All for mud, mud for all!

All for mud, mud for all!

Thousands head to Montage for Dirty Girl Mud Run this weekend

BY TOM GRAHAM

Although the primary ingredients are historically listed as sugar and spice and everything nice, flocks of female participants migrating to northeastern Pennsylvania to enter The Dirty Girl Mud Run this Saturday may sternly protest this oversimplified recipe.
Who says only the boys like to play in the mud?
The Dirty Girl Mud Run (DGMR) will dig in its muddy heels at Live Nation’s Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain on Saturday, May 5, with the first wave of runners set to start at 8 a.m.
The DGMR is a female-only extravaganza: one part filthy obstacle course, one part 5K run, one part cancer awareness event and one part estrogen celebration. Debuting in 2011 to a sold-out field in Wisconsin, the event has gained such a huge following that it has evolved into a 15-city tour across the United States. A portion of all proceeds from Dirty Girl registration fees are donated directly to the National Breast Cancer Foundation with hopes of raising more than $250,000 on their current tour. In each city of the tour, 250 cancer survivors will receive complimentary registration and special recognition during the race.
“We’re excited to bring this unique event to the women of the Scranton area,” Dirty Girl Race Director Jimmy Gohsman stated in a press release. “The day will offer women of all athletic and fitness abilities a chance to get out of their comfort zones and into their giggle zones. Each obstacle is specially designed to be challenging but manageable.”
With obstacle names like “H2 Oh My God,” “Utopian Tubes,” “Slippery When Wet” and “PMS” (Pretty Muddy Stuff) the DGMR has caught the curiosity of a wide array of women looking to get involved in the muddy fun. The race site is buzzing with thousands of participants sharing their stories of inspiration, their creatively provocative team names and their overall excitement about getting together with their team mates and getting dirty.
Kristen Langan, personal trainer and owner of Fabulously Fit!, has seen interest in the race gain momentum as of late, even training a number of her clients in order to compete. “After signing up for the DGMR, I started recruiting more people and clients. They were hesitant at first saying they couldn’t do a 5K with obstacles and I assured them they could. It became a goal we worked on while I was training them. It is not only a great cause, but turned out to be a great motivation for quite a few of my clients.”
The popularity of the event is also helping participants make important lifestyle changes, steering them towards healthier choices and activities while conditioning their bodies for the dirt fest.
“After being talked into it by a few other ladies, I have not only decided to do this out of compassion for those suffering with cancer, it has become my beacon to get myself healthier and stronger in these weeks leading up to this race,” said Megan Joy Butler-Raup, a participant form Danville. “I have lost weight and have become closer to my girlfriends as we have all made healthier choices in order to participate in this race. How awesome is it to say that a fun obstacle course I am going to do in the mud with my girlfriends has managed to lift my spirits enough to make exercise an everyday thing now?”
The day will start with the first wave of participants running through the 20-foot high Dirty Girl starting arch at 8 a.m. and will continue with each wave departing every 15 minutes. The course will be manned by off-duty firefighters and monitored by medical and emergency personnel for the runners’ safety. The untimed race will follow a 5K course with a variety of obstacles spread about 1/4 to 1/3 of a mile apart. The run concludes with 40-foot long crawl through an embracing mud pit.
After completing the course, runners will be able to clean up in a special area, change clothes and celebrate with their families and friends and enjoy food, refreshments, music and dancing. The DGMR’s main goal is to provide a non-intimidating environment for women ages 14 and up and of all abilities in which they can “let their hair down and enjoy some mud, sweat and cheers.” They encourage runners to take it easy and have fun. They also encourage spectators to bring a camera, because the filthy pictures will be priceless.
Gohsman assures participants the day “will be a memorable and epic experience.”

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