A brisk November morning at MacDonald’s Ranch in north Scottsdale greeted 650 runners waiting in anticipation for the next 4-miles of their life. The recession can’t keep the fun at-bay as these mostly costume-clad participants came for a good time, and a good time is what they got!  A mix of a fun run, a mud pit and a competition, the Mad Mud Run on November 21 offered team awards for the top finishers in the one, two and five person team category (all male, all female, or mixed coed). “Strawberry Shortcake” and his daughter “Blueberry Muffin” (yes, you read that correctly...his daughter...both had nice legs) also received a special award for the best crowd pleasing costume.  Some people took this event very seriously as a competitive four-mile run; for others, it was a fun activity for friends or neighbors.  Mud has long been a beauty and relaxation tool since ancient times...but, resorts & spas can’t compete with the Mad Mud Run with its obstacle stimulation. The obstacle course resembled a boot camp, with a short wall, belly crawl, cargo net climb, a hay bale obstacle and of course the fun slimy mud pit. The course was a challenge for all fitness levels and most teams completed the course in 45 minutes to an hour.  The kids got their own dose of crazy-fun with a special 100-meter Mudpuppy Splash that took place right after the Mad Mud Run, with a swim in the mud pit, too. After the first-place finishers in each category were bestowed with “soap medals” for their achievements, friends, family, and mud maniacs enjoyed grilled ‘dogs, revelry, and an awesome raffle with over $2,500 of prizes.  The Mad Mud Run Phoenix helped raise funds for the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. No need to wait until November of 2010, the crowds have spoken and the mud-gods have responded with a second Phoenix edition of the Mad Mud Run on May 1st 2010.

Solo Male
Gabriel 00:27:49

Solo Female
Katalyst (Prescott) 00:30:25

2-Person Male
Straight Off the Couch (Chandler) 00:28:09

2-Person Female
Mud Lovin’ Mama 00:28:30

2-Person Coed
Ridiculous Rattler R (Litchfield Park) 00:27:49

5-Person Male
Arsenal (Queen Creek) 00:35:19

5-Person Female
Mud Slide 1 (Gilbert) 00:30:52

5-Person Coed
Psycho-Delics (Fountain Hills) 00:35:08