Canada’s Toughest Mudder wrapped up at 8 a.m. this past Sunday morning, June 18th, following 8 hours of cold temperatures, thick mud, rain, and lots of Mudder camaraderie. The 5-mile loop course had Mudders covering 17 obstacles, including Toughest Mudder repeats like Funky Monkey The Revolution, Augustus Gloop, Blockness Monster, and Kong, resulting in a heavy water and grip strength-based course. A surprise 5 a.m. announcement opened a 140-meter vertical ski jump that Mudders were challenged to run up at the start of each loop. Ultimately, Canadian-duo Ryan Atkins and Lindsay Webster came out on top, each taking home the $5,000 cash prize for first place in their fields with 45 miles and 35 miles completed respectively.
The Course
Canada’s Toughest Mudder, held at Whistler Olympic Park (home of the 2010 Winter Olympics) was expected to be cold, but most Mudders didn’t expect snow to still be visible around the course. Temperatures stayed in the low to mid-40s overnight, with water-obstacles like the claustrophobia-inducing Augustus Gloop, frigid Arctic Enema: The Rebirth, and chilly Blockness Monster making wetsuits a necessity. The surprise ski jump run, opened at five hours into the race, forced Mudders to make a solid run for the top to avoid a long slide down. Everest 2.0 was made tougher due to the light rain, creating slippery conditions.
The Women’s Race
Reigning women’s Toughest Mudder event series Lindsay Webster made another strong push for first place female and tenth overall at Toughest Mudder Whistler, completing 35 miles in 7 hours, 39 minutes. The race was close, however, with fellow-Canadian Michelle Ford, who, despite battling stomach issues, came in just ten minutes behind Webster. Third-place went to Allison Tai who, despite recent surgery, completed 35 miles in 7 hours, 54 minutes. Kc Northup finished 30 miles 7 hours, 12 minutes, good for fourth-place, with Stefanie Bishop three minutes behind. Notable Mudder Sara Knight finished 13th.
The Men’s Race
Canada’s Toughest Mudder was more of a runaway on the men’s side, with Ryan Atkins completing 45 miles in 8 hours, 11 minutes, just under 30 minutes ahead of Robert Killian. British Columbia-native Shaun Stephens-Whale, who recently completed the 1,776 steps of the CN Tower in 9 minutes, 54 seconds in April during the WWF’s CN Tower Climb for Nature, completed 40 miles in 7 hours, 26 minutes. Fourth-place Matthew Hanson and fifth-place Austin Azar finished together in 7 hours, 53 minutes with 40 miles each. Trevor Cichosz placed 6th, behind Azar, while Kris Mendoza came in 8th.
