JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Neither one of them had ever tried anything like this.
They had both won their share of races over the years, but those had been accomplished upright, clean and on courses without obstacles.
None of those features existed Saturday at Soldiers Field House, site of the annual Joint Base Lewis-McChord Down & Dirty 5K Mud Run.
Michael Ramirez and Lizzy Barker came through the race muddied, but unbowed, easily winning the men's and women's divisions over a field of 556 competitors, the largest to line up for a JBLM mud run. Ramirez finished in 27:47, Barker in 29:52.
"Everyone loved it. There were no real complaints," said Felix Diaz of the JBLM Intramural Sports office. "Everything went off well. There (were) no major issues with anything."
It was fitting that Ramirez and Barker shared the spotlight in the joint base's first year. The former is a McChord Airman, the latter a Lewis Soldier. Each was making - and enjoying - a mud run debut.
"It's pretty challenging," Ramirez said. "The first mud pit, I almost lost my right shoe."
Ramirez had come down the homestretch without a mark on him, but the two mud pits loomed.
"I wasn't expecting this last one," said Ramirez, referring to the low crawl that forced competitors into the mud just steps from the finish line.
"I was trying to come (out) the cleanest," Ramirez said. "But the obstacle course just wouldn't let it happen."
Mud, water, cargo nets and logs didn't do much to slow down either Ramirez or Barker, though.
"The obstacles were fun," Barker said. "It's just an enjoyable run, I guess. I really like faster races, like 5Ks. I really like speed a lot more, so I was excited about it."
Sure, but Barker clearly wanted to win while having a good time.
"You know, I'm a competitor, so I was looking around, and there's a lot of women who are fit who are here today," Barker said. "I was like, 'Oh, I better get a good start.'"
In a field sprinkled with competitors sporting superhero costumes that reflected this year's theme, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man didn't stand a chance against Barker and Ramirez.
"Every year I've been here, I've wanted to run the Mud Run," Barker said. "I'm always TDY. I was so happy I was able to make it this time, because I'll be gone for the next one."
As she stood near the finish line, Barker, a member of the JBLM Army Ten-Miler squad, watched team coach Susan Pierson cross the finish line in second place among women. Each was clearly amused to see the other covered in mud.
"I was waiting for you," Barker said, laughing. "You look great."
Bob Reinert is assistant editor of Joint Base Lewis-McChord's weekly newspaper, the Northwest Guardian.
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