Mud Mania Strikes The Heartland

ST. LOUIS - Nov. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Attention fitness buffs, health enthusiasts and action addicts:  it’s time for you to get in on the madness by getting your mud on.

Missourians have the perfect opportunity to sample the fast-paced craze located practically in their own backyards.  With the course’s rare permanence comes bigger obstacles, muddier challenges, steeper mountains and deeper waters.  The Battlegrounds is a true example of the industry’s premier venue which ultimately claims the heart, soul and body of every mud runner it reaches.

The Battlegrounds, St. Louis’ largest permanent mud run obstacle course, will hold its sixth bi-annual race on Sat., May 2 beginning at 8 a.m.  Runners can select to destroy either a 5k/3.2-mile or a five-mile mud run where they will experience the demands of more than 30 military-themed obstacles for those who are physically and mentally fit.  The Battlegrounds is located at 950 State Highway 00 in Wright City, Mo. next to Cedar Lake Cellars winery and event venue.

Unlike its competition, The Battlegrounds features plenty of freebies including free spectator admission so guests can watch their loved ones from many course vantage points.  Free parking, free gear check and a free kids’ mud zone area for children 12 and under are available, as well as the unusual amenity of on-site showers for mud run participants.  Post-event activities include individual and group award presentations, a festival area with food and drinks, and walkable access to the adjacent Cedar Lake Cellars winery.

The run’s obstacles, which vary each year to ensure new challenges, include the signature torpedo launcher consisting of a 100-foot water slide that empties into a 12-foot deep water pit.  Other highlights include the gauntlet, which consists of six lanes of varying difficulties situated over an eight-foot deep water pit.  The Battlegrounds incorporates all types of terrains including creeks, woods, fields and valleys that add to the intense level of competition.

The Battlegrounds is teaming up with three non-profit organizations:  The BackStoppers, Barrel Aid, and Operation Food Search.

Proceeds from the mud run will benefit The BackStoppers, a non-profit organization founded in 1959 to support the families of fallen heroes in the greater St. Louis region.  The group uses their funding to emotionally and financially assist families of police, firefighters and EMS/EMT personnel that are dealing with the loss of their first responder.  For more information, visit www.backstoppers.org.

The Battlegrounds also will work with Barrel Aid, which partners with the non-profit Mission-Haiti.org to supply clean shoes, fresh water, food and schooling for more than 1,600 unserved children in Southern Haiti. Barrel Aid attends mud races from around the country and collects donated shoes, which are laundered and transported in barrels to Mission Haiti in Ti-Rivier.

The Battlegrounds will hold a canned food drive at the race to benefit Operation Food Search, which was established in 1981 to address the growing problem of hunger in the St. Louis area.  As the largest distributor of free food in the bi-state area, the organization distributes 2.75 million pounds of food and household essentials to nearly 300 community partner agencies.  For more information, visit www.operationfoodsearch.org.

The Battlegrounds will host an exclusive wave designated for elite runners to race others with similar abilities.  The 8 a.m. wave is limited to the first 250 runners, including both individual and four-person teams, who can maintain an 8 minute 30-second mile pace.  Awards are available for elite run individuals, as well as teams of four that can be comprised of men, women or a combination of both.

All participants must be 18 years of age or older.  The race costs $80 per person before Dec. 26; $90 before Jan. 30, 2015; $100 before Feb. 27; $110 before March 27; $120 before April 17, $140 before April 30, and; $160 for May 1 and 2.  Groups of five or more are highly encouraged to register, and VIP upgrade options are available to all.  For more information, call (314) 569-3005 or visit the website at www.thebattlegrounds.com.