Mud Run Calendar: The 2 Monsters Left

By all accounts, this years Spartan Beast in Vermont this past weekend was brutal. There have been a few reports that around half of the entire race field earned themselves a "DNF", which is short for did not finish. Knowing how much people train for that singular event year around, I can not even fathom how brutal that race must have been.

That being said, there are 2 major mud runs still to go in the area, and both are in New Jersey.

Tough Mudder in Englishtown on October 8th-9th

Spartan Race Super in Vernon on October 22nd - 32rd

I've run both of these in the past, and both have their positives and negatives. The Spartan is up and down a ski slope in Vernon and it can be BRUTAL. Last year, the first half mile felt like it was almost vertical it was so steep. You know what to expect with Spartan races; it's going to have standard obstacles and it's going to be a lot faster than the Mudder.

The Tough Mudder is not billed as a race. It's more of a challenge, and it's far more team oriented. You're going to slog through 9-12 miles of mud, carry a teammate at a certain point and need a lot of help finishing certain obstacles. And for the end, you'll need to run through wires charged by car batteries. Ya know, when you're exhausted, cold and covered in mud. There's an excellent chance you'll fall down. It happens to most people.

From my personal experience, I tend to like Spartan Sprints (the shorter races) and the Mudder events as my longer ones. After awhile, I get just tired of running up and down mountains, and the change of pace with the Tough Mudder is actually a lot of fun. Plus their obstacles can get a little like an extreme sports drink company designed a kids playground.

Regardless, try them both and enjoy yourself!