Mud Run at Camp Pendleton CA: June 18 2011

Mud Runs are held all over the world, 10 kilometer event runs up that go hills and over obstacles including, of course, lots and lots of mud. This is one of the many held at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corp Base on the Southern Californian coast between Orange County and San Diego. With a backdrop of grassy hills and strong Californian sunshine, some take it seriously and run as individuals while others compete as teams wearing a whole range of crazy costumes. Whether they run it for a fast time or a bit of fun, everyone ends up the same in the end: wet and covered in mud.

Strong and determined-looking, the men lead out the front as the individual mud runners cross the start line.

A team wearing yellow safety vests and goggles prepares, their goggles already fogging up.

Tables covered in saftey pins for attaching race bibs; A team in pink sunglasses and pink tutus gets ready.

A competitor ties his shoelace on the dirty rocky ground that makes up most of the mud run course.
A crowd of teams head up the hill for the pre-race team meeting.

An important pre-race preparation step, a visit to the portable toilets.

The MC, with microphone, leads a long line of teams to the race start.

A family, with small children, watches from the sidelines as the mud run teams walk to the start line.

A reminder that this race is held inside a Marine Corp base in Southern California, marines and palm trees outside a kiosk building; Feet at the start line, ready to run, including ‘barefoot’ running shoes.

Various teams in variously coloured team t-shirts run across the start line.

Smiling ladies in bright pink cross the start line, looking up at the MC as he calls out team names and wishes them luck.

A band of screaming pirates begin the race.

Feet and running shadows cross the start line.

One of the first few competitors to finish runs through the empty chute, around the puddle, towards the finish line.

Crowds on bleaches watch the mud run beneath blue skies.

An early finisher runs through the water at the empty ‘Team Meet Area’ as he nears the finish.

A competitor with a very determined face enters the final mud pit as a crowd of spectators looks on.

A young boy on his father’s shoulders watches as competitors emerge from the final mud pit.

A couple dressed as Native American Indians make their way out of the final mud pit, making sure their clothes are still in all the right places.

Runners of varying intensities come out of the mud pit and past the water feature, some stopping to refresh themselves while others just power on through.

Crowds watch and take photos in the warm sun, beneath a blue sky.

Spectators line the final mud pit, taking photos as competitors emerge from the mud and are pointed towards the finish line.


Nearing the finish a slower moving girl is grabbed by her team member and pulled forwards; A team dressed in business casual are one of the first in the ‘Team Meet Area’, waiting.

A competitor salutes a wet muddy Batman as he runs past with fist in the air.

A waiting team with green headbands greets an arriving team member while still waiting for others.

Spectators strain to watch the action at the end of the final mud pit as teams are reunited and begin the sprint to the finish.

Teams wait and rinse themselves, including these two girls wearing duck and dolphin floaties.

A couple run though the muddy ground, water spraying up; Happy faces as a red team crosses the finish, with mandatory linked arms.

Two girls covered in wet mud wait for their team members.

A competitor talks with family on the sidelines as he waits for his team members.

Two happy but wet and dirty faces.

Spectators line the finish line amongst the dry grass of Camp Pendleton.

A team sprints towards the finish, each man suddenly trying to beat his own team members across the line.

A yellow team celebrate as they cross the finish line; A child in the crowd drinks milk as his watches competitors emerge from the mud pit.

Teams run through the muddy water towards the finish, with linked arms, as others wait for the rest of their team to arrive so they can do the same.

Exhaustion on the faces of a team just over the finish line.

A wet happy orange team.

Lines of team, running arm in arm, as they run towards the finish.

A team hi-fives as they celebrate finishing the mud run.

The aftermath, people everywhere covered in dried mud.

Competitors walk towards the well-deserved food and beer, including this girl in a gold leotard.

Competitors, still dirty with mud, dig into oranges and bananas post-race.

The long and dirty line for a shower; Enjoying being clean in the open-air group showers.

To see more photos of fun Californian summer events go to B4BC Skate the Lake: August 14 2010 or to see more photos of Southern California go to Surfing California USA, Venice Beach USA, San Onofre USA or Encinitas USA.

This entry was posted on Monday, June 20th, 2011 at 12:55 am. It is filed under events and tagged with America, California, Camp Pendleton, competition, lifestyle, mud run, people, running, sport, summer. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.