FORT GORDON, Ga. (May 4, 2014)-- There was a lot of mudslinging and no, it was not the kind found in political campaign ads. It was rich Georgia red clay and it was part of the 7th Annual Marine Mud Challenge at Fort Gordon.
The event drew more than 2,000 adults and teens to the challenge and 500 children to the Marine Corps Children's Mud Challenge.
Each year Marines assigned to the Fort Gordon Marine Detachment strive to improve the event.
"We made this year's Marine Mud Challenge course longer for adults and teens," said Capt. Dallas Butler, the U.S. Marine Corps Detachment commander. "It's now a five-mile, off-road course that we made pretty challenging by adding some additional military-style obstacles. It will take a team effort to get through the course. It promises to be a good team-building experience for all participants."
The Marines also added two additional obstacles to the Children's Mud Challenge. The course was a one-mile, off-road trail with seven kid-sized obstacles. Youngsters from ages 5 to 12 tackled a mini stairway, a cargo net, rope bridge, the mud box, a moving wall, a rope swing, some low crawls, a few grueling hills in the woods and the final obstacle, a four-and-half foot high free standing wall.
At the final wall obstacle, the Marines assisted the children over, if they needed help. The first group of children began the course at 8 a.m. and a new group started every five minutes until the course closed at noon. Children could go through the course as many times as they wanted and some of the children did go through it several times with their parents accompanying them.
Across the street from the children's course, adults and teens lined up behind the starting line. Many didn't show up until their starting times, which were published at http://marinemud.com. Participants in the hard core and competitive teams had to complete all the obstacles together and cross the finish line together to qualify for an award.
To everyone's surprise, the Marines didn't cross the finish line first for the first time in seven years. They were beat by the Air Force's Rage Against the Marines, who finished with an overall time of 50 minutes and 10 seconds.
In this year's hardcore team division competition Whistle Pig took home the first place title with a finishing time of 55.00; the Marine Corps team, Marines Dominate, earned second position with a finishing time of 1:00.26; and Super Heroes placed third with a finishing time of 1:23.54. All received mud dipped trophies courtesy of the Fort Gordon Marine Corps Detachment. As did the Fort Gordon Youth Challenge Academy, which had several teams participating in this year's challenge.
In the competitive male team division Rage Against the Marines took first place with a finishing time of 50.10; CC Dudes earned second place with a finishing time of 54.46; and Jensen 5 placed third with a finishing time of 59.48.
"The name of the first place competitive male team, Rage Against the Marines, will be permanently placed on the Marine Wall next year," according to Marine Staff Sgt. Jonathan Cochran, the project officer for this year's Marine Mud Challenge. "This is a long standing tradition, since the challenge began in 2008 at Fort Gordon. First place winners in the competitive female team division, competitive coed team, and the hard core team division will also see their team names listed on the Marine Corps finishing wall in the 2015 Marine Corps [Adults and Teens] Mud Challenge."
"It feels good to know our team name will be placed on the Marine Mud Challenge wall," said Air Force 1st Lt. Kyle VanValkenburg. His other teammates from Rage Against the Marines: Senior Airman Fred Harris, Air Force Staff Sgt. Alex Barbato and Senior Airman Devin Caster agreed. All are assigned to the 480th Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group at Fort Gordon.
In the competitive female team division Dirty Blondes placed first with a finishing time of 1:06.36; Muddy and We Know It earned second place with a finishing time of 1:10.16; and Dirty Dives 4 took third place with a finishing time of 1:16.19.
In the competitive coed team division Beast Mode earned first place with a finishing time of 58.08; Sky's Out Thigh Out placed second with a finishing time of 1:04.36 and the Legends took third place with a finishing time of 1:05.15. All these teams received race medallions dipped in mud by the Marine Corps Detachment commander.
The women's team, What the Hell Were We Thinking earned the Jimmie Dyess Marine Corps League Esprit de Corps Award for being the most motivated team. It was the first time the team, made up of Amy Broach, Alex Ayala, Ramona Ayala, and Jackie Gormley participated in the challenge.
"We loved it," Broach said.
All proceeds from the Marine Mud Challenge go to the installation's Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation to support Fort Gordon service members and their families.
For the complete results of the 2014 Marine Mud Challenge visit, www.facebook.com/#!/ MarineMudChallenge.
Social Sharing