Second Mud Run Sells Out in Record Time

FORT LIBERTY, N.C. – The Fort Liberty Mud Run, held at Beckwith Lodge on April 20, 2024, has quickly become the most sought-after 4-mile course event for Service Members and Families that live and work on the installation. This year, organizers decided to change things by charging a fee for T-shirts and medals and increasing the limit of participants to 500. They didn’t expect the event to sell out so quickly.

“Last year was the first time we did a Mud Run, and we limited the number of participants to 250,” said Amanda Cahill, Fort Liberty Event Coordinator for Special Events. “We reached our maximum number of participants in less than a week.”

The excitement surrounding the Mud Run was palpable as participants eagerly signed up for the challenging course that promised to test their physical endurance and mental grit. The 3rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command sourced water from Pike Field's water point for the mud pits, and they spared no expense to ensure sufficient mud for the event. They used a water truck with a 4,000-gallon capacity to fill the mud pits continuously over a few days.

“The course took a few days to set, involving about 35,000 gallons of water and multiple trips to fill up the water truck,” stated Cahill. “The 82nd Airborne Division assisted in the setup of the obstacles along the course and provided medical coverage on the event day.”

In an effort to make the event more thrilling, organizers decided to add more mud pits to the course. However, they ran into a minor hiccup when they noticed that the water in the pits was evaporating quickly in the days leading up to the event. The pits in shady areas were fine, but those in sunny spots dried up rapidly. The Fort Liberty Department of Public Works quickly sprang into action and added clay to the pits to prevent further evaporation.

“We had a minor issue with water evaporation in the pits leading up to the event,” explained Cahill. “DPW learned from last year that we needed to add clay to those pits, and they could take care of that for us.”

Despite the challenges faced in the days leading up to the Mud Run, participants were not deterred. They were eager to take on the mud pits and obstacles awaiting race day. The camaraderie and excitement among the participants were infectious, as everyone cheered each other on and pushed themselves to their limits.

“I think there’s a lot of community interest in this kind of event, and the participants seemed to have a lot of fun,” said Cahill. “All the key players who came together to plan and advertise the event, build the obstacles, create the mud, and support on event day made it a great success.”

Participants crossed the finish line covered in mud and beaming with pride as the Mud Run ended. The event was a massive success, with everyone looking forward to next year’s run. The Fort Liberty Mud Run has cemented its status as the fastest sold-out event in town, and it’s easy to see why. The thrill of taking on the challenging course, the sense of accomplishment at completing it, and the camaraderie among participants make it an event like no other.

“Next year, we would like to add even more obstacles and mud pits and increase the number of participants,” added Cahill.