"Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet" comes to Phillip Island, Australia
Aussies challenged to test their physical endurance and mental toughness on the world's most extreme obstacle course.
Tough Mudder, the endurance phenomenon that has swept across America, will hold its first-ever international event in Australia in 2012, promising to deliver the ultimate test of physical endurance and mental toughness.
The first of two events in Australia will be held on Phillip Island next March 31 and April 1. The second event will be held in Sydney in September. Those who think they are tough enough to meet the challenge can register now at: http://www.toughmudder.com.au/.
Run by Englishmen Will Dean and Guy Livingstone, Tough Mudder has already established itself in America, with between 10,000 and 20,000 Mudders taking part in each event. By the end of this year, 14 events will have been held in the States, with more than 150,000 entrants taking part.
Dean, who developed the Tough Mudder concept, says, "Internationally, there's a perception that Australians consider themselves to be a nation of athletic and resilient men and women. Tough Mudder is unlike anything you've ever seen before, and we're expecting up to 10,000 Aussies to put their money where their mouth is by signing up to our first event in March."
Tough Mudder's obstacle courses are developed by British Special Forces and are designed to test all-around strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.
Participants are challenged mentally and physically as they navigate their way through the approximately 20km course, which includes 3.6m-high walls, muddy trenches, 1.2m-high flames and ice-cold water.
The Phillip Island event in March will be a baptism of fire for first-time Aussie competitors, who will have to negotiate pits of stinging nettles, waist-high swamps, claustrophobic tunnels, not to mention the 10,000 volts of ‘Electroshock Therapy' they will receive before they drag their weary limbs over the finishing line for a well-deserved complimentary beer.
Unlike most other endurance events, Tough Mudder is not about finishing times or winning a first-past-the-post medal. Instead, simply completing a Tough Mudder course is the badge of honour.
On average, only 78 per cent of participants cross the finish line, taking approximately 2.5 hours to complete the course. With the obstacles designed to be all but impossible to complete individually, the vast majority of participants register as a team.
That initial celebratory ale is then followed by a Tough Mudder post-party where Mudders can swap stories of their experiences over some food, drink and live music. The toughest of Mudders can also ink their memories to last forever by getting a Tough Mudder tattoo following the event!
Tough Mudder aims to ignite the spirit of camaraderie, with participants adhering to the principle that no man, or woman, should ever get left behind. With this ethos in mind, Tough Mudder has partnered with Legacy Australia to raise funds for the charity. Tough Mudder is offering a discount to entrants who, by participating in Tough Mudder, aim to raise funds for Legacy.
To date, Tough Mudder and its participants in the States have raised more than US$2 million for the Wounded Warrior Project. Locally, Tough Mudder aims to raise AUD$1 million for Legacy.
About Tough Mudder
Tough Mudder Events, LLC was founded in 2009 by Will Dean and Guy Livingstone. Considered as "Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet," each Tough Mudder endurance challenge is designed by British Special Forces and consists of a unique approximately 20km trail run over rugged terrain, featuring steep inclines, water hazards and 18-25 military-style obstacles testing one's toughness, fitness, strength, stamina, mental grit and teamwork. The 2011 Tough Mudder series includes 14 events taking place across various cities in the U.S. For the schedule of event dates and locations, visit http://www.toughmudder.com.au/.