A lot has been written about the rise of technically challenging, obstacle course-focused races in recent years, with Tough Mudder as one of the most popular names in the space. It isn’t hard to see the appeal of a grueling obstacle course for some competitors — especially with the rise of crossfit and events like The Amazing Race and The World’s Strongest Man. There is, however, at least one potential downside to charging through a wet, muddy obstacle course with a bunch of other athletes — and the participants in one such race in Sonoma County just found out what that is.
As Live Science reports, 22 people who took part in a two-day event subsequently received warnings from both Tough Mudder itself and the Sonoma County Department of Health Services. The latter’s advisory points to a pretty unpleasant state of affairs for those who came down with infections.
“Most affected persons have pustular rash, fever, myalgias, and headache. These symptoms could be indicative of a minor illness called Swimmers’ Itch, but they can also indicate a Staph infection or other more serious bacterial infection such as Aeromonas,” the department stated — and urged anyone experiencing symptoms to contact their doctor or a local hospital.
The Terror of Marrying Into a Turkey Trot Family
If the internet is to be believed, families who run on Thanksgiving are one of the greatest phobias among American youthEarly in Tough Mudder’s existence, John Branch of the New York Times wrote an article exploring the company’s goals — which included hosting events that were “more grueling than shorter runs or novelty events, some of which also have a mud-covered theme.” Runners recovering from infections was probably not the kind of “grueling” Tough Mudder had in mind.
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