Get ready for some mud-covered fun. Eagerly anticipated by Louisville-area families and young-at-heart adults, the annual YMCA Family Mud Run returns to the Oldham County YMCA on Saturday, July 26. Each year, participants age 4 and older enjoy getting dirty from head to toe as they navigate a muddy, obstacle-filled course.
“The Mud Run started in 2017, but then it was on a much smaller course and run by an outside company. We are located at 20 Quality Place in Buckner on 26 acres of land and thought, why don’t we just do it ourselves? Each year we make it bigger and trade out or add more obstacles. We are always trying to make it more fun; it’s never the same. We keep it interesting,” said Brittany Caple, associate executive director.
“We rent a backhoe. After digging and digging, we add water and the obstacles. Clay mud tends to stay on clothes, and as participants go through the course, they get muddier and muddier,” Caple said.
The untimed event is purely for fun and is not a fundraiser. It’s an activity offered to the Louisville community by the Oldham County YMCA. Most people complete the course within a couple of hours.
Varied obstacles, such as plunge pits and rope climbs, add enjoyment to the event. Although forward progress might be temporarily hindered, the fun is not blocked. Family teamwork is evident, and there are plenty of staff and volunteers who lend helping hands along the way.
Each of the approximately 35 obstacles along the roughly 2-mile course involves mud. One of the most popular is Tubes of Doom, where huge slides deposit people into waist-high mud puddles. Participants climb out and immediately find themselves going back into the muck. Another crowd-pleaser is the Infernal Pass, which consists of a balance beam over a pit full of water. Then, everyone climbs under a cargo net.
“You can walk it, jog it or run it. It’s very family-friendly, and if the group doesn’t feel like doing a certain obstacle, they can skip around it. Last year the temperature was almost 100 degrees. There are two water stations. The mud cools everyone off, and at the end, a fire truck sprays the mud off everyone with a low-pressure hose. All registered get a T-shirt, medal and snacks after completing the course,” Caple said.
Online registration is available on the Oldham County Family YMCA website, and the cost is $30 per person. The registration table opens at 8 a.m. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., waves of about 25 participants are sent off to the muck and mire every 10 to 15 minutes. Specific start times can be requested when signing up.
“The Mud Run goes on until 3 p.m., and as long as people come before then, they can participate. There is plenty of parking in the facility lot. Wristbands are given at the registration table, and the entry fee can be paid there for those who haven’t already signed up online. We encourage people to wear old clothes and shoes they don’t care about. We see a lot of shoes floating in the water. Some people who have done it before come wearing goggles and duct tape shoes to their feet,” Caple said.
Caple shared that although a few people throw away the shoes they wore after the event, she has had good luck washing hers. While wearing headwear such as goggles might seem extreme, securing hair out of the face is wise. Getting dirty is what the fun is all about — just bring extra clothes to wear on the car ride home.
The Oldham County Family YMCA welcomes sponsors for the event. This year, Ameriprise Financial is a Gold Sponsor at the $1,000 level. Kroger is a Silver Sponsor, contributing $500 of in-kind donations by supplying snacks such as granola bars, fruit, water and drinks at the end of the course. Gatorade is donating Prime Hydration Sports Drinks.
As part of the YMCA of Greater Louisville, the Oldham County location offers programming to strengthen the community, with an emphasis on developing youth potential. Amenities include a fitness center with cardio and strength equipment and free weights. The facility has a gymnasium, group exercise classes and a cycling room. There is also an indoor swimming pool, sauna and locker rooms. Outside are hiking and biking trails, sports fields and an 18-hole disc golf course.
Through its affiliation with the YMCA of Greater Louisville, the Oldham County branch offers members an array of classes and events for adults and youth. Examples include hip-hop dance camps, late-night basketball, color runs and sensory family swims at Calypso Cove. Among the classes are babysitting and CPR. Birthday party packages are available as well.
To join the YMCA, visit ymcalouisville.org and click on the Membership tab. After choosing a location, fee options — which vary with family size — are shown. Financial assistance is available through a sliding scale.
“Registration for the Mud Run is open right now on our website for participants and volunteers. We had 600 people take part in the run last year. We hope to surpass that number this year,” Caple said.
“I love to hear the comments from people during the event. At the start, there are Ninja Steps. People hop from one place to the next saying, ‘Oh my gosh! Mud!’ At the end is a very small fire pit they cross over. By then, everyone is covered in mud. There are so many smiles. People are so happy. I can hear them saying, ‘That was the best thing ever!’” Caple said.
The YMCA Family Mud Run will be held Saturday, July 26, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Oldham County Family YMCA.
The Oldham County Family YMCA is at 20 Quality Place, Buckner, Kentucky, 40010.
Registration at ymcalouisville.org is open for participants age 4 and older.
The registration fee is $30 per person.
For more information, call 502-222-3916 or email Brittany Caple at bcaple@ymcalouisville.org.
