

The night had finally come for the first Toughest Mudder of the season: Toughest Mudder South. With every race comes a level of uncertainty and anxiety that consumes every competitor, regardless of mileage goal. On paper, the course didn’t look like it’d be a killer, with approximately 500 feet of elevation gain per 5 mile loop. But I knew there’d likely be a curveball that could put my high-mileage goals in doubt.

As everyone arrived at the Tough Mudder village, the energy was palpable. Friendly and familiar faces in the Tough Mudder community arrived, including World’s Toughest Podcast Host Will Hicks and Overcome and Run hosts Jay and Heather Bode. Having arrived in Texas just a few hours before the race, I was a little underprepared—and grateful that Merrell ambassador Mirna Valerio agreed to pit crew and support me throughout the night. As every racer knows, a good support crew can make or break a competitor’s event.

I unpacked my gear, filling up my water bottles and laying out the food and supplies I’d need for the night’s escapades. The weather was slightly cool, and I tried to gauge the conditions. I had an important decision to make: “To wetsuit or not to wetsuit…” After looking at the weather forecast I opted for no wetsuit. Long compression pants and shirt seemed like the perfect compromise.

At the starting line Sean Corvelle gave his inspiring speech. A moment of silence brought life back into perspective—this is just a race, and there is so much more to life. Tough Mudder is just a catalyst to help others be their very best and make the most out of our time on earth. Next came the not-so-serious Coach T. Mud who got us ready to go and brought the supple hips all night long.

Three…2…1… and we were off. The sprint lap was relatively obstacle free, but we could see that the course was an obstacle in and of itself. We immediately hit muddy, technical terrain. For most of the course, it felt less like running and more like trying not to fall in the mud. I kept thinking, “Don’t break an ankle, don’t break an ankle, don’t break an ankle.” There were very few places to open up our stride and drop the hammer, making it a much slower course than anticipated. We dodged through single track filled with multiple roots, logs, and hanging branches that punished anyone who wasn’t paying attention—or who had lost their headlamp. (Wishing a speedy recovery to Shelby Lee, who broke her fibula after losing her headlamp on lap 2.)

The field went out fast during the sprint lap and while there was one official creek crossing on the course map, there were additional sections of deep water that slowed down the pace. The field spread out as the obstacles slowly began to open up.

The obstacles were as challenging as the terrain, both mentally and physically. Cage Crawl tested everyone’s mental strengths. Third place finisher Brian Gowiski even admitted to being intimidated by this obstacle before the race. The constant water obstacles made “Just the Tip” extremely difficult, and only a handful of people completed it all night. Funky Monkey was just as wet and slippery, making it an obstacle with a high failure rate. Rope a Dope and Kong-Infinity, two obstacles from World’s Toughest Mudder, challenged the grip strength of all competitors.

Toughest Mudder is a competition, but the principles of teamwork and camaraderie are still woven throughout the event—and teamwork was most evident on Everest, which was slippery and more difficult than in previous years. Fellow Mudder Shawn Michael Meyers was committed to helping people all night long. He sat on top of Everest from 2 am through the entire event to help competitors up the challenging obstacle. He helped me throughout the night, and I knew that I owed it to everyone else to return the favor to the next competitor up. That’s what Tough Mudder is all about.

The final obstacle, Happy Ending, is new to the Toughest Mudder series—but it may not have been the happiest ending to my race. I woke up the next morning with a bruise on my tailbone, wondering what could have caused that. It must have been that Happy Ending…. 

The Men’s Race

The men’s race opened up from the beginning as Ryan Atkins and Shaun Stephens-Whales set the pace early. Brian Gowiski challenged them during the early laps but was unable to keep pace. I fell in the pack behind those three, as Robert Wiltshire, Matt Lister, and myself continued to battle for a top 5 spot. During the first four laps, Atkins was challenged by Stephens-Whale, but gapped the field and ran into a comfortable lead. The 4th through 6th spots remained a close race, although I had no idea at the time. I wasn’t getting splits throughout the race, only to find out that Wiltshire ended up finishing in 4th, less than a minute in front of me. Lister finished in 6th for the men, continuing his strong performances from last year’s Toughest Mudder Chicago.  

The Women’s Race

The women’s race proved to be much closer. Rea Kolbl, Allison Tai, and Lindsay Webster challenged each other throughout the 8-hour race. Webster and Kolbl traded the lead during the early stages, pushing the pace for all of the women. Tai remained consistent throughout the entire race and eventually pushed past Webster to take hold of 2nd place. With only one lap to go, Tai pulled within 2 minutes of Kolbl, putting on the pressure. Kolbl pressed on knowing that she couldn’t slip up and ended up winning with only minutes to spare. Tai kept the race close the entire time and ended up bringing home 2nd place, while Webster finished in 3rd. New to the Toughest Series but not to obstacle course racing, Alex Walker pulled off a gutsy 4th place finish, running half of the race with a few broken toes. Margaret Kaderli and Adriane Alvord fought for 5th place, with Kaderli edging out the final spot for Elite Contender Status for World’s Toughest Mudder.

Overall this was a very difficult race, as the course proved to be an obstacle in and of itself. Many people, including myself, had to change our pre-race goals in order to accommodate for the mud and water. While we have been lucky with the runnable Las Vegas course at WTM the past few years, perhaps this race is a preview into the mud and condition of WTM 2018 in Atlanta. Only time will tell.

Thanks to everyone who came out, supported, raced, and made this a fun experience. Here are a few “awards” I want to shout out. Feel free to add your favorite moment from the race in the comments!

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Award: Shawn Michael Meyers
For spending hours on top of Everest Helping People Up

Most Ridiculous Post Race Attire Award: Joel Forsyth
For his MEC Belly Button Jacket

Never Getting Hit by a Car at Night Award: John Jae Woo Lee
For his insanely bright and reflective jacket that blinded anyone whose headlight got too close.

Name on a Bib Causing me the Most Confusion: Miller (Possibly Launce, David, Charles, Nick)
I could have sworn I just passed Miller… I need to get some sleep

Tough Mudder X presented by Kill Cliff is the most insane race around, created to disrupt the sports industry. This is the ultimate race to determine the fittest, fastest athletes in the world. This pulse-pounding competition pits the world’s elite athletes against a one-mile course built to put speed, agility, and strength to the test with world-class obstacles and challenging workouts. Tough Mudder X will push good to great, better to best, and The Toughest Athletes on the Planet beyond their limits. This season, on June 8th, we’re headed to Virginia with a brand new batch of epic – Tough Mudder X World Championship. Airing exclusively on CBS Sports in Summer 2018, this electrifying race is the culmination of the Tough Mudder X Open season, and The Coolest F*cking Thing You’ve Ever Seen. Tough Mudder X Open is the proving ground – Tough Mudder X World Championship separates the good from the truly elite in every athletic discipline imaginable – OCR, CrossFit, American Ninja Warrior, and many more – and crowns ultimate winners in the men’s and women’s categories, along with a cool $25,000 to both.

Jason Lechner started running Tough Mudder in 2012, and has been addicted to it ever since. Since 2012 he has run numerous West Coast events, culminating with last year’s effort (around his 40th birthday) to run 6 events and collected his first Holy Grail. Lechner was a close friend of Jennifer Golick, and is proud to run in her memory at Tough Mudder Sacramento.

I’ve never written a blog post before.  Making my first attempt under these circumstances probably won’t make it any easier.  However, since Jennifer was killed, I haven’t really been able to cry. I want to, but I can’t.  My wife wants me to. Being the incredible therapist that she was, Jennifer would want me to let it out so that I could heal.  Since I’m probably going to break down while writing this, I guess she’d be happy.

I met Jennifer Golick a few years ago, while she was the Clinical Director of an adolescent drug treatment center for teenage boys.  I was asked to join her for some lectures at a local high school, educating the students on drug and alcohol issues, and we hit it off immediately.  Soon after, Jennifer hired me to come and work at that treatment center, and being the only two therapists on staff, we quickly became one another’s right and left hand.  Jennifer was GOOD at her job. Beyond good. A clinic full of teenage boys will put you to the test constantly, and there wasn’t a situation that came at her that she didn’t handle with grace.  Working by her side, I felt like I had to step up my own game to keep up. Not even kidding, I used to Google the definition of certain words under the table in our staff meetings just to try to follow what she was saying – she had a thing for “dollar words”.  Jennifer was invited around the country to speak on issues of teen drug abuse, and a host of other subjects. Sometimes, she would accept an invite to go lecture on a subject even when it was something she felt she didn’t know very well, but by the time the lecture came around she’d knock it out of the park and people would be begging her to come speak again.  Eventually, our career paths took us in different directions, but the friendship we had forged stayed strong.

Jennifer came to Tough Mudder through the event of my 40th birthday.  While she had gotten involved in running events in recent years – 5ks, 10ks, half marathons – she had always looked at me like I was crazy when it came to Tough Mudder.  Mudder always comes to Northern California on my birthday weekend, so for my 40th I decided that I was going to run the whole weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and Jennifer was one of the lucky friends that I dragged along with me.  And when she got on the course in Sacramento, as Tahoe had been relocated, she learned why Mudder means so much to some of us. Enough so that despite intending to only join our group for Saturday’s run, she paid full price Sunday morning to go and do it again, bruised and sore from the day before.

Everyone has “their obstacle”.  Maybe it’s Arctic Enema, or Electroshock, or whatever strikes a nerve for you.  For Jennifer, that obstacle was Balls to the Wall. I don’t really know what it was about that obstacle – though she was afraid of heights – but she knew going into the course that it awaited her.  A few of our group, myself included, went over first. I stood and watched from the far side as Jennifer climbed Balls to the Wall. She got to the top, and she froze. I don’t know what happened inside her, but I saw that something was wrong and that she was too scared to move.  I raced up the backside of the wall and got my arms around her. I don’t remember what I said, or if she said anything, but I stayed up there with her until finally she got herself over the wall and down the other side. She got a few steps away from the wall, fell to her knees, and cried.  And we huddled up as a team, and we held her in our arms until she was ready to continue. I’ll never know exactly what that was for her, but it was clear after that moment that something had fundamentally shifted for her.

And the very next day, she crushed that same obstacle.  A new Mudder was born.

I have always hated the adjective “fierce”.  “That’s fierce”, or “she’s fierce”. It has always sounded ridiculous to me.  Until now.

Dr. Jennifer Golick was FIERCE. She loved fiercely – her family, her friends, and everyone she met.  

Some of you know that because after a few online words in a Community page you felt like you had a new best friend.  She loved her work and the people that she helped fiercely. She would never give up on anyone, as hard as the case may have been (myself included).  She could engage you on any level, fiercely, whether it was discussing neurobiology or rapping Tupac lyrics. She was raising her daughter, Makena, to be as fierce and as fearless as she was.  The woman who “hated” running was now running all the time, out every Sunday with her Great Dane named Hambone even in 30-degree Napa mornings, training CrossFit 3 days a week, with a personal trainer on her off day, and maybe resting one day a week.  Fierce. She did two Tough Mudders last year, back to back as her introduction, and by this year she was signed up for four Mudders and Toughest South, devouring every article or training tip on Amelia Boone, Lindsay Webster, or Rea Kolbl with the same intensity with which she obtained her Doctorate.  Fierce. If anyone deserves that word, it is Jennifer.

My wife and I were with Jennifer and her husband Marc in Scottsdale, Arizona two weeks ago for The Giant Race hosted by the San Francisco Giants – baseball and the Giants another thing she was fierce about.  Jennifer and I ran a similar pace, so we were close to each other the first mile or two of our 10k. I was nursing a bad knee, and was taking it easy, and I started walking. She stopped and asked if I was okay, and I said, “I’m fine.  Don’t wait for me. Go and run.” I knew she wanted to, and she went on to set a new PR for herself that day.

Now, I wish I hadn’t said that.  I wish I would’ve said, “Walk with me.”  I wish I had gone as slowly as I could, so I could have had as much time with her as possible, not knowing that was going to be the last time we’d ever be out there together.  And now, about 10 days out from Sacramento Mudder, we must run without her. I ran World’s Toughest Mudder for the first time last November, and I was less scared of that than I am of our team being in Sacramento without her.  But we will be there, as a team and as a family. We will face that fear with the same fierceness that Jennifer would have brought to it herself, because she’d expect nothing less of us. Of any of us. So, whether you knew her or not, take her spirit with you in whatever you do, and don’t ever let your obstacles stand in your way – on course, in love, and in life.

Jennifer – I cried. A lot. And my hands shook so bad it was hard to type. I miss you. I’m a better person because of you.

There is a fundraiser to support Jennifer’s 8 year old daughter and loving husband of 18 years.  

All donations for this incredible woman will be used for her memory.

If you’ve been going back and forth as to whether or not a Tough Mudder Half will be worth it, read on. Aspects of the Tough Mudder Full are kept (and ditched) for good reason, making the Tough Mudder Half an event that you can definitely handle.

1. You Don’t Have To Face The Ice – Or Get Zapped

The Half cuts a few of the more terrifying obstacles out – Arctic Enema and Electroshock Therapy, specifically. If the thought of an ice cold bath has you running in the opposite direction, away from the finish line, then the Half might be more your speed. Avoiding the 10,000 volts of electricity does sound pretty ideal. But don’t worry, you’ll still have a full-fledged challenge ahead of you; the 13 obstacles will still shock you in their own way.

2. Your Squad Can Come

Teammates help to separate Tough Mudder from other, run-of-the-mill races. You’ll improve your personal best and push yourself even harder when your friends have your back. Whether it’s pulling each other over The Block Ness Monster or cheering each other on through the mud, it’s more likely that you’ll pull better numbers when recruiting for a Half. 10 miles is a lot for your soon-to-be-Mudded friends to stomach, so maybe five will be more their speed.

3. The Mess Makes It Worth It

Half a course doesn’t mean any less mud. Shyness, insecurity, and fear all give way to your all-out, down and dirty event. Something about getting covered in mud throws all other reservations out the window, making Tough Mudder undeniably memorable.

4. You’ll Kickstart A Healthy Hobby

People spend their time doing a lot of dumb, unproductive stuff. Training and mastering Tough Mudder courses, on the other hand, is a healthy addiction to have. Obsessing over new obstacles, scouting out the newest race locations, and converting more friends into Tough Mudder-believers is a better use for your time than binge-watching Netflix and ordering Seamless.

5. The Finish-Line Beer (Plus Other Free Swag)

In both the Half and the Full, finishers get to take a few gifts home. In addition to the Tough Mudder headband and shirt (because, you know, bragging rights), you’ll get an ice cold beer to sip through muddy, sweaty lips. Yum.

6. It’s The Best Way To Train For A Tough Mudder Full

If you’ve got your sights set on a Full, and the 5K seems like child’s play, then the Half should obviously make its way into your training plan. It’ll give you a leg up on some of the obstacles, so that when the Full comes, you’ll have the other stuff mastered.

So what are you waiting for? Find your event and get training.

Lace up your Merrells and grab some SPF 30+ because Tough Mudder 5K is bringing you a new breed of fun-run. Nestled in one of Nashville’s most iconic downtown venues, this  first-of-its-kind event will bring you 3 wild miles and 10 fun-filled obstacles. Tough Mudder die-hards will recognize obstacle-faves like Pyramid Scheme, Ape Shit, and Bump & Grind as they tackle the course with their crew.

When we found out Ironman finisher and Season 11 winner of The Bachelorette, Shawn Booth, is planning to travel back to his hometown to take the field of thousands at Nissan Stadium on August 12 for the inaugural Tough Mudder 5K, we had to get details.

Q: You’re a fit guy who has done 5Ks before, but the Tough Mudder version is going to be filled with obstacles. What do you think  makes this event stand out in the 5K space?

A: “This is definitely my style for a 5K. I can get bored pretty easily, because I’m not a person who enjoys running long distances. I started training for the Lake Placid NY IRONMAN this year , and I am starting to enjoy the running side of training a little more – but I really enjoy being able to do something that involves endurance and strength. My whole life, I grew up playing every sport you can think of, so everybody is shocked when I say I don’t like running. But I like running if I’m chasing a soccer ball. I like running if I’m playing basketball, and I’ll (really) like running if I’m going through an obstacle course. This event is more exciting and gives people a cool way to show off their physical strengths.”

Q: How has your preparation for this 5K been different from your IRONMAN training?

A: “After training for and finishing the IRONMAN, I’ll have the endurance side of things nailed down pretty well for this Tough Mudder event. Now that I’ve finished the IRONMAN, I have more time to focus on strength-training and weightlifting, which will be helpful for obstacles like The Hangover or Ape Shit.”

(You don’t really need to train for Tough Mudder 5K like Shawn, but if you’re also looking for that extra leg up, we’ve got your back. Download our free Tough Mudder 5K training guide and get course-ready.)

Q: You’ll certainly need some of that upper-body strength on the course. What will your strategy be with some of the signature Tough Mudder obstacles which you’ll encounter throughout the 5K?

A: “I’ve definitely YouTube’d some of the signature TM obstacles. I’m most looking forward to Everest and the Pyramid Scheme– you’ve got everyone just climbing all over each other, it’s pretty wild. Everest looks especially nuts–  it’s tall, slick, and rounded, so you can’t get a good grip. I used to joke with my fiancée that I after I completed an IRONMAN I wanted to climb Mount Everest. This will be a good first step in that direction – trying to climb the Tough Mudder Everest first.”

Q: What type of advice, training tips would you give to the participants competing in the 5K?

A: “The number one thing to keep in mind is having fun with it. This event is for everybody, so just get out, get moving, and try to set little goals for yourself along the way. That’s what I always tell my clients who are looking to get training or get into fitness: set goals. Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly try to  set cardio and weightlifting goals. But for the 5K, I’d start strategizing and finding  a good crew  who can help you get through the course, because it’s all about teamwork.”

Q: What’s the post-workout meal that you always crave?

A: “After I finish  a longer workout like the 5K, I usually cheat a little bit and go off my everyday dieting. I’ll probably have something high in carbs, high in calories, and filled with some good fat. I’ll probably grab myself a nice burger after the event. You’re allowed to cheat every once in a while as long as you work for it.”

Q: Are you going to partake in the Tough Mudder tradition of a celebratory beer at the end of the event?

A: “I might have to. I’ve cut back my drinking by about 98 percent because of the training for the IRONMAN, but I’ll probably indulge in a nice, cold beverage as soon as it’s over.”

Are you ready to experience the inaugural Tough Mudder 5K?  Sign up HERE.

Latest Update made: Saturday, March 3rd, 12:25 pm

LA Mudders

Despite the significant efforts from the entire TMHQ crew over the last 18 hours, and as a result of the unsafe conditions onsite caused by the weather in the last few days, TMHQ has to cancel the entire event weekend (March 3 & 4, 2018).

The safety of the community is always our paramount concern. Because of the heavy rains and mudslides, our medical personnel would have lacked access to much of the course, which would have been unsafe for participants, spectators, volunteers, and medical staff. We are very disappointed by this situation and understand it may cause frustration for many but we will never compromise when it comes to your safety and our ability to provide you the best Tough Mudder experience possible.

In light of this, we want to provide you with a number of options:

Option 1: You can transfer yourself to another event – instructions here. If you are charged a difference, let us know ([email protected]) and we will adjust your order.  Please be sure to transfer to the same brand as your current registration.

Option 2: Or you can respond to this email ([email protected]) and let us know you’d like to transfer.  You can transfer your ticket for free to a future Tough Mudder event (transfers are valid to the same brand as your current registration; check out toughmudder.com/events for the full calendar). Please allow 7-10 business days for the transfer to be completed. Nearby events include:

Sacramento – Saturday, March 24, 2018
NorCal – October 6 & 7, 2018
Las Vegas – October 20 & 21, 2018
SoCal – November 3 & 4, 2018
Los Angeles – 2019 (Date & Venue TBD)

NOTE: If you transfer to another 2018 Tough Mudder event, as a thank you for your patience, we will give you 2 FREE TICKETS to any 2018 Tough Mudder 5K event in North America.

Option 3: If these options aren’t right for you, no problem, we want to work with you to find the best solution. Please respond to this email ([email protected]) and we will figure it out together.

We know that this is not the news that you wanted to receive and we are as disappointed as you to not be able to have this event weekend. However, we will always remain committed to bringing the highest quality events to all members of Mudder Nation in the safest way possible.

Thank you for your understanding and patience and we will continue to work to deliver you the awesome event experience that you deserve.

TMHQ

Tough Mudder joined 30,000 fitness fanatics in the Miami sun over Martin Luther King Weekend at Wodapalooza, an annual Crossfit festival that unofficially kicks off the global Crossfit Games season attracting pro and amateur athletes, and spectators the world over. TMHQ was there showcasing our very own Human Hamster Wheel, an obstacle designed to test your upper body strength and to hold a showdown between World’s Fittest Man Hunter McIntyre and Everyone Else. We also wanted to introduce the Crossfit crew to our new product Tough Mudder X. Tough Mudder X is a one mile sprint combined with workout zones and epic obstacles taking place in Miami and Sacramento leading up to the 2018 Championships in Virginia.

Crossfitters are tough & really into community

There were 1,600 athletes of all ages competing with high energy, sportsmanship, and teamwork – you know how we love teamwork at Tough Mudder. We also loved seeing so many badass women lead the sport.

Crossfitters are super fly

Crossfitters have fly style. For starters, They prefer gymnastics gloves over weightlifting gloves. They favor midriff tops, bright colors and patterns, and for the women, booty shorts. This speaks goes back to the accepting and open-minded nature of this community. Being in Miami  helped bring out the midriff top on everyone. Even our TMHQ events delivery team got into the spirit:

The World’s Fittest Man Hunter McIntyre completed 35 rotations.

He may be the fittest and the fastest, but he’s apparently not the strongest. A dark horse showed up to achieve a whopping 78 rotations. The average contestants did between one and 10 rotations, so rest assured these guys are way impressive. Back to the training ground for us.

Miami is cool (check out our 2018 Miami event)

A little Miami sun never hurt anyone. The venue at Bayfront Park was right on the water in downtown Miami, and at 75 degrees, those of us from TMHQ found it a welcome respite from the winter cold. So did a lot of athletes, giving many Crossfitters a nice training break from winter weather.

It was a blast to meet future Tough Mudder X contenders in the flesh

With 30K people in attendance, we got to rub shoulders with the best in the world. This year featured crowd favorites like Katrín Davíðsdóttir, a 24-year-old named the “fittest woman on Earth” in 2015 and 2016. We got to meet her at the finish line and invited her to Tough Mudder X – if she has the guts.

You want in to probably the biggest and baddest athletic competition on the planet? We double dare you to try Tough Mudder X. You have two opportunities to qualify for Finals in Virginia in June: Sacramento, March 24th and Miami, April 7th. See you there.

Giacomo Gianniotti is always learning.

On-screen, his Grey’s Anatomy character, Dr. Andrew DeLuca, is an intern still grasping at ropes, the ins and outs of the day-to-day life of a surgeon. Off-screen, you could paint Gianniotti as something of an acting resident – becoming a series regular on Grey’s Anatomy has been the biggest role to this point of the Canadian-born actor’s nascent career, so it’s safe to say the 29-year-old Gianniotti is, just like DeLuca, still honing the finer aspects of his profession.

And away from the stage, Gianniotti is doing perhaps the most important learning of his young life – he’s learning how to give. Or, maybe now, preparing for his second charity run at Tough Mudder Half Los Angeles in as many seasons, how best to give.

“Hopefully we can do this every year and learn from it and keep getting better, and make each year a bigger success,” Gianniotti recently told Tough Mudder.

That big – well, bigger – success of which Gianniotti spoke isn’t landing the most prominent role of his career on the perma-popular Grey’s Anatomy, now in its 14th season and showing no signs of stopping, though that’s certainly part of it – it’s the work he’s done and continues to do with My Friend’s Place, a charity which seeks to aid homeless youth in the greater Los Angeles area by providing free meals and a safe place to stay. Through a partnership with Tough Mudder, My Friend’s Place is now set to see a sizable donation for the third season in a row, thanks to Gianniotti’s upcoming run at Tough Mudder Half Los Angeles.

Gianniotti was first introduced to My Friend’s Place and Executive Director Heather Carmichael by friend and Grey’s Anatomy costar, Jerrika Hinton, known to fans as Dr. Stephanie Edwards. What struck Gianniotti as he toured the facility was that My Friend’s Place was, and is, so much more than just a shelter – it’s an incubator for creative minds, for the vital pieces of these children which require nourishment beyond just food and drink.

As an artist, musician, writer, and, of course, actor, Gianniotti cherishes the depth and breadth of what My Friend’s Place offers.“I mean, you have so many different arts programming and workshops, and they have professionals that come in – real working professionals – that dedicate their time to these youths and come in and teach them guitar or how to lace a vocal track or do fashion design or writing or painting or drawing.”

Gianniotti’s giving streak actually extends back to when he was still at home in Toronto, but it wasn’t until he landed his gig on Grey’s that he was truly able to take his charitable giving to the next level, making the sort of impact he always hoped he could.

“I didn’t really have a platform to reach out to people and make people care,” he said. “So having this success has given me this great following and platform on social media that I can use to do good, to get people involved.”

It’s a responsibility that, Giannoti said, he welcomes. “I think it’s a really important part of being an artist, and knowing that to success there is a responsibility to give back, because we’re very fortunate to be in the position we are.”

Last year, the total donated was over $20,000. So, you could say the learning has worked. But it doesn’t stop there. Giannioti didn’t just earn valuable lessons about charitable giving on the Tough Mudder Half course in 2015 – he learned that Tough Mudder can be a great way to bond with your team and, in Gianniotti’s case, coworkers. Considering over 40 of them joined him at Glen Helen Raceway last year, that’s some serious bonding, and some serious Grey’s Anatomy team-building.

“As an actor, working in television, if you’ve ever seen the credits roll after a film or tv show it’s very long, which means there are so many people involved in making it. And we, often, as actors, only interact with 10 percent of those people. So having an opportunity to have an event where I can get all of those other people involved and engaged, not only donating to the cause but coming out as well and running in support and being able to meet those people and sort of foster relationships with them, so it was a really great way to bond with people at work and create friendships that hadn’t existed, hadn’t had the possibility to exist, before.”

This year, Gianniotti’s expecting a more modest number, with 30 or so family, friends, and coworkers slated to join him at Tough Mudder Half Los Angeles.“This year’s exciting because last year I was so focused on the fundraising and I kind of didn’t really know what I was getting myself into,” Gianniotti said, “and it ended up being a really incredible, fun day.”

Tough Mudder Half, though slightly less intense than the original, still boasts 5 miles and 13 obstacles worth of tough team mudding. It won’t be easy for Team My Friend’s Place, though Gianniotti admitted he didn’t make any major alterations to his normal training regimen, something he lovingly refers to as “absolute hell,” which he hates “every minute of.” The boxing, running, and other high-interval cardio training are simply a matter of formality for anyone who makes their living in front of a camera, after all. So, despite all the good he’s doing on the course and off, and the fact that he’s on the verge of becoming a Mudder for the second time, don’t expect Gianniotti to transform into a fitness nut.

Still, don’t be surprised if you see Gianniotti back on the course with his crew in 2019, 2020, and maybe even beyond. Because, despite the pain of training, despite the mud and tough on course, as long as there’s a need for charitable organizations like My Friend’s Place and as long as there’s aid to be offered, there will be people like Gianniotti, working to see that these efforts are kept well-funded, and the lives of the less fortunate are impacted in a real, and tangible way.

As for whether he’d think about making the leap to a Tough Mudder later this season or sometime in the not-too-distant future, Gianniotti said he’d “love to,” adding that his focus remains on this weekend’s event and his My Friend’s Place team. “I feel great. I feel ready.”