Warrior Dash, Recapped

\ May 17, 2012

2 min read

What do get when you throw an adventure race, live bands and fried food into a blender? You get the Warrior Dash.

On Cinco de Mayo, participants made their way through 13 challenging obstacles at the Founders Ranch in Edgewood, NM. A race more about physical toughness than speed, Warrior Dash pushes anyone who dares accept the challenge. It was a fun atmosphere which saw racers young and old wearing costumes ranging from Village People to masked wrestlers.

The races went in 30 minute intervals, with loud music in the background and the charismatic race announcer preparing the pack to make the transformation into “warriors.” Some solo warriors pushed through the course as quickly as possible, others went through each obstacle as a team. After racers completed the 5K course, they were greeted by volunteers ready to give medals, water, bananas and received mud hugs from the dirty “warriors.” Spectators cheered on friends and loved ones to not only finish but also get as dirty as possible by sliding toward the end of the course.

The warriors may have found themselves covered in mud from head to toe, but everyone was in good spirits, attempting to get cleaned off by massive a water hose, or remaining covered in their badge of honor. The conclusion of the race was just the beginning as muddy warriors took pictures in front of the dirty Warrior Dash sign and enjoyed food and live music.

For people still deciding whether to try crawling under barbed wire, mud pits and jumping over fire, race director Alex Yount says the goal of the race is to challenge you while having a once in a lifetime experience.

“Warrior Dash is truly for everyone, the goal of Warrior Dash is to challenge your self. So we had people come out that are marathon runners that are trying to get the best time on the course, and we also had people come out that never ran a race before in their lives.”

With around 11,000 New Mexicans making this year’s event a success, Yount says the registration for the 2013 edition of the Dash has already started.