It was described as a “mud-crawling, fire-leaping, extreme run from hell.” I had heard about this event but the need to see who would partake in such insanity would mean a trip to Horseshoe resort near Barrie, Ontario. The event is a race or should I say dash, The Warrior Dash.
It’s quoted on their website as an event “held
on the most challenging and rugged terrain.
Warriors conquer extreme obstacles , push their limits and celebrate
with kick ass music, beer and warrior helmets.”
The
day of the event I got up early for the two-hour drive to Horseshoe
Valley. Since it was Saturday morning
traffic was at a standstill in places.
I thought to myself driving north on a Saturday was a challenge it
itself. People actually drove through this to get to something more
challenging.
When I arrived a brief breeze whipped clouds of dust around the long line of yellow school
buses. Many participants filled the
buses from a makeshift parking lot I had passed on the highway. As I
moved toward the noise my first observation was the ambulances on standby. Several were in one area along with a first
aid tent. A few people were already inside getting first aid. That was a bit of
a concern. Being a relative of three
willing participants I was a little worried at this point. So
as to not bring attention to myself I walked with purpose past the registration
tents overflowing with ballerinas and a blue man group (three men painted blue). Music was blasting from huge speakers in the
next area and there was mud, lots of mud. But what I noticed most was the
camaraderie. The atmosphere was exploding
with excitement.
As I made my way over to the start line the excitement was building. 500 warriors stood nervously in this heat, anticipating the challenges and waiting for their chance to prove to themselves they could finish. 10-9-8-7 and they were ready. This is what they signed up for and with flames shooting out of the starting gate they were off. I wandered over close to the finish line and took my stance by the fence for the best position for photos. Beside me, people covered in mud cheered others on coming toward the end of the race. I listened to some of them and even though at the start of the day, most of these people were strangers, the excitement and camaraderie of being a warrior for the day made the mood contagious. As I watched them climb over the 10 foot wall, jump across two fire beds and then jump into a pit of mud under barbed wire, I realized that this actually looked like fun. Some were limping, most were filthy and all were smiling.
I
asked Laura (my daughter) what she felt the day of the race.
Not surprisingly her reply was “Just before I started out-I
wanted to GO! I was tired of waiting. I had been looking forward to the Warrior
Dash for six months and didn't want to wait a minute longer. When it was over I
was disappointed when I rounded the corner during the race and saw the last
three obstacles. I wasn't ready for it to be over! I felt like I hadn’t
challenged myself enough. Another of our trio said “this
was so awesome, felt like I was going to die going up those hills with the heat
and everything, I would do it again if I could, best weekend so far this summer.
The hills were killers and so challenging, Mud was great at the beginning and
at the end, especially the end, pure fun and extreme at the same time.”
The thousands who participated showed
great energy and as the long line of white t shirted partipants with warrior
helmets waited for the buses to take them back to their cars I mentally
scheduled the warrior dash as a must do item on my bucket list.
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