Let me start by saying I’ve done this race since the very first year it began, and it goes without saying, there’s a reason why I come back time and time again.
Packet Pickup: Always been hassle free. The t-shirts are never unisex which is so nice for a change. Tank top for the ladies, and a t-shirt for the men. Usually there’s some sort of store discount at Road Runner which is always nice for last minute necessities.
Pre Race: A great beer garden, great bands, great food trucks. Nothing is really left out.
Race Course: It changes every year, which is nice to have a mix up, but still have the familiarity that you expect. Every year, there’s more mud, more obstacles, and overall more fun.
Post Race: Everyone gets a medal now, yay! Same as pre-race. Just amazing. Nacho’s, pizza, Tommy’s, Dippin Dots, kettle corn, whatever you want, they’ve got it.
What sets this race apart from the mud runs I’ve done:
1. It’s geared for all fitness levels. Old and young, fat and skinny. That’s probably the best thing about this race. My team grows in size every year because of word of mouth, and the draw that even the slowest person will finish this race. You can race to be competitive, but you can also race to just have fun. And who doesn’t want to sling mud at a co-workers face? I’m all about that!
2. The level of customer focus is the best ANY race I’ve done, and I’ve done more than my bank account would like to admit. Firstly, they always ask for feedback and actually listen. This is why every year it just gets better. I keep thinking, okay, this can’t get any muddier, or fun, and it does! They’re heavily active on Facebook and get back to questions there quickly, as well as email. I don’t know how “Grubby” does it, but he’s always been so wonderful in helping me. It seems like every year I manage to mess up something (in my defense it gets hard to manage 20+ people on a team), and he’s always quick to fix it for me. As for Paul Rudman, I wish he could organize every race I’ve done. The folks over at Camp Pendleton need to take note and get their sh*t together.
Special Note:
1. If you purchase a discount code off Groupon/Living Social/CBS Deals, or any similar site, make sure to read the fine print. It’s 99% of the time for a later start time. If you want to be on a team that has an early start time, this promotion is not for you. I’ve been guilty of not reading the fine print, so just be aware of what you are buying so that you aren’t confused when you start at 10, but part of your team has a start time at noon.
2. Wear costumes. The people who come out to these events are some of the greatest personalities I’ve ever seen. It’s like an early Halloween from funny, scary, hoochie, to just plain strange, and I love all of it.
3. Dirty Dodgeball is an absolute blast to watch. Definitely worth staying for.
Does it lack anything? Not really… except maybe some hard alcohol. I would LOVE a margarita post-race… just sayin… HINT HINT HINT.