Merrell Down & Dirty National Mud Run Series

Since this was going to be my very first obstacle race, I chose to do the 3 mile course instead of the 6. I’m a frequent participant in 5 and 10Ks, but with the added challenge of climbing, jumping, crawling, and pulling, I wasn’t so confident I would last all 6 miles.
The organization of the race was awesome. I got a number of emails the weeks prior to the event informing me of packet pickup times, directions, and parking instructions.
I wasn’t able to pick up my packet the day before the race, so my pals and I drove to the race early in the morning anticipating traffic, parking issues, and a long walk to the start line. One of the MAJOR pros about the race is that if you drive a Subaru, there’s no parking fee AND you pretty much get to park about 50 yards away from the start line. It. Was. Incredible.
Once we got there, picked up our bibs, applied our sunscreen, and checked in our gear, we realized we had about another 2 hours before our 10:30am start. Luckily, there was another 3 mile group that was starting at 9:30, so we decided to just jump into one of those waves. Each wave started about 3 minutes apart, giving a decent amount of time to keep the flow of the course moving. The down side is that if you’re in the 12^th wave, you’re starting about 30 minutes after your listed start time. That’s a lot of waiting around.
I thought the course was great. Not easy by any means, but not heartbreakingly challenging either. The divots in the grass were more challenging to overcome than some of the obstacles. I just kept thinking how embarrassing it would be if I injured my ankle from running through the park before I even got to the first challenge. I think there was no more than a half a mile distance of walking/​running between each obstacle. This was nice because it didn’t feel like I was laboring through any of the running stretches.
The most intense obstacle for me was the cargo net wall… not because it was physically difficult or demanding but because when you get to the top, you realize how high off the ground you are. Not so pleasant if you have an issue with heights. The most demanding obstacle was hands down the heartbreak hill. It’s 100 yards of a 60−70% incline. My poor calves! All you can do is keep your eyes on the ground and keep going. Once you look up and see you much further you have to go, it’s over. The organizers strategically placed a water station at the top of the hill so you have a chance to catch your breath, drink some water, and appreciate the view that you just worked so hard for.
I was told that there would be a lot of waiting at some of the obstacles, but the only one that I thought was time consuming was the sand bag haul. Maybe they can work on spreading that one out a little bit better. Other than that, I thought the course flowed really well. Some of these challenges were actually pretty fun. The inflatable slide, rock climbing wall, and hurdles were some of my favorites.
As far as attire, I would recommend wearing clothes that are fitted. Loose tees and shorts allow excessive entry of dirt and mud into your nether regions. Think about how miserable it is to find sand EVERYWHERE after going to the beach… it’s kinda like that. I wore a pair of worn out shoes knowing that they were probably gonna get trashed, and luckily, the event had a place where you can donate your shoes after the race. They also had a large rinse off station and changing tents. It’s like they thought of everything!
If you’re at all uncomfortable with the thought of putting your body through this type of challenging course, do it! Just do it! It may be a little intimidating, but you will have a powerful sense of satisfaction once you complete it. You truly are much stronger and more capable than you think, and this race reinforced that for me.

Tons of mud dripping fun for the whole family. From a 6 year old to the old man. Will definitely make this a yearly event to attend.

Probably one of my favorite mud runs of the year. They have these events peppered across the country, and one of them is conveniently located at Castaic Lake, outside of Santa Clarita.
You REALLY get Down and Dirty in this one! Tie them shoes up real tight cus you might lose a loose one in the mud. There’s A LOT of uphill climbs and you can’t be afraid to get a few scrapes and bruises :).
Obstacles like walls, nets, and hurdles are scattered across the trail. Everyone’s out here to have a good time, so bring some friends or make some along the way! The whole course gives you a challenge, but I think the hardest part would be where the hill reaches a ridiculous incline. Your shoes are wet, the floors slippery and you’re pretty much going at a full vertical.
The last part is a short downhill section that snakes around until you hit the lake. A part of the course gets you into the lake and its the cleanest feeling ever… but wait! You think you’re gonna end a Mud Run clean?! Its not over! Just for good measure, the course ends with a good rope climb and BACK into a MUD crawl and then to the finish line!
After the race, stick around and enjoy some good music and complementary burgers for the participants. They have some cleaning stations, but the water pressure’s weak so I suggest either running into the lake or bringing a few gallons of clean water to wash off.
If you like getting dirty, its a great way to have some fun. If you don’t, I still think you need to try it at least once to say you did!

I thought it was all fun and games and getting dirty until that start gun went off and my pansy ass was straight up heaving like an asthmatic fat man five minutes into the course. Good lord!
I’m not new to running races, but I completely underestimated this 5K. It felt like ¾ of it was a pretty hard uphill battle right off the bat in the sweltering sun. There was one stretch of strenuous climbing/​hiking because the incline was so steep. Crawling through mud sounded squishy and fun in my head, but some of these obstacles were a little harsh and scratchy on the knees. I had a few bruises and battle wounds post race. I’m not complaining though – it was a challenging yet fun course, and I’m glad I did it. I just want to put this out there for all the first time participants who may underestimate this particular course like I did.
Views along the course were pristine. Once you get through the uphill battle, you get amazing views of Castaic Lake on the way down to the finish line. The obstacles weren’t incredibly challenging, but like I said, be prepared for some scratches and light bruises. I loved that most of fun obstacles were near the finish line, where friends and family could easily take photos of you getting down and dirty.
Overall, I thought this event was very organized and fun. Organizers provided lockers and even shampoo for after the race! I suggest bringing an extra change of clothes, a towel, plastic bag and flip flops for after the race. Oh yes, and if the event is held at Castaic Lake again next year, be prepared for a long walk from the parking lot to the event (unless you decide to pay for preferred parking).
I hope to return next year with some friends! Thanks for a great event, organizers!

Alright this was my first 10K and my first mud run all in one for both my wife and I. It was a crazy hard core experience from the get go. The first three miles were all uphill with obstacles about every mile. It was very steep and rugged terrain and all good for the adventure inside everyone.
The Mud run was located in beautiful Castaic Lake in southern California near Magic Mountain. The weather was really nice that day with clear skies and a good breeze bouncing off the lake. The crowd was great we were surrounded by positive people all happy to be at this event and they helped keeping us motivated. The location was also amazing because the view and the cleanliness were really good for a grungy race. The parking lot and the event were very organized and ran smoothly except for the photos at the end of the race.
The race came with a free Burger Bash which included a hamburger that was grilled outside and a free soda. I don’t know how hungry I was because the burger was really good except the toppings were all out. There was also a sponsor selling Mexican food and my wife purchased some tacos that were extremely salty.
But this event isn’t about the food is about having a great time and pushing you to the limits. So it provided exactly what we wanted and it was very memorable. I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to see what they got.

Bruised up knees, sun burned face, broken toe nail. What more can you ask for?
This was my first mud run and it was a great experience! Yes, it was quite far, but it was worth it. Everything was well organized, just wish the confirmation email came with some pertinent info such as: driver’s license needs to be present, and that they do provide bag check.
I did the 5k and it was the perfect length for me. I do run on a regular basis, but the different terrain and the uphill was a killer. Oh and not to mention I drank the night before and did not get ample sleep. That could be a factor.
I loved all the obstacles they had. It broke up the run and made it more exciting. Having a crowd for you at the finish line made it worthwhile and me feel proud of myself.
Loved that they provided burgers and hoses to rinse off. When I got home and took a shower, you could only imagine. Mud was coming out of the woodworks! Every knook and cranny!
I’ll be back next year for sure, but with a big group and in uniform!

So I have run a half marathon, a full marathon, but this was hands down pretty rough and dirty (to say the least), but a lot of fun. There were a ton of volunteers and people ready to help out during the race, which is always nice during a race. I was also impressed by the number of water stations throughout the course.
The only thing my team was bummed out by was that they didn’t have t-​shirts and we got hustled by the parking folks– but the race itself was a lot of fun. There also was no music and it was hard to wear an iPod, which would have made it a bit more entertaining.
A couple of things to note for the next time we do it:
1. Probably good to wear knee pads, or pants. There is a lot of crawling going on.
2. Don’t wear anything you want to get dirty or wet. I did wear my running waist pack and I was able to take it off before an obstacle and someone was always willing to hold it. I tossed my sneakers and socks at the end of the race since they were so muddy.
3. Bring a towel and change of clothes.
4. Find the right parking lot. We went into the first one we saw. They charged us $ 10, and when we were walking away, they were charging the other cars $ 8. It was also a good mile away from the start of the race (a hilly 1 mile to boot).
5. Bring a camera. There weren’t many professional photographers and there were a lot of awesome kodak moments along the way.
6. Do it with friends. It made it much more bearable with friends since we had a good laugh throughout the race. My friends definitely made it entertaining along the way.
Overall, every shape and size could do the race. There are a lot of hills in the race, which was annoying– but gave you an excuse to walk…

April 2011 Race at Castaic Lake.
The weather couldn’t have been better. The race itself: Awesome.
This is no 5 or 10k race to sneeze at. The first half is uphill ALL the way. No joke, it will take your breath away. Lean forward and pump those feet.
Prior to doing this race, I read somewhere that someone would have prefered more mud, less run. I’d have to agree, but boy, do they make you work for that mud!
Words to the wise if you plan to do this race:
– long pants or something that covers the knees because when you’re climbing over the walls, ladders, cargo nets, it helps you hike yourself over without worrying about splinters, rope burn, etc.
– If you’re also not great at doing the crab crawl under the dry cargo net obstacle, it’ll help protect your knees from the dirt and gravel.
– people were scaring me with stories of duct taping their shoes to their legs so they wouldn’t lose their shoes. Nah. Didn’t happen. Just lace up tight.
– I wore a baseball cap thinking I would salvage some of my hair. Stupid. Don’t be me. The rim of my hat kept getting caught on the cargo net. In hind sight, I signed up to get muddy so what was i thinking? There’s truly no way of avoiding it.
– Standard stuff, hydrate the night before, sleep well.
– While they provide hoses so you can hose down, when you get back to your car, you are still going to find mud in them nooks and crannies. We brought an Igloo cooler full of washcloths soaked in hot water. You’ll thank me later.
– When in the mud, don’t stop, don’t think, just go! That’s what you signed up for isn’t it?!
P. S. Well organized race. Great volunteers! Plenty of bang for your buck with the great dri-​fit UVP shirt, Buff, cheeseburger lunch and PLENTY of restrooms and refreshments.

Hands down one of the best mud runs of the year. Los Angeles’s has a great course, great eco market, great band/​food/​beer, and a communal dip in the lake to wash off if you like. Much easier and quicker than wrangeling with the showers. («Wading in the water…») So much awesome! My team make an it an annual stop on our mud run tour.

The Merrell Down and Dirty National Mud Run Series in Sacramento was a great adventure and lots of fun. I had never done anything like this before and I had the best time with three amazing friends! Running uphill and climbing hurdles twice my height, climbing slippery slopes with a knotted rope, inching my way through a short mud pit and then walking through the lake to clean it off. The grand finale was the extreme mud pit, aka the «epic mud slide», I got stuck in the mud and laughed a lot before making it to the other side. I was extremely grateful for the water hose section just beyond the finish line where I cleaned up real nice! Oh and I also got to experience the reality of «you wash my back and I’ll wash yours». Thankfully I was able to get all of that icky mud cleaned off of my nails too. Just like in all races, you get a bag of goodies before starting and the event ends with a bbq. They actually had veggie burgers too, lucky me! Good times, I highly recommend this for everyone, they do it every year. You gotta get down & dirty at least once in your life people!