That’s One Tough Mudder!
Every June, a worn-and-weary horde sporting orange headbands strolls through Whistler Village like gladiators returning from the arena. They are soaked. They are muddied. They are pumped. And they are chanting in celebration. These are the modern titans, and they have just survived the Tough Mudder. If you haven’t seen or heard of what is probably the meanest, most insane “race” on the planet, then here is what to expect: intentional bouts of electrical shocks, heinous slip-and-slides, ice cube swims, and jungle playgrounds requiring Tarzan feats of swinging over—yes— the requisite pits of mud. Plus, every year there are a few surprises. Expect to climb, dive, slither and scramble your way through an obstacle course like no other. “It’s intimidating,” says competitor Matt Todd. “Some parts are straight-up scary.” But still, it was doable, he says, and not a “torturous physical challenge” like the marathons he usually runs. That is, until the end, when he forced himself to charge straight up the ski jump hill. The final verdict? “Tough Mudder is more about overcoming your fear,” says Matt. It’s about “facing the risks and doing it anyway.” Why do folks undertake such a strenuous brush with the unknown? In part, teamwork. It’s about you—and your friends—pulling each other through the thick and the thin. Camaraderie becomes something more than a mistaken word for French cheese. The Tough Mudder is like a race through a playground designed to test your limits and put your psyche to the test. Part of it is even a psyche-out: sometimes those electrical shock wires aren’t even attached. It’s just the mental game. And when you come out the other side, you are changed forever. Held in Whistler Olympic Park, the Whistler Tough Mudder goes down June 17 and 18. The full Tough Mudder is 16–20 kilometres with over twenty obstacles, with a Tough Mudder Half also available. For those up to the challenge, check out the Toughest Mudder. Going all night, in the dark, the hammer drops at midnight for two unique eight-kilometre loops run circuit-style for eight hours. Act fast to get in on the action—whether as a team or a spectator eager to watch feats of strength in action. Check it out at whistler.com/ events/tough-mudder.