Tough Mudder returned to Colorado this past weekend, and for the third year in a row, the beautiful community of Snowmass was the host. With a base elevation of 8,100 feet and a course that seemed to go uphill the entire time, the only things burning brighter than the sun were your lungs and calves. This was my first trip ever to the Centennial State, and it certainly did not disappoint. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the highlights from the event.
THE COURSE:
The base altitude alone was enough to slow you down, but this course had a handful of brutal climbs and some fun single track trekking through forested areas. Depending on whose GPS you believe, the course distance was right around 12 miles, with an elevation gain of about 3,000 feet. The first mile or so brought you through the Snowmass Village and downhill along the parking area. After that, it was pretty much all uphill…or at least it certainly seemed like it.
ALL STAR ATTENDEES:
Runners in the first wave on Saturday morning shared the start corral with some of the biggest names in OCR. Three-time World’s Toughest Mudder champion Ryan Atkins (and his dog Suunto) was there, accompanied by his new bride (and 2016 Spartan U.S. Championship Series winner) Lindsay Webster. Alongside them was Broken Skull Champion (and self-proclaimed Macho Man) Hunter McIntyre, and current American Ninja Warrior and former Spartan Race Pro Rose Wetzel (watch for our interview with the woman who loves to challenge herself). They all shared the start with Jim “Da Goat” Campbell, who was in CO to run his 100th Tough Mudder (but this story is coming soon).
NEW (TO ME AT LEAST) OBSTACLES:
Paying homage to the gold rush history of Colorado was an entertaining obstacle called Mine Shafted. The obstacle required participants to crawl down a sewage tube, which would drop them into and 8-foot deep pit that had knee-deep muddy water. The pit itself is covered with dark screen, which blocked out a good portion of the sunlight. After trudging across the pit, there was an 8-foot wall that needed to be scaled in order to get out. The wall got muddy and slippery in a hurry and required a good amount of teamwork to get out.
FOUR LEGGED ATTENDEES:
Of all the venues that I’ve been to, Snowmass is easily the most dog-friendly Mudder that I’ve ever attended. Whether it was in the hotel, or in the village, or on the course…there were dogs of all shapes and sizes everywhere. As if I needed a reason to run slower, it was very difficult to resist running off course for the opportunity to give a healthy ear rubbing to these warm and fuzzy spectators.
MOTHER NATURE:
Colorado is right up there with Lake Tahoe and Whistler as the most visually spectacular venues that I’ve ever attended. At almost any point along the course, you could look up and your eyes would be treated to absolutely wonderful views. Mountains, streams, Aspen trees, annoying thistle things that get stuck in your socks, there’s just so much scenery to feast upon up there. There was also plenty of deer and fox sightings. It’s truly an amazingly beautiful place to hold an event.
Dude, where’s my shirt?
On a slightly negative note, not that merchandise is considered a major part of an event…but if you’re going to have it, please make sure that you have an ample supply. The first wave on Saturday launched at 8am. According to the merchandise employees, the Tough Mudder Colorado specific t-shirts were sold out by 9am. There were even instances in the afternoon where people were offering cash to buy the shirts off the backs of people who had purchased them earlier. I’m not sure how you gauge merch demand so poorly, but Tough Mudder has been doing this for a while now, and this kind of a thing just shouldn’t happen. At least not on the first day of your event.
Despite my lack of event shirt, I’m happy to report that Tough Mudder Colorado was still a wonderful experience. A demanding course with fun and creative obstacles, spectacular views, and lively festival area. Throw in a few OCR All-Stars (and dogs….don’t forget the dogs!), and you’ve got one of the best events that TMHQ has put on this year.
Photo Credits: Matty Gregg (Suunto) and GameFace Media for Tough Mudder
Carlo Piscitello
Carlo is one half of the not yet world famous YouTube duo known as "The Pis-N-Cox Show".
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