Saturday morning’s third annual Mud Run just north of Kenai featured enough mud and dirt — including a muddy water pit at the end of the 3.5-mile race — to get racers good and filthy, but Mother Nature decided to pitch in anyway.
Forty runners showed up under watery skies at the New Beginnings Fitness Center in Kenai for the race, which featured two mudslides, tires, another mud pit and a water pit that lined the edge of the Kenai Spur highway. Mike Crawford took the victory in 25 minutes, 54 seconds, beating out second place and top women’s finisher Jenna Ford, who finished 1:40 behind Crawford.
“This was the perfect combination,” Crawford said about the weather. “I think we’re setting the precedent.”
Crawford, who had a GoPro camera strapped to his chest, completed his race with an acrobatic front flip into the water pit. From there, racers continued to show off with somersaults and jumps into the water.
Ford and running partner Rustin Hitchcock both sported “onesies” pajamas for the race, and both ended up completely soaked with mud and water.
“We stopped by Wal-Mart last night and picked these up,” she said with a laugh. “It’s really clinging to us.”
Ford and Hitchcock weren’t the only ones that came dressed unusually. Among the field was a cast of characters that included a couple of hillbillies, “Uncle Si” from Duck Dynasty, and even a pimp.
Pako Whannell, dressed as the Si character, complete with a fake beard and cup of sweet tea, said she was running in place of her son, Jordyn, and daughter, Kyla, who is nursing a sore leg injury.
“They like the (Duck Dynasty) show, so I dressed like this today,” Whannell said. “I think I already lost the sweet tea cup that goes with it.”
Rustin Hitchcock’s sister, Whitney, the race coordinator, said the event was a Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, and all the proceeds went to it.
3rd Annual Mud Run
3.5 miles
1. Mike Crawford 25:54; 2. Becca Ford 27:34; 3. Rustin Hitchcock 28:16; 4. Tanner Best 29:40; 5. Brett Smith 30:25; 6. Morgan Ezell 31:28; 7. Sarah Herrin 31:30; 8. Ryan Nelson 31:48; 9. Jessica Broussard 33:49; 10. Joey Kuininert 35:39; 11. Rebekah Krogseng 35:39; 12. Charity Payton 35:56; 13. Casie Holmes 36:30; 14. Patrick Mize 37:35; 15. Elena Hanson 39:32; 16. Arielle Hamar 41:07; 17. Sohnya OBrien 41:08; 18. Chris Johnson 41:11; 19. Pako Whannell 42:40; 20. Desiree Reyes 43:23; 21. Janell Retler 43:23; 22. Sheila Best 44:37; 23. Christina Mullins 46:00; 24. Cierra Vandeney 46:38; 25. Brenden Seiffer 46:39; 26. Jacqueline Van Hatten 47:00; 27. Tina Williamson 47:12; 28. Willow Kitchens 48:10; 29. Jackie Oliva 50:15; 30. Leah English 50:47; 31. Julie English 50:49; 32. Charlene Spiers 51:17; 33. Monique Spiers 51:23; 34. Amy Milburn 51:46; 35. Shanda Hull 53:49; 36. Lorr Nelson 55:49; 37. Baron Sterling 56:05; 38. Lorissa Sterling 56:09; 39. Amber Ewing 56:17; 40. Cali Holmes 56:17.
