Here's mud in your eye

Joe Laiman (30) and Steven Marshall (27) battle their way through one of the obstacles.
Joe Laiman (30) and Steven Marshall (27) battle their way through one of the obstacles.
Tasha Clay (33), of Invercargill, drags herself through one of the obstacles in the Mud, Sweat...
Tasha Clay (33), of Invercargill, drags herself through one of the obstacles in the Mud, Sweat and Tears Challenge at Wingatui yesterday. Photos by Gerard O'Brien.
Ryan Craig (28), of Oamaru, dressed as a clown.
Ryan Craig (28), of Oamaru, dressed as a clown.
Luke Van Oosten (30), of Wanaka, attempts to clear his eyes of mud.
Luke Van Oosten (30), of Wanaka, attempts to clear his eyes of mud.
University of Otago student Laurence Lickfold (19), of Rotorua.
University of Otago student Laurence Lickfold (19), of Rotorua.
Jonathan Kemp, of Dunedin, gets a chilly surprise after jumping into a mud pit.
Jonathan Kemp, of Dunedin, gets a chilly surprise after jumping into a mud pit.

It's all fun and games until someone throws mud in your eye.

One competitor at the Mud, Sweat and Tears Challenge at Wingatui yesterday, not prepared to be named and not content with his friend looking so clean, threw a glob of mud in her face before the race began.

A brief altercation took place and there was doubt among onlookers that he was going to be popular for the rest of the day. But by the end of the race, the duo appeared to be friends again.

They were just two of about 500 who got down and dirty at this year's event, which consisted of a 5km race and a 10km race.

This year's obstacles included a mud slide, a crawl under a sea of barbed wire, horse jumps, water jumps, mud runs and floating platforms. Persistent rain only added to the challenge.

After winning the 5km race in 26min 47sec, Dunedin's Youri Wijland summed the experience up by simply saying: ''That was rough. I think I only swallowed half a cup of mud this year.''

Race director Russell Lundy said the event aimed to provide something to look forward to during the winter when life got a bit dull, dark and boring.

It was also about having fun while challenging participants' physical and mental strength.

''The more that people run over the track, the harder the course gets.

''Some people come through looking completely past it _ they're battling just to get through some of the obstacles.''

But the look of elation and achievement on grubby faces as they slid across the finish line, was priceless. Mud washes off, but memories last forever.

Results: 5km women: Anna Lindsay, 1; Jess Harwood, 2; Anna Power, 3; 5km men: Youri Wijland, 1; Oliver Bachop, 2; Marc Whaley, 3; 10km women: Mel Aitken, 1; Shell Cobby, 2; Marie Paulus, 3; 10km men: Michael Downe, 1; Jean Bernard Jolet, 2; Jason Downe, 3.

-john.lewis@odt.co.nz

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