By Blood, Sweat & Cheers

From fireman themes to a water park turned into an obstacle course ... From 5Ks to full blown marathons ... Mud runs just continue to get more and more popular.

Events with one or two locations across the nation exploded into every state. Established obstacle courses started going global. All over the country, a movement of people looking to break out of the ordinary routine broke into the extraordinary experience of getting down and dirty.

And a beer at the end of every race didn't hurt.

Check out the slideshow for a rundown of our (current) favorite mud runs in the obstacle course landscape.

Best Mud Runs Slideshow

 

Tough Mudder

Established: 2010. Locations: 53. Find A Race Near You A grueling 12-mile battlefield that involves tackling 32 challenges, Mudder is no walk in the park ... unless that park was, um, 12 miles long and filled with 32 traps, then it would be pretty similar. Read More About Tough Mudder ...

 

Spartan Race

Established: 2010. Locations: 64. Find A Race Near You If people who tackle muddy obstacle courses are crazy, and those who run marathons are out of their minds (and huff paint thinner), then we've got something in store for the special breed that likes both. Read More About Spartan Race ...

 

Warrior Dash

Established: 2009 Locations: 65 Find A Race Near You You'll overcome obstacles and get down in the trenches (while running a 5k up a mountain) to earn a viking helmet and warrior status. Read More About Warrior Dash ...

 

Kiss Me Dirty

Established: 2011 Locations: 10 Find A Race Near You Wanna get a little...dirty?! Come lose yourself, along with your inhibitions, in a sea of mud, laughter, and girl power. Don't worry, Dudes in Drag, you can play too! Read More About Kiss Me Dirty ...

 

5K Foam Fest

Established: 2011 Locations: 25 Find A Race Near You The unique race features elements for both the dirty-minded and neat freaks, combining traditional obstacle course staples like mud pits with water obstacles and foam-filled body washers. Read More About 5K Foam Fest ...

 

The Hell Run

Established: 2010 Locations: 4 Find A Race Near You Combining roughly 3 miles of muddy terrain, insane obstacles and crazy costumes, followed by parties featuring beer and rage-worthy performances (Coolio will be at the next run in Chicago, and Tone Loc has raised some hell at events in the past), it's an event of blazing proportions. Each obstacle has a hellish-theme like Divide and Conquer, a 20-foot wall, and the Ring of Fire, a 10-foot circle of flames. Read More About The Hell Run ...

 

Run For Your Lives

Established: 2010 Locations: 19 Find A Race Near You To complete the course, participants climb, crawl, duck and dive their way past natural and man-made barriers, all while avoiding a hungry hoard of walking (or running) dead. Make it to the finish line with your "health" (a flag zombies will try to grab from your belt), still intact to be eligible for fantastic survival-themed prizes. Read More About Run For Your Lives ...

 

The Devil Dash

Established: 2009 Locations: 4 Find A Race Near You An adventure course that separates itself from the pack with a track that's built around the seven deadly sins: Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride and wearing socks with sandals. A 5K, the course will have racers defeat biblical themed obstacles like the "web of lies" or the "burning ring of fire" (cargo nets and flame pits). Read More About Devil Dash ...

 

Cahoots Duo Challenge

Established: 2011 Locations: 2 Find A Race Near You In this competition, communication is key: all Cahoots’ circuits are roughly 3-4 miles long and feature barriers that take two to overcome, including walls that cannot be cleared alone and tightropes that require the steady help of a partner to inch across. Read More About Cahoots Duo Challenge ...

 

Hero Rush

Established: 2011 Locations: 26 Find A Race Near You Pushing participants through a course of more than 15 obstacles designed to simulate a day in the life of a hard-hatted hero (we’re talking four-alarm blaze or 9-1-1 emergency status), challenges include climbing ladders, sliding down poles and fighting or coughing through smoke and flames. Read More About Hero Rush ...

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