Tom Munds
The Tough Mudder event promises a challenge and Thornton resident Rick Yurko said the event kept its promise and going through the course was a memory-making experience.
Yurko spent about four hours going through the demanding obstacle course when he and his son Bo, a former standout on the Legacy football team, joined eight friends at Beaver Creek ski area June 9 to run the Tuff Mudder Colorado event.
The team of Denver and Thornton residents adopted the team name, Pain Train. A company called Control’s Engineering provided sponsorship so they could have black team T-shirts to wear during the competition.
“The course was definitely more difficult and challenging that I expected,” the Thornton resident, said. “It was tough and the types of obstacles are not the type of thing you can train for. Running this course was hard but it was also a lot of fun.”
Organizers describe Tough Mudder as a 10 to 12-mile obstacle course designed by British Special Forces to test strength, stamina, determination and camaraderie. It also was an event with a purpose because a portion of the entry fee of an estimated 1,500 people who took part in the two-day event is donated to the Wounded Warriors Organization.
“Nothing about the course was easy,” Yurko said. “But what made it worth the effort was being out there with my son and friends. One thing that surprised me no matter if team member or not, everyone helped everyone. It was like one big family and most of those who extended a helping hand to me were people I have never seen before.”
Thornton resident Thomas Munds said the challenge started at once as there was an eight-foot wall to go over before you got to the start line.
“When we left the starting line, the first seven miles of the course was all up hill,” the veteran marathon runner said. “The slope was steep and the climb was a killer. I think we went up about 2,000 feet in elevation in those seven miles.”
He and his son Cory, a Horizon High School graduate, made up the remainder of the Thornton contingent.
Thomas said swimming through the 30 yards of icy water was a bigger challenge than expected because it was almost like trying to swim through a Slurpee.
He said obstacles varied from climbing snow slopes with snow-making machines pelting you, crawling through sloppy, thick mud and braving electric shock.
The final challenge was a 12-foot tall wall fronted by a quarter pipe made slick with vegetable oil.
“That last wall was tough,” Yurko said. “You tried to help one team member get up to the top so he could help the other get up there. Again, it seemed everyone was ready to extend a helping hand. We got help and, when all our team got to the top of the wall, we stayed there a while to help other behind us to get up on top too.”
He said two high points for him was successful completion of the ring and the monkey bars obstacles.
“You had to swing from ring to ring or drop into the water,” he said. “It was the same with the monkey bars. I got all the way across both of them without getting wet.”
Yurko said he had bumps, bruises and sore muscles the day after the event.
“Today I am recovering and will probably be sore for a day or two,” he said. “But, if you ask me a month from now, I would probably be willing to run the Tough Mudder course again.”
