Adding mud to a run turns sport into a party

MIDWAY, Summit County — How do you turn a 5K into something just about anyone would want to do?

Cover it in mud.

Sounds simple, even silly, but adding copious amounts of water to a trail run turns what would normally be a tough task into child's play.

Seriously.

Adding mud to a run is like dipping raisins in chocolate. It's taking something that's wholesome but unappealing to many and making it a lot more enticing by coating it in something nearly everyone loves.

Adding mud to a run reminds adults why they used to jump in those puddles on their way to the playground. Getting dirty on purpose is a blast, but it is more thrilling when you can get your friends filthy.

Adding mud to a run turns a solitary sport into a party. While most people run for themselves, a mud run is definitely meant to be a shared experience.

Converting running into a group activity may be the most attractive trait of the Dirty Dash. Founders John Malfatto and Jeff Harps knew mud runs would be popular in Utah because so many residents love the sport of running.

"There is such a great running community, and so many people are searching for new outdoor activities," said Harps. "There were different 5Ks and races every weekend, but nothing like this."

"This" is a 5- or 10-kilometer course covered in mud and obstacles. That's right: Not only do runners have to deal with slip-sliding in the mud, they have to climb wet walls, crawl through giant tubes, hurdle a series of hay bales and show of that agility with high-knees through hundreds of tires.

Malfatto got the idea from a company that organizes mud runs in California, but unlike some of the more serious obstacle/mud races, the Dirty Dash doesn't take itself seriously — at all.

While Malfatto and Harps figured locals would embrace the event, they had no idea how many people would clamor to run a race simply because it included mud and a Slip 'n Slide.

"It grew a little faster than we thought," Harps said with a laugh.