NBC Nightly News suggests mud runs harder than a marathon

To suggest that there is actually running going on at these events is inappropriate.

its a mudjog wrote:

To suggest that there is actually running going on at these events is inappropriate.

Very true. I've done one and the biggest issue was having to weave and avoid people who were walking or going really slow. The race I did--Ranch Romp, a local one--had three waves, but they weren't based on expected finish time. I "won" my wave, but crossed the line with a bunch of slow mofos because they were from the wave ahead of me (not fun on a single track). A dude in the next wave beat my time by a bit. It was more like a time trial and we never even had the opportunity to race one another--although he probably had it worse since he had to go through three waves of slow runners, and I only had two.

All that being said, if you do run hard, they hurt like a bitch. Lots of different muscles being used. Climbing the obstacles while trying to run hard (and also avoid people) is not easy. I've raced a good number of marathons and can say that the pain of a mud run is more comparable with an 800 or steeplechase. IMO, the 800 is the most painful race, with the steeplechase next, and then the marathon.

Cost me $55 to run. It's a racket. Get as many people as possible to sign up, have poor organization, and then give everyone a medal so they can show their friends how bad-ass they are.

This type of faux tough guy stuff is popular because there is no military draft, and most people never really do much of anything physical in the lives. Bring back the draft, and this goes away.

its a mudjog wrote:

To suggest that there is actually running going on at these events is inappropriate.

There's this really slow (like can't break 21:00) boy o n my HS team (I coach). He runs these things and will finish top 100 out of 2000+, now he thinks he's good.

I've been told that real runners clean up and the football "tough" guy struggles because they underestimate the running part.

POTD

the straight dope wrote:

This type of faux tough guy stuff is popular because there is no military draft, and most people never really do much of anything physical in the lives. Bring back the draft, and this goes away.

Professional racer?

I guess you guys have never seen beyond the top 20 at a marathon. Slugfest. A lot of walking going on. Even 5Ks are a walk-fest now.

runn wrote:

its a mudjog wrote:

To suggest that there is actually running going on at these events is inappropriate.

There's this really slow (like can't break 21:00) boy o n my HS team (I coach). He runs these things and will finish top 100 out of 2000+, now he thinks he's good.

I've been told that real runners clean up and the football "tough" guy struggles because they underestimate the running part.

Exactly. I have no problem with people doing these things (though they are a ripoff). What bothers me is that the people doing them think they are better racers and "tougher" than sub-3 marathoners. A total load of BS. They remind me of HS lacrosse players who won the "national championship".

the straight dope wrote:

This type of faux tough guy stuff is popular because there is no military draft, and most people never really do much of anything physical in the lives. Bring back the draft, and this goes away.

A lot of military people love that sh*t. I don't think a draft would make people not like mud runs.

It depends. A Warrior Dash (5k), while being a badass sports, is less taxing on the body than a "full marathon".

TOUGH MUDDER however, with its grueling 12 miles, is probably the hardest sports event average joe can participate in, certainly harder than a Marathon.

Case in point: Oprah ran a Marathon, but she could never do a TOUGH MUDDER.

TOUGH MUDDER lets 3000m steeple look like a childrens birthday party.

You are out of your mind. I could get up tomorrow morning and run a tough mudder before going to work for the day, not the case with a marathon, way more taxing on your body. There are some threads on here for people who have never actually run a marathon, you should go get on one of them. Thanks, bye now.

Stopsniffingglue wrote:

You are out of your mind. I could get up tomorrow morning and run a tough mudder before going to work for the day, not the case with a marathon, way more taxing on your body. There are some threads on here for people who have never actually run a marathon, you should go get on one of them. Thanks, bye now.

Typical arrogant LR poster. So when was the last time you swam through freezing water, underneath barb wire?

You ran a Marathon? Big deal, so did Oprah @ 250lbs.

Not arrogant, just the truth. You're right, Oprah did finish a marathon, and so do a lot of overweight people, but the same can be said of a tough mudder. You can skip obstacles whenever you want, it's 14-16 miles shorter and requires the upper body strength of a 12 year old. Who cares about crawling under barbed wire, I considered that a rest period, the cold water felt great. Also, people in tough mudders help each other through/around/over the obstacles, just not even in the same ballpark. They are good exercise just on a completely different (easier) level.

Xfit_guy_the_real_one_1 wrote:

It depends. A Warrior Dash (5k), while being a badass sports, is less taxing on the body than a "full marathon".

TOUGH MUDDER however, with its grueling 12 miles, is probably the hardest sports event average joe can participate in, certainly harder than a Marathon.

Case in point: Oprah ran a Marathon, but she could never do a TOUGH MUDDER.

TOUGH MUDDER lets 3000m steeple look like a childrens birthday party.

I'd like to see how many laps a top TOUGH MUDDER competitor could hang with a sub 9:00 steeplechaser. Maybe two, if he's lucky.

There is a difference between running an event and racing an event.

It is my opinion that the longer the race the more potentially difficult the event can be (since you can always run the previous race within that race ie Bekele running under 13 in the last 5k of a 10k).

I could go out and jog a marathon or jog a tough mudder, but unless you are competing all out in both it is hard to judge. In general there is usually much better competition in traditional races such as 5ks and marathons, and hence you will probably push yourself harder in those events.

For me the hardest race is the 5k. It is so painful for the last 5-7 minutes (similar to an 800 feeling but not as intense), whereas I've never experienced that same burn in the marathon (but the marathon can suck too when your out of fuel with 8 miles to go).

They also quote Hobie Call - an old LRC favorite

Xfit_guy_the_real_one_1 wrote:

TOUGH MUDDER lets 3000m steeple look like a childrens birthday party.

a - singular

children - plural

which is it tough guy?

foxy shazamin wrote:

Xfit_guy_the_real_one_1 wrote:

TOUGH MUDDER lets 3000m steeple look like a childrens birthday party.

a - singular

children - plural

which is it tough guy?

unfortunately 'a' is modifying the singular 'party', not the plural 'children'. but he did forget the apostrophe after 'childrens'. in conclusion, tough mudders are a pandering gimmick when compared to the marathon.

So the same debate comes up again and again... What is the toughest athletic event??

I think I have a good view on this one, here is my background:

Typical high school jock: football and track (specialized in 400 and 300h).

I competed in decathlons through college (PR - 7160). (5008 in the hept.)

Since college I have been competing in triathlons:

I have done 2 Ironmans (PR - 10:40) and 3 half Ironmans (PR - 4:15).

I have done numerous olympic and sprint tri's, enjoyed a few of these infamous mud/obstacle races, and have competed in a few 12h and 24h MTN bike races.

In my opinion, you guys are not even discussing the toughest events in the world. Feel free to disagree with me, because I know someone will, but my personal rating would go as follows:

1) Ultra-marathons (100km +) These guys are NUTS, and they are often held in the most in-hospital places, like BADWATER! In my opinion, running these ultra distances IS MORE TAXING than biking ultra-distance.

2) Long distance bike races (200km +) There are numerous road and mtn bike races around the world that have professionals scared of the course! Try riding the Pyranees Mountain route (Trans Pyr - Spain) with 66,000 ft of elevation GAINED in just an average of ~50 hrs of riding. Or crossing over 100 mtn passes on a road bike in 10 days (Cent Cols Challenge). There are for more, far too many to even name on here that are harder than an IM tri.

3) Ironman triathlons (140.6 mi) No one who has competed can deny the pain and suffering that an IM can put you through. There is a stipulation to this one, because of the popularity. There is a HUGE difference between "finishing" and Ironman and "competing" in an Ironman. Just like the mud races and marathons, there are TONS of walkers/slow riders in these things now. 2nd stipulation, the location does matter! There are SIGNIFICANT differences in difficulty from one location to another. (Try Kona, Cozumel, or St. George instead of Arizona or Florida if you want a real challenge.) Even better, look-up the 140.6 event known only as "NORSE-MAN". That will make you cry.

4) Marathon (26.2 mi) - There is just something painful when you think about running over 20 miles. Again stipulation would be "competing", not "completing". Walking half of it doesn't make it hard anymore.

5) Decathlon (10 events, 2 days) - The pain from a solid 2 day decathlon is right up there with the pain from an Ironman. (Trust me, I have felt both enough times.) It's not even the 10 events that kill your body, it's the constant warm-up/cool-down/practice/get your jump marks/etc. between the events. In summary, there is a reason that the label the Decathlon champ at the Olympics as "The best athlete in the world!"

6) Tough Mudder (10+ miles with mud and obstacles) - I have done 5k mudders and 12 mile mudders, the 12 mile course can be physically challenging. I have to agree with some previous comments though, several of the obstacles can be seen as a good break to most competitive runners. Before people bite my head off, yes these races are hard! But I'm sorry they are not as physically punishing as the others above. Maybe if the race extended to 15+ miles WITH obstacles and mud, you could begin to talk.

7) 10k, fast 5k, mud 5k, olympic tri, sprint tri, etc... All weak-sauce compared to the above!

Just for fun, my opinion again, hardest single track & event (Besides Decathlons): either 400mH or 800m.

Enjoy!