Tough Mudder Tahoe: 13,000 expected to participate
The starting paddock at Northstar California’s Tough Mudder event, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28-29.
Written by Kyle Magin
More than 13,000 participants, “Mudders,” are expected to take on the special forces-style Tough Mudder challenge Saturday and Sunday at Northstar California.
The obstacle course race is on its fourth Tahoe stop–Squaw Valley hosted it in 2011, while Northstar plays host for a third time after one stop in 2012 and one last July.
At 10-plus miles, the course winds its way uphill on a sharp climb from mid-mountain similar to the 2012 edition at Northstar. Tough Mudder officials have changed it up slightly–including reversing the direction of the start–to give Mudders a little variety, says Director of Construction Bonnie Lee.
“We wanted to mix it up a bit between summer and fall and make sure the participants had a different look at the mountain,” Lee says.
Tahoe is one of just three destinations where Tough Mudder holds multiple events–a nod to Northern California’s active appetite for adventure, Lee says.
“We have a great set of participants here, Tahoe is a very outdoors-focused area and it’s a gorgeous venue,” she says.
There are 19-20 obstacles planned for the course, including one “mystery obstacle” Lee says Tough Mudder is debuting for Tahoe that will require “upper body strength and balance.”
“Glory Blades” is the first obstacle to greet Tough Mudders at Northstar California’s Tough Mudder event this weekend.
As usual, the first obstacle on the course doesn’t crop up until about .85 miles in–it’s “Glory Blades,” a series of partially-inverted wooden walls. The two obstacles before the finish line are “Everest”–a quarter-pipe Mudders must run up and pull themselves over–and “Electroshock Therapy”–a series of hanging electrified, 10,000-volt wires Mudders must run through in order to finish.
Runners are starting on the course at 8 a.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday, leaving in waves every 20 minutes. Details on parking are here, but Tough Mudder pre-sold all parking at Northstar online–offsite parking will be at Boreal and Alpine Meadows, and shuttles will depart to Northstar from both resorts. Tough Mudder information packets are here.
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