Crawl over logs, jump down a water slide, slosh into mud, swing through the forest, then mow down some burgers.
That’s the standard mix for those competing in the Sunshine Coast Mountain Grind. Now in its fourth year, the mud race will take over Madeira Park on Saturday, April 21.
The course winds through the Suncoaster Trail in Pender Harbour, starting at Lions Park across from the Pender Harbour Golf Course. “This year we have big changes,” said Merideth Frost, race director. “We are going to try to spread the obstacles out,” she said, admitting there is one watery obstacle they can’t predict until race day. “Last year the creeks were up to people’s hips. That obstacle is up to nature.”
Completion times range between one and two hours. Last year, Damian Towns had the fastest time with 46 minutes and six seconds. The average time was one hour and 28 seconds.
Despite the rough terrain and obstacles, Frost said the most serious injury suffered in the past three years was a broken ankle. Mostly, it’s just cuts and bruises. “I think people like to challenge themselves,” she said. “Especially the type-A personalities,” though racers of all stripes compete. “I had a co-worker who is 61 years old and who never ran before and smokes. And she finished last year.”
Roughly 80 per cent of participants hail from the Sunshine Coast, while others come from Bellingham and the Lower Mainland. Last year a team of 10 ventured to Pender from Kelowna. For treasurer and chef Lyle Isaak, who calls himself the guy flipping burgers at the bottom of the course, the race is about bringing more people to Pender Harbour. “It’s great when people come up and see that we’ve got, rather than just Sechelt and Gibsons, another centre up here,” he said.
Since the obstacle race has several built components, it requires many volunteers, with 80 helping on race day to guide participants through the course, direct parking and spectators. “It’s a community effort to keep the race going each year,” Isaak said. “I just think it’s a great thing for the community; it brings people up here and kind of gets the season started.” The race is also evolving to be more Coast-inclusive. For the first time, all three Sunshine Coast IGAs will be sponsoring this year’s event, and the contractor hired to oversee the obstacle construction is from Gibsons.
Despite being the same weekend as the popular Vancouver Sun Run, organizers expect up to 300 people register. Frost said the races appeal to different competitors. “You have your Vikings, your people who just want to go crazy and challenge themselves. They want to do an obstacle race in the mud in the hills. And those will be people who do my race. And then you have the road racers and they don’t want to get dirty,” she said. Some, however, straddle the binary. “I have one friend – and this will be her second year in a row – she does my race and leaves and goes and does the Sun Run.”
Registration closes April 7, though same day registration will be open at a cost of $100 cash. Those interested in volunteering can contact the race organizers at volunteers
[email protected]
