How much beer can you lift: a can, a case, a keg or a refrigerator?
According to the Tough Mudder's official website, if you can lift a refrigerator, then you are definitely Mudder material. If you can only lift a can or a case, however, you should probably start taking cold showers and punching yourself in the face every day until you are prepared.
A 10 to 12-mile race of two dozen obstacles designed by the British Special Forces, the Tough Mudder is a marathon designed to test endurance, mental stamina and teamwork. In recent years, the event has gained popularity among students, who often trek to Mount Snow, Vermont to participate.
The creators describe it as "probably the toughest event on the planet." Many would agree.
"College life can get you into pretty bad shape," said Craig Smyser '13, who went last spring. "I wanted an excuse to not be going out and drinking and ruining my body."
The average person is unlikely to make it through the Mudder if they aren't at their physical and mental peak. Arctic Enema, for example, is like the Polar Bear Plunge, except participants are completely submerged in a dumpster full of ice. They swim under planks and pull themselves out on the other side without any safety rope. And if cold doesn't really bother you, the Fire Walker is extreme in the opposite sense: a field of hay is set on fire and contestants have to run across, avoiding the flames while breathing in thick smoke.
But whether you are swinging on greased monkey bars or swimming in underwater tunnels, the Tough Mudder is much easier with friends. The race was designed to foster teamwork, and some events cannot be completed without help. The Berlin Wall requires other people to push you up a wall. And even for solo obstacles, team support can be crucial in giving you the strength to complete the course. "Together we can overcome all fears," the slogan boasts.
"It's mostly about finding a great group to do it with because so many of the obstacles involve people having to help you through it," said Amy Couture '14, who completed the course last summer. You could theoretically go by yourself and strangers would help you along because everyone wants you to finish."
Couture found the race exhausting but not impossible. There were a few parts that fully met her expectations.
"The electroshock section, that was definitely just as bad as I thought it would be," she said.
As one of the most notorious aspects of the Tough Mudder, the final obstacle usually involves competitors running through a field of hanging wires that carry up to 10,000 volts of electricity. Contestants can dodge them or sprint through the field. Either way, they will be shocked.
While the Tough Mudder might sound like the type of competition that only the most physically fit would enjoy, Phillip Coletti '14 noted that this was not the case both times he completed it.
"It's a pretty incredibly diverse group of people who go to these events," Coletti said. "There are some older people who are pretty out of shape, then there are some jacked guys in their mid-20s, but then you also have cross country runners. It really spans the gamut of athletic builds, abilities and specialties."
Coletti said some of the most trying obstacles were not always the most intense.
"The most challenging part of doing it on Mount Snow is actually climbing up the mountain," he said. "The obstacles end up being a cardiovascular break from just running up a ski mountain, which gets tiring really fast."
While Coletti looks forward to his third Mudder this summer, Couture is fairly certain that it was a one-time event.
"I don't think I'd do it again," she said. "It was so perfect as a stand-alone experience that I can't imagine that doing it a second time would top it."
The Tough Mudder is a successful charity project that has raised over $5 million for the Wounded Warriors Project, which supports injured veterans. Smyser and his fraternity brother both grew out their hair before the event to enter the charity competition Tough Mullets and Mohawks.
This year's Tough Mudder in New England will be held on Mount Snow in West Dover, Vt., on Aug. 10 and 11. The event has recently come under public scrutiny after the first fatality connected to a Tough Mudder event last weekend.
At the race in Gerrardstown, W. Va, 28-year-old Maryland resident Avishek Sengupta, drowned, and 20 additional participants were taken to the hospital. Though Sengupta's death has been ruled an accident, it is a tragic reminder of the risk associated with such endurance events.
Given that most Dartmouth students are competitive and seek to push their limits, it isn't surprising that the Tough Mudder has made its way into our campus culture.
Even if you aren't a varsity athlete or expert mountaineer, the opportunity to show just how much you can do is hard to resist. Smyser suggested that "a lot of type-A people" participate. If that means a willingness to endure all sorts of mental and physical trials, then more power to you. We'll see you at the finish line.
