3,000 'Maniacs' Compete In OKC Obstacle Course Race

Wave after wave of runners tested their limits at the first Rugged Manic mud race at Wake Zone Cable Park in Oklahoma City on Saturday. More than 3,000 self-titled “maniacs” took to the 5-kilometer course to scale, slide and snake their way through 25 military-style obstacles.

The course includes wading through deep water, crawling beneath barbed wire and jumping logs set on fire.

The race’s main event is the Warped Wall, an 18 foot quarter pipe which runners have to scale so they can slide down the other side.  The event’s director Kaitlyn Long said all the obstacles are designed with the average “maniac” in mind.

“Rugged Maniac's goal is to be fun. It's the perfect balance of physicality and fun. Anyone can get up off the couch and come and join us on a Saturday,” she said.

The Rugged Maniac is one of two dozen other races the company will put on across the country. It's part of a popular trend for weekend warriors and fitness buffs to let loose.

“Eighty percent of our runners are just like you and I. There's no special training required,” Long said.

Although it's not a race, runners are timed by a tracking chip connected to their shoes, according to the event’s website. Those participants with the fastest time get a chance to compete on a national stage.

No matter their times, participants get a medal, a T-shirt and free beer for competing. After the event participants could stay for mechanical bull riding, pull up contests and a dance party.

But the question on most people’s minds is why would anyone spend their Saturday getting down and dirty in the mud?

Skylar Newberry said, “It's a lot of fun and I like competing.”

“We trained so hard and we wanted to show ourselves that we could do it,” Chelsea Williams said, “We've been training for so long that we might as well do something to show it!”

 “…because the adrenaline rush. We like to be in shape. We like the challenges, Yasmine Way said before scaling the warped wall.

2015 was the first year the event branched out into Oklahoma and they hope to make it an annual event. When asked, most maniacs say they'll be back next year for more good, not-so-clean fun.