You have to be a maniac to run a five-kilometre course of obstacles, tunnels, fire jumps and lakes of mud, right?
When you’re confronted with objectives known as The Gauntlet, The Leap of Faith, The Commando Crawl and Napoleon Complex, “maniac” is a sure bet.
Welcome to Rugged Maniac, which takes place Saturday on the grounds of the Cloverdale Rodeo.
Participants will be challenged to their limits, and should not be afraid to get dirty.
The fun atmosphere continues after the run with a day-long, post-race party with beer, games and activities, including a mechanical bull, an adult bouncy castle and a pie-eating contest.
Rugged Maniac Chief Operating Officer Rob Dickens told Black Press last year organizers were excited to bring the event to the Vancouver area, where there’s an active, adventurous population that likes to get outdoors.
More than 5,000 tickets sold for the inaugural event in 2015 was “a great first step to making Rugged Maniac an annual tradition in the area,” he said.
Now, Rugged Maniac is back for a second year.
“We’ve experienced tremendous growth since our inception in 2010 thanks to our fanatical drive to make sure our Maniacs have the best experience imaginable at our event. We build more obstacles than our competitors while at the same time offering the lowest ticket prices. Our participant shirts aren’t the coarse cotton ones you’d get at a normal 5K – they’re super-soft designer quality shirts that you’ll actually want to wear.”
Participants will also get a racer medal and photos.
Dickens added organizers have strived for a no-line event – no lines at the toilets, food trucks or the course.
“We treat our Maniacs the way we’d want to be treated, and they show their appreciation by coming back year after year.”
Admission is $89 until Aug. 9. After that, admission is $100 up to and including the day of the race. The Military/student discount is $10 off. Parking is $10 per car. Spectators get in free.
To register, visit ruggedmaniac.com/events/vancouver/
