The BADASS Dash came through Georgia over the weekend and put on a great event. Being as though it was only their 3rd event, our expectations were hopeful but we were not 100% convinced that it would have huge production value. Lately, we have been hearing and reading about newer events having catastrophes. So, we could not be sure until we saw what they were putting together.
They set themselves apart from the outset by having their event at Stone Mountain. This is a beautiful park located about 30 minutes east of Atlanta. No other obstacle race had used this location in Georgia yet. It was a nice change of scenery from the locations that have been used over and over again in recent years by Tough Mudder, Spartan Race, and other race companies.
The course was 4.5 miles (7k) as promised. Event Director, Brian Sharenow, and Obstacle Director, Ray Weathers, did a great job putting together a fun, creative course using all of the terrain available to them. The course had participants running and completing obstacles on trail, sidewalk, through a baseball field, a large parking lot, and some pavilions.
The obstacles themselves were well thought out. I did this with a group of very experienced racers and everyone in our
group really enjoyed it. The most difficult and creative was something called the slippery slope (pic). Having to crawl upside down, under a net, up a steep hill, all while being doused with cold water was something we had not seen before. We would certainly recommend the event to someone doing his or her first obstacle race as well. All of the newbies we spoke to though it was a great combination of challenging and fun.
One small glitch was, in the final heat of the day, their last box of finisher medals had some defects. This meant there were a few participants who did not receive medals. I watched them speak to each finisher personally who did not receive them to ensure they could mail them one as soon as possible. You could see how much it bothered those involved. It was great to see the organizers handle it professionally and responsibly. Unforeseen things can happen anytime at a race. It is how the people involved respond during these times of adversity that makes all the difference in a good user experience.
Check out one of their 7 remaining races this year.
Matt B. Davis
Latest posts by Matt B. Davis (see all)
- World’s Toughest Mudder 2024 – Part 3 - November 20, 2024
- 2024 Spartan World Championship – Abu Dhabi Preview - November 19, 2024
- World’s Toughest Mudder 2024 – Part 2 - November 15, 2024
