People have strong opinions when nostalgia comes up. What do you think of when you hear “Saturday morning cartoons”? What decade of music is the best? What’s your favorite movie? Similarly, when someone says “World’s Toughest Mudder,” a few key things come to mind:
- Perseverance
- Camaraderie
- Cold
Does that mean if you remove any of these elements, it’s not a true WTM? Of course not—but it does change the feel of the event. Perseverance is something you bring with you. Some people summon it year after year, for others, it ebbs and flows. And sometimes, it fades altogether, which is natural and leads to turnover in the WTM community.
In recent years, the camaraderie aspect has evolved too. The “old head” WTMers remember the days when you wondered if anyone would be at Everest to help you muster the energy to scale it. One year in Vegas, Hunter McIntyre became the original “Everest Angel,” in the middle of the night to help other and he wasn’t even racing!. In 2015, I recall running up to an empty “Blockness Monster” (then called “Roll the Dice”) and finding a fellow competitor hunkered down avoiding the biting desert wind and waiting for assistance. Another racer arrived just after me, and together we all navigated the obstacle.
Back then, you approached WTM knowing you’d need other racers’ help. There wasn’t always someone stationed at obstacles like Everest or Mudderhorn, so you had to group up or push ahead to catch others. This collaborative vibe was strong, like at Pyramid Squeeze this year. I miss that feeling from the “old days.”
But I’m not here to lament the past. Events evolve, especially when a company is acquired, and there’s turnover among personnel. The newer people probably won’t “get it.” That’s part of why I’m writing this—to help both newcomers and organizers understand what made WTM not only the “Toughest Event on the Planet” but also the best race experience in OCR. In my mind, it boils down to two things:
- It’s racers vs. the course: This event is unique because it’s not individuals but the mudders as a collective taking on the course. Participants know they’ll perform better if they work together.
- The race is a living, breathing entity: The best WTMs kept racers guessing. The map was only an outline. Mid-race changes—like adjusting obstacles, rerouting the course, or adjusting the penalty length to make them more appropriate—kept things dynamic. Obstacles could break, leaving gaps in the course. This unpredictability made WTM stand out. You never knew what to expect, but you knew it would be tough with some epic challenges ahead and that you’d converse and work with some amazing people along the way..
Florida 2024: A Different WTM
When we arrived in Florida for this year’s WTM, we knew it would be different. First, it wasn’t going to be cold—in fact, it was set to be the warmest WTM ever! And with the threat of alligators (yes, we saw them on course), TMHQ was likely to play it safe with water obstacles.
Ever since Spartan acquired Tough Mudder, innovation has declined. While Spartan race obstacles have improved in recent years, Tough Mudder’s have largely stayed the same.
For me, I show up and race. I don’t worry much about obstacles but I do note their penalties—deciding which ones are worth completing and which penalties I’ll take when tired. My race plan is typically aimed at hitting 75 miles, with the understanding that bumps will arise along the way.
When the Race Goes Off the Rails
Did I say “bumps”? For me, Florida 2024 felt like a train wreck from the start! Everything was set up for a great race: my training went well, my girlfriend Tracy was an awesome pit crew, and my training partner Scott Wierzycki would go on to crush his race, hitting 80 miles and landing on the age group podium—taking my spot from last year! Tracy was instrumental in his success, and it was inspiring to see!
So, what happened to me? 🤔
In short, I came out too fast, especially in the Florida heat. I relied on my sauna sessions for acclimation, while Scott did climate-controlled treadmill work that clearly paid off. By 12:00 a.m., I was deep in the hurt locker with exertional nausea—a familiar challenge, though it usually hits me around 2:00 a.m. This early onset had me concerned.
I decided to take a break a lap early, hoping a 60-minute recovery would help. As I started my 9th lap (40 miles in), I told Tracy, “When I get back, I’ll either be rocking and rolling, or the rest of this race is going to suck.”
When I returned at 2:45 a.m., she asked, “how’s it going?”. My reply? “These next 12 hours are going to suck.” And they did. Tracy did everything she could to keep me eating even though the nausea never really subsided. I threw up a couple of times but kept moving forward. My race plan showed I needed to be running laps under 1:45 in order to hit 75 miles so that’s exactly what I did!
Through all of it, I held out hope that come morning maybe I could make a push to catch Scott but I would need to be able to eat more and push through the heat of the day. I also knew that Scott was going to do everything in his power to keep me at a safe distance. This is a race, after all, isn’t it?
The Grind
In hindsight, I don’t view this performance as a failure—it was a true test of perseverance. The mental grit required to keep going when you’re not at your best is the hallmark of a true competitor.
In some ways Florida’s warmth made this race more difficult, but in others it was far easier. I mean, when it’s 70° overnight in the pit compared to frigid years like Jersey 2012 or Atlanta 2018, it’s far more tempting to spend a little more time in the pit. However, visiting with your significant other in the pit isn’t why we signed up is it?
WTM is about: finding that hidden reserve within yourself, pushing when you think you’ve got nothing left, and embracing the grind. Quitting should never be on the table! When things go sideways, you dig deep and keep moving forward. I truly believe one of the keys to thriving at World’s Toughest Mudder is to never let yourself get too comfortable. Humans love to stay in their comfort zone, but we came here for a challenge so pushing our limits is what it’s all about! I feel like this is true both at WTM as in life, so WTM is kind of a microcosm of life rolled into a very long 24 hours.
I always end my social media posts with #keepmovingforward because that’s what I want people to take away: no matter what comes your way, keep moving forward. When you do, you’ll look back and appreciate what you’ve achieved. In my mind, that’s what “winning” looks like, no matter where you rank on the leaderboard!
Jason Rulo
Latest posts by Jason Rulo (see all)
- World’s Toughest Mudder 2024- Gator Country! - December 6, 2024
- WTM 2019- Smooth but Vanilla - December 1, 2019
- World’s Toughest Mistakes By TMHQ? - October 16, 2019
