The scene could have come straight from a movie.
Caked in mud, stumbling and sliding along the uneven ground, people reached out to grasp tree limbs and the hands of competitors, desperate to escape the murky waters that trapped them.
Others managed to wade through the mud but found themselves at a loss as to how to navigate the rocky terrain after the monster they had just escaped devoured their shoes and robbed them of their socks.
Barefooted, leaning on each other for mental and physical support, they put as much distance as they could between the mud pits and themselves.
It was impossible to move forward without reminders of what lay hidden in the woods of Stone Bay Rifle Range.
Mud, mud and more mud.
There was no escaping it - no avoiding it - as more than 800 runners lined up to take part in the Mud, Sweat and Tears five-mile mud run aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Saturday. The yearly mud run has arguably become one of the most popular races in the Grand Prix Series. Noted for its challenging and fun course that involves just as much teamwork as stamina, the Mud, Sweat and Tears run has gathered a following of devoted racers who are ready to get down and dirty.
As runners took their stances at the starting line, waiting for the signal to begin the race, the course before them seemed deceptively easy. They began the race on a smooth, paved road that curved slightly to the right and led them down another paved road, just as most races do. However, the mood quickly changed as runners approached walls they had to either climb over or maneuver around before meeting their arch nemesis - the mud.
Murky waters that acted like quick sand easily engulfed the runners, thinning the herd as racers became stuck in the muck.
“It’s hard,” said Jeff Ferraro, who attended the run to support his son, a Marine, and all the other members of the Marine Corps. “You’ve got people out there who stepped into the mud pits and got stuck waist-deep. Then, after you get out, you can’t just leave them there. You’ve got to turn and try to pull them up so they can finish the run.”
Filling the air with an awful odor, the mud looked anything but turbulent until runners found themselves crying out to those around them, looking for a hand to grab to pull them up and away from the obstacle that threatened to bring their race experience to a screeching halt.
“It slows you down a lot,” said Ferraro. “I’ve run in other runs like this and they’re always great fun, but they’re a challenge.”
In true Hollywood fashion, participants had come to the race prepared to face the mud, just as in any good movie, in costume. Sporting tutus, bandanas, hats, and even capes and masks, runners battled their foe and crossed the finish line in a blaze of glory, having fought and overcome the sludge that threatened them.
Even the superheroes turned up for the fight. Team Avengers arrived, ready to tackle the mud like any superhero should - in full armor. Wearing the traditional clothing of the characters they emulated, Cpl. Brandon Focer, Petty Officer 3rd Class Gino Arena, Cpl. Peter DiFilippo III and Jacob Johnson took to the mud with vigor.
“We wanted to make a team and somebody at the Area 2 Gym suggested the Avengers,” explained Focer. “We decided to use it and dressed up to complete the idea.”
“The easiest part was finishing,” said Johnson. “But to get there you had to go through everything else. I think the last mile through the woods, when we were going uphill, was the most difficult. And then, especially for people who has lost their shoes, running on the gravel was hard, too.
“The walls were hard,” Johnson continued. “When we came up to the walls we had to either go over them or run around them.”
In true superhero fashion, Team Avengers did not let anything sway them from their goal of crossing the finish line. With his cape flapping behind him, Arena completed the race, followed by the rest of his team, only to be met with loud cheers from the families and friends who lined the sides of the road at the finish line. With children clamoring to take photos and meet the team, they did what all good superheroes do and spent time talking and laughing with their supporters and fans.
“It’s all in fun and this race was great,” said Focer.
Regardless of whether they dressed the part or not, every racer was a star in the battle between man and mud. Having overcome lost shoes and waist-deep gunk that enveloped them, and after hurdling themselves over the wall and crawling up the hill, each runner who crossed the finish line did so to loud cheers from families and friends who came out to watch the spectacle. No matter how long it took to complete the race, all that mattered was crossing the finish line.
“Really, the mud is what makes this race run,” admitted Ferraro. “Working through those challenges, and getting nice and muddy, then crossing the finish line to get your drink and something to eat makes it all worth it. The (Grand Prix Series) knows how to put on some great runs and this is one of the best I’ve been to in a while.”
The next Grand Prix Series race will be the Run for the Warriors 5K, 10K and half-marathon, which will take place Saturday.
For more information on the Grand Prix Series, visit www.mccslejeune.com or call 45-0092/5430. For more information on the Run for the Warriors, visit http://www.hopeforthewarriors.org/r4w.html