AN EVENT FEATURING MUD OBSTACLES PULLED PORK AND BEER
NOTE: Images From the event are now available – click here to go to the photo album.
An overcast and rainy morning greeted the runners for the start of the Pumpkin Bash Dash. 115 runners in groups of 15 to 25 started off on the 17 obstacle dash with a dip under or crawling over the Log Boom, then a pit that if you were not already wet, you were after going through the knee high water.
About 75 yards later at the Sandman each runner grabbed a sand bag and toted it 30 feet to a drop off before heading up to what turned out to most the most tortuous to most of the runners, three times up and down the racetracks grandstands. With legs now a little wobbley the Hangmans Noose gave the runners a choice of the hard and fast way down the hill or a slower more gentle way down to the road coarse surface. Heading up the Trail of Doom to Cargo Congo then down Graveyard your hands came into play to help the feet get hold of the ground. The upward slope of Pacific’s roadcoarse ( race cars go down the hill ) put the pressure on the calf muscles as it works out to more than a quater mile.
Into Pacific’s newly opened moto-X track for Spike Fest, Dirt Devil and the Tangled Web which turned out to be the second hardest to the runners. Witche’s Brew tuned you up for the sandhill called Life’s a Beach. This obstacle clamed a few runners to it’s surface as gravity did it’s thing. Three 24 inch drain tubes made up the Shawshank as runners cralled on hands and knees with a few crawling on their backs to get thru.
Running over Pumpkin Smash to test their balance on Walk the Plank, a skinny 4 inch wide board three feet off the ground felt a lot higher to most as concentration on your feet pulled your eyes to the ground then back to your feet. Another 50 yards and you were into the Pig Pen. A water filled mud slurry over knee deep sloppy mess. Then on to Hell on Earth which mother nature must not have liked as the rain dampened the fire so much it was hard to keep it going.
The finish line in sight, some sprinted the last 20 yards accross the finish line. After all the runners finished the coarse, Eric from Accustat Sportstiming pronounced #375 Micah Hitchcock the fastest over, under, around and thru the 17 challenges in 26:19.50.
After getting the mud off and drying all headed to the Big Foods Concession for hot drinks, burgers or the favorite hot pulled pork sandwiches. Taking the hot food to the big white tent got you to the beer supplied by Harmon Brewery and live music to listen to. All left knowing that they were challenged and happy they made it thru the course.
With clear visibility at a premium and traction impacted by low overnight temperatures, the road course required more caution and the drifters fought for grip.
