Muddy Buddy‘s slogan is “Two buddies + One mud bike + One mondo mud pit = The best time of your life!” While it may be cheesy, it’s accurate. I participated in a Muddy Buddy Event in 2004, and it was awesome.
The Muddy Buddy is a trail running/mountain biking adventure race. Each race features a 6-7 mile course and 5 obstacles. At the start of the race, one team member runs and the other bikes. At the obstacle, both team members compete — and then switch tasks. Teams continue leapfrogging through the entire course until they crawl through the Mud Pit and cross the finish line. Kicking off in Austin on May 20, other cities hosting the Muddy Buddy include San Jose, Atlanta, Richmond, Chicago, and Boulder.
I’m proud to say that my teammate and I placed in the Top 10 in the Event in which we competed, mainly because so many of the teams were penalized for violating Rule #11, “Team must finish the race together!” Other tips for you:
- When you compete at the obstacle, put your bike upside down. Most teams just dump their bikes and waste time finding them later. Setting your bike upside down saves you lots of time!
- Wear a costume. It’s fun, and it makes your teammate easier to spot.
[Photo: Michael Osborne]