Obstacle courses, marathons, and similar events have become increasingly popular and intricate over the years. The Tough Mudder is one of the more intense of the bunch, with the main event running around 10-12 miles and riddled with a diverse collection of obstacles. Back in late October, we covered USA Today’s new 360-degree news series, VRtually There, and one of their recent episodes followed Tough Mudder participants.
Tough Mudder is an endurance run that is so intense that completing it is a massive challenge, let alone finishing in the top group. While running 10-12 miles would be enough of a test, the varying obstacles make this event stand out. The VRtually There episode gives us a good view of some impediments to participant’s journey to the finish line for the Toughest Mudder, a 24 hour test of your willpower. In the segment called “Dirty Work”, USA Today’s video shows runners crawling through mud under barbed wire, climbing wood boards, walking through chest-high muddy water, swimming, and much more. A couple of former participants narrate the experience and discuss how life events had themselves and others questioning if they could bounce back from terrible injuries and illnesses.
VRTually There’s episode including Toughest Mudder also covers a bit of history on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats along with the teams needed to maneuver them, and takes viewers on a brief tour of the Out of Africa wildlife park to meet some baby bears.
In Toughest Mudder, the finish line is ultimately set by the individuals and teams. The course is 5 miles long and the goal is for you to complete as many laps as possible. A single man and woman will be honored for the best performance along with the best team. Anyone that completes 20, 50, 75, or 100 miles total is honored as well. This December, CBS will be showing the full event in a 3-part series that starts on December 15th with “Road to the Toughest Mudder”.
