PORT ANGELES — At least 250 people are registered to get down and dirty during Saturday’s fifth annual Run-A-Muck Challenge at Extreme Sports Park, and event organizers are hoping to attract even more.
“A whole family can go out there and do it,” said Melody Pozgay, Extreme Sports Park operations manager.
And, she said, “bring the dog.”
The obstacle course mud run at the park, located at 2917 W. Edgewood Drive, includes heats at 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
Gates open at 9 a.m., with an entry fee of $55 per person at the door. Participants who preregister at www.getmucked.com get a $10 discount.
“We are accepting people at the door, but if they preregister, they save money,” Pozgay said, adding that preregistration will close today.But no time cut-off available for preregistration. — MJF
All race participants must be 10 or older.
Fewer participants
There are fewer participants signed up so far this year compared to 2015, Pozgay said.
“Last year, we had over 600 runners,” she said.
“We did get a late start [this year] because we had some [Environmental Protection Agency] issues with the park. But we got that all figured out now, and everything is all happy with the state and the different agencies.”
On July 14, 2015, Extreme Sports Park co-owner Dan Morrison and the EPA reached a consent agreement and final order under which Morrison and his wife Kellie’s A2Z Enterprises were required to pay a $14,000 fine and restore a combined 1.3 acres that are next to the park’s sprint boat track that were damaged during its construction, agency officials said at the time.
The owners “had to do a reclamation of the wetland, and that was completed at the end of June,” Pozgay said.
“We jumped through every hoop, so everything is hunky-dory, and that is why we got such a late start this year.”
Morrison this week declined to comment about how much money it cost to comply with the EPA ruling or provide details about what work specifically was completed. Additionally, the project draft plan is not a public document, EPA officials have said.
Time for fun in the mud
Now that everything is in compliance, Pozgay said, event organizers are ready to let their hair down and dive into the mud.
“We do it because it is fun,” she said, adding that the final touches were being made to the obstacle course this week.
“We did add a couple of new obstacles this year, [and] we have more mud this year,” she said.
Additionally, participants will spend more time running through forested areas instead of through an open field, Pozgay said.
“Every year, we try to change the course up a little bit, and every year, we try to add more mud, so that is what we did.”
It will be hog heaven for folks who want to get filthy dirty, she said.
“There are a couple of things that are challenging; it is not all fun and games. We have the muckiest obstacle course in the Pacific Northwest. I can say that because I have gotten pretty mucky setting it up,” Pozgay said.
This is not going to be a walk in the park, she said, adding that it will take determination to finish the entire course.
There is an 80-foot water slide, “and sometimes it is hard to get out of the bottom pool because it is pretty mucky,” she said.
“Then there is one [obstacle] where they go over and under these logs and get sprayed by a water truck. They really love that, but it is hard sometimes to get over those logs.”
A brand-new obstacle involves crawling through tunnels, Pozgay said.
“It is really mucky, so they should love it,” she said.
Even dogs can participate with their humans this year, Pozgay said.
Run with your mutt
For the first time, there will be a heat at 2 p.m. specifically slated to allow humans to run with their four-legged friends.
“They get to run with their human and get to do all of the obstacles,” Pozgay said.
“It is new, so we don’t know how many dogs are going to come, but there are people that sound really excited about that because their dogs want to get mucky.”
There is no extra fee for dog participation, and each dog gets a medal and a bandana upon completing the course, Pozgay said.
There are, however, special waivers that need to be filled out, and all dogs must be current on their shots and be able to play well with others.
Dogs of all shapes and sizes can participate as long their owners are confident they can safely complete the 5K, Pozgay said.
“Hopefully, we have a lot of mutts show up,” she said. “They like to get dirty, too.”
Event organizers tested out the dog run during last year’s event, Pozgay said.
“We thought it would be really fun, so we did a beta test last year, and the dogs that did it really had a good time. We decided to make it a really big deal this year, so we are going to do the last heat of the day,” she said.
Staying clean
Those who do not want to get dirty but who would still enjoy watching others do so can attend the event for free, Pozgay said.
However, for safety precautions, only registered participants, event staff and approved persons will be allowed on the race course.
Following the heats, participants can grab a drink and a meal from food vendors on site.
There will be a beer garden with entertainment such as life-size beer pong. Due to Washington state liquor law, all people who want to enter the beer garden will need to show ID.
There also is a rinsing station where muckers can rinse off following the race, although they have the option to participate in as many heats as they want, Pozgay said.
“If you want to run it again after you’ve finished it, go for it,” she said.
“Go get muddy again. It is fun. You are allowed to be yourself for one day, and no one is going to judge you for being dirty. Who doesn’t like a necktie mudpie?”
For more information, visit www.getmucked.com.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
