MUDDY MATCHMAKING: MEET THESE TOUGH MUDDER POWER COUPLES

Couple mudders showing love on the course

Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching and let us guess… you’re still single? It’s okay, we know how it can be out there in the trenches (no, seriously… have you seen Trench Warfare?).

We know the dating life drill: new apps come out, you swipe left, you swipe right, you go on a date with someone who slightly interests you and… crickets. Damn.

You’re just looking for someone who shares the same common interest of getting out on the weekends and doing tough shit together. Someone who holds your hand running through 10,000 volts of electricity, lifts you up and over Berlin Walls, and spikes your body temperature after being submerged in a 34-degree ice pit. Is that too much to ask for?

The good news is, your muddy match is out there and we have proof (evidence, receipts, timelines – the whole 9 yards 10+ miles). That’s right – we asked four power couples how Tough Mudder has brought them together. Meet…

YVES & JULIA

KARSTEN & STEFFI

MATT & CARISSA

CHARLES & ELIZABETH

HOW DID YOU TWO MEET?

  • Yves and Julia: “We actually met each other from Spartan and were both Spartan Brand Ambassadors. We knew each other and met at several events, but the first event we went together as an official couple was Tough Mudder Berlin in 2023.”
  • Steffi and Karsten: “The first time we met was training for a Tough Mudder!”
  • Matt and Carissa: “Matt and I have been romping through the mud ever since his sister goaded me into doing my first Tough Mudder in 2016.”
  • Elizabeth and Charles: “We met back in 2018 through a mutual friend. I lived in Georgia and Charles lived in Arkansas, 500 miles apart. We met at Tough Mudder Nashville. We were just friends at the time.”

WHAT TYPES OF EVENTS HAVE YOU DONE TOGETHER?

  • Yves and Julia – “All different kinds. Spartans, Tough Mudders… Yves is also a Kryptea.”
  • Steffi and Karsten: “We’ve run multiple Tough Mudders as well as completed both our Holy Grails and Unholy Grails together.”
  • Matt and Carissa: “We have done Tough Mudders all over the U.S. and were able to successfully land 50 before my 50th birthday back in 2021. We also just recently reached our 75th this past December in Central Florida.”
  • Elizabeth and Charles: “We race Tough Mudders and Spartans a lot. He talked me into doing World’s Toughest Mudder in 2022 on the drive home from World’s 2021 when I pit-crewed for him and he hit his goal of 75 miles. He said he would run with me to help me hit my goal of 50 miles and I was able to do it. Now I have completed 2 World’s Toughest Mudders, coming in at 55 miles and ready for my 3rd this year in Central Florida.”

WHY IS TOUGH MUDDER IMPORTANT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP?

  • Yves and Julia: “We both came out of long-term relationships before we got together. Our former partners did not share our passion for OCR and our lifestyle, so we always went alone to the events to meet other like minded people in the OCR community. From Tough Mudders to Spartans, we do everything together. I am actually moving from Germany to live with Yves and his kids in Belgium. We are a Spartan/OCR family and even the kids will join us at several events this year.”
  • Steffi and Karsten: “Overcoming all obstacles together definitely brought us closer together and strengthened our relationship.”
  • Matt and Carissa: “We take the opportunity to do date nights after each event and have made it our weekend escape together often dragging friends along the way. The community has always been so supportive and making friends across Mudder Nation has been one of our favorite parts. Not to mention, he puts up with my chaos and really gets into the fun. Chicago is our home event and often lands on our anniversary weekend. We actually renewed our vows together out on course and ran in wedding garb!”
  • Elizabeth and Charles: “As mentioned earlier, Charles and I were just friends. We used to see each other at different events and sometimes, even race and volunteer together. I ended up being a part of his pit crew at World’s Toughest in 2019. At the time, Charles was married and his wife ended up staying in the tent because she wasn’t feeling well. After the event, his wife became very sick and unfortunately ended up passing away. After that, our friends came together to check in on him when we could. I ended up checking up on him more regularly to make sure he was okay, not even thinking about what would happen. And then one thing led to another and we ended up falling in love. I moved to Arkansas and in March, we’ll have been married for two years.”

Well there you have it Mudder Nation, it is possible to find love out on course, which is even more reason to kick your ass into gear and sign up for your next event. Who knows, maybe your love story will end up here next year… Only one way to find out.