THE FAMOUS CAMP PENDLETON MUD RUN

Here's the team all nice a clean.

Erik & Kristin along with 3 other friends recently participated in the famous Camp Pendelton Mud Run.  It is done 4 times in the month of June with 5,000 particpants on EACH run.  You can run individually, or as a team but if you run as a team, you must all cross the finish line together

Prior to the run, one of their team members hurt his shoulder and had to drop out but the daughter of another member agreed to step in even though she hadn't trained and had just returned from Spain the day before.  Thank goodness she is young!

Not knowing the territory, they got there about 6a.  You park your car quite a ways from the course so busses drive you to the starting place.  You check your gear and then wait until the starting time at 9a.  They start them in "waves".  They were in the third wave (of four) and the rest is history.

We got there about 8:30 and after we got on the base it took us 1/2 hour to drive to the place.  It's a BIG base!  We parked and took a shuttle to as close as he could get us and we walked to the starting point.

Here's some pictures to tell the story.

As you can see there were plenty of portapotties.

We got to the starting line about the time the first "wave " started.  The first thing to greet them as they begin their run is the fire hose. 

She was relentless and if you tried to escape, she narrowed the stream and gottcha!

Several groups wore "costumes".  Note the guy's "bra" in the back.  Coconut shells.

They were drenched and further down the line, if she didn't get you there was a fire truck to make sure you got wet on that very cool morning.

We could only see the start line and the finish because the rest was out in the boonies so we headed back to an area where they had booths with T-shirts and the like, food, a couple of bands, and exhibits and rides.

There was several tanks, guns, etc. on display.

Bubble balls for the kids.

A Zip line (didn't go very far, but hey!)  And a calyspo band.  Fun.

Here's where the runners checked their bags.
Very efficiently organized with a couple of Marines to keep watch.

The "HOGWASH" . In an hour or so the line up was very, very long.

Dennis figured they would be near the finish line in about 1.5 hours, so we headed back there to watch them come in.

Here they come in the blue shirts.

Up a little hill and down into the mud bath, the last obstacle. That's Kristin looking at you and Erik getting his head under the wire.

Here's all five team members.  Erik has a camera on his head.

The mud bath was about 30 ft. long and about 2 ft. deep (I'm guessing).
The Marines were there to yell at you at each obstacle.

That's their team in front heading for the finish line as a group.

Had to give her a hug. 

We did it!

The Marines were there to give "free hugs and kisses".

Well done, Erik.

A little different look from the first photo.

I should have worn a darker shirt, but it was worth the hugs.