Max King proves he's the toughest runner in the world yet again - wins Warrior Dash World Title and 30k

Earlier this spring I walked into Footzone in Bend to pick up a race packet and there was King causally fitting a customer for running shoes. I thought that was pretty interesting, he's just working there casually helping out, I wondered if the lady knew who he was. But back to his running, his all around ability and trail running prowess is an inspiration.

I find it interesting that the fifth place runner's name is Tripp Hurt. I would have assumed somebody was trollin' if I saw that name.

King, a Cornell alum, has won yet another $30k and yet another world title. 2006 NCAA steeple champ and 2008 US Olympian Josh McAdams was the runner up at the 2015 Warriror Dash Worlds. 8:37 steepler and former Weber State runner Brett Hales was third.

Steeplers kick ass in the event as they are crazy enough to do it and fast enough to excel at it. Steeplers took the top two spots in the women's race. Olympic steepler Bridget Franek won the women's world title and 9:51 steepler Kimber Mattox was second.

In case you don't what the Warrior Dash is, it's a 5k obstacle race with some crazy obstacles on it.

Here's a video that gives you an idea of what the race is like (from last year): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyR_hnu_Q0A

This is King's 8th World title of some sort .

Here are the results according to RRW.

MEN (extended gun times) -
1. Max King 27:52.45 $30,000
2. Joshua McAdams 28:21.75 10,000
3. Brett Hales 28:35,90 5,000
4. Hobie Call 28:41.70 3,000
5. Tripp Hurt 28:41.95 2,000
6. Cody Moat 28:51.80
7. Thomas Morgan 29:14.25
8. Mark Husted 29:19.75

WOMEN (extended gun times) -
1. Bridget Franek 32:22.50 $30,000
2. Kimber Mattox 32:48.60 10,000
3. K.K. Paul 35:10.00 5,000
4. Allison Morgan 36:03.35 3,000
5. Mary Ballinger 36:46.50 2,000
6. Jessica Textoris 36:46.50
7. Nicole Shortslef 37:01.95
8. Rachel Corvington 37:29.30

In case you don't know who Max King is. It was said in a thread about him last year that as a runner he is a "Jack of trades, a master of none."

I get why people say that but respectfully disagree. In my mind, he's a Master of being a complete Bad-Ass and the toughest guy out there.

Stories were told about the guy's toughness for my entire first 5 years at Cornell. He once ran a race at Cornell without a shirt on by pinning the bib through his chest. He once did a 100 x 200 workout.

As a pro, he's continued to do crazy stuff like win the US 50k title on a Saturday and then half-marathon on a Sunday.

In terms of his running bio, he was a steepler at Cornell (graduating the year before I got there) and has an 8:30 steeple pb. He also has a 2:14:36 marathon pb. He made 4 US teams for World Cross (2006, 2008, 2009, 2011) where his best finish was 39th in 2011. He also won the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships, the 2014 World 100k Championships, and 4-consecutive XTERRA Trail Run World Titles. I'm sure there's are other wins to his name.

You can read about his victory at last year's race here:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=6067832

Max talks about his victory over the weekend here: https://www.facebook.com/mudrunguide/videos/867897613305531/?fref=nf

I may sponsor a Kenyan to the Warrior Dash next year. It would be fascinating to see. I think they'd get destroyed by Max.

Whoa. Go Bridget.

The shot of the winners podium is awesome. It shows that massive toolbag Hobie Call forcing a smile while holding up his 4th place check, while the real runners are holding up their bigger checks.

Should have stuck with fulfilling your promise of running a 2 hour marathon by weight-vest training, Hobie. Bigger payday, for sure.

King is a great trail runner, and that is all that really matters. Good to see a Nittany Lion win the women's division.

When he wins something with actual obstacles, like a Spartan Championship, or the Obstacle Course World Championships, then I will be impressed. The Warrior Dash WC is essentially a longer glorified steeple, you don't even need to be able to do a pullup to get through the obstacles. Easy peasy.

when do the Kenyans start doing warrior dashes??

wow, i didnt realize the winners of these events were so fast, i thought any competitive runner could beat them in a straight up race, i was way off on that one

wow, i didnt realize the winners of these events were so fast, i thought any competitive runner could beat them in a straight up race, i was way off on that one

Max also graduated from the same high school as Brian Berryhill.

tripp hurt is also a steepler-sub-8:50 at Furman last year as a senior

Here's a list if the full results for anyone who's interested (click the View tab):

http://www.mattoonmultisport.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&Itemid=66&gid=554&orderby=dmdate_published

Most of the top-15 are recognizable names within the OCR community. I was curious about the running backgrounds of some of the next dozen or so guys, and I figured many of them never ran an obstacle course race before. Apparently there were some pretty solid athletes who didn't finish right at the front. The notion that any decent runner can jump in and dominate isn't necessarily true, even on a hill runner-friendly course like this race. Here's what I found:

Maxime LeBoeuf (16th) - won the Snowshoe World Championships in February

Brandon Bethke (18th) -- 3:57.3 mile, 13:25 5k

Lindsey Redden (19th) -- 1:10:57 half marathon

Rick Davey (20th) -- 15:09 5k at Colorado School of Mines

Patrick Reaves (22th) -- 2:27 marathon

Josh Franek (24th) -- ran at Bowling Green, his wife won the women's race

Ben Verchick (26th) -- ran 16:20 last month as a HS freshman

---

Stagger Lee wrote:

I find it interesting that the fifth place runner's name is Tripp Hurt. I would have assumed somebody was trollin' if I saw that name.

---

Interesting character and a bad ass but "toughest in da world"?
Rojo most hyperbolic poster ever & on his own message board ha!

I'm curious for anyone who's done of these or seen them, what is the biggest determinant of your time apart from running ability? It doesn't look like's not much real hurdling, but there are some hills, a lot of crawling, and then some balance/coordination stuff and upper body stuff when you have to climb over things.

Would also be curious to see how fast Max King and some of these other top finishers are going through the obstacles

...Josh Franek (24th) -- ran at Bowling Green, his wife won the women's race...


FYI - Bridget is Josh's older sister. I haven't directly met them, but I ran with their parents at BGSU back in the day. Good people, the Franeks.

Don't forget Cody Moat was a 9:0x steepler at Southern Utah.

Does that make 5/6 of them steeplechasers??