If there was ever a way to race the slush, then the folks behind the second Mud Rush obstacle-course marathon made sure you had your share of the gooey stuff. The 7 km circuit was designed with 21 challenging obstacles at the majestic Fort Jadhavgad, off Pune on September 1, 2013. Close to 2,500 people took part in the race and around 3,500 attended the sun-downer party.
We kicked off our race after some basic warmups, assisted by buff trainers from Gold’s Gym. Believe me, the 25-acre stretch of land was a bit too much for us to complete in ace form, but we managed to pull to the finish line anyway. The first thing I did, was gulp down a Red Bull to keep me going. Thanks to the very bright sun, the otherwise slushy obstacles, ran dry and became a tad easier to conquer. The one I spend through was 45 degree vertical drop, on which I crashed into the mud at the bottom with superhuman ease. The fear at the beginning of making the jump had been put to rest, even after one guy ended up breaking his wrist during the free slide. I guess I just got lucky. There were plenty others who ended up doing back flips and rolling over on that slide, which made it look all the more scary and out of control. I managed clearing the race in record speed, if I say so myself, in three hours and even though there were no winners, everyone was awarded a medal for participation.
Besides us regulars, The Mud Rush hosted a team called the MS Warriors, who participated with their patients, caregivers, volunteers and well wishers along with their Cause Ambassador, Milind Soman.
Post the race in the morning, the open stretches of Fort Jadhavgarh turned into a booming dance floor at night with SEQU3L and Ajit Pai played decent warm up sets. Sequ3l though faced some technical difficulties when mid-set, the power went out. Anish Sood and Dj Clement too brought on the groove. I was expecting a better lineup this time, since at The Mud Rush Kolad earlier this year DJs Martin Roth, Dinka and Weekend Heroes performed.
Overall the event production was pretty neat. The Mud Rush’s next edition will be held at Aamby Valley City in 2014. We will be sure to announce those details soon.
Till then here are some pictures from the the day-long madness:
