I am not sure how to feel at the moment. Angry. Upset. Disbelief. I just do not know how to feel.
Rugged Maniac, a race that has been around for over a decade and had 25 events scheduled in 2024 abruptly canceled all events. This is an event that I, and many people, have enjoyed throughout the years. Now, it is gone and a memory.
This has a negative effect on so many levels. Rugged Maniac was:
– An introductory race into the sport that showed people the joys of obstacle racing/mud runs
– A fun a well run event, from the course layout to the festival area
– Respected and we rarely heard complaints about Rugged Maniac events
– An event that was nationwide, going to areas that had events dwindling throughout the years
Bonnie Wilson and I have reached out to our contacts at their parent company for some information and thoughts so we can share them with you, but that does not hurt the sting.
We received the following e-mail.
Thanks so much for reaching out – it is indeed a challenging day. The decision to shut down our beloved Rugged Maniac series was not an easy one.
That said, we are still focused on serving our communities with the many other events we produce and I hope you will include some of our other events as options for your OCR Buddy athletes to consider: https://usatventures.com/.
In fact, in a sport that has been looking for positive news and things to inspire us, this is the latest news that will disappoint many. Additionally, although the reputation for many was not positive, many people have not noticed that the parent company for Terrain Race/Muddy Dash/Bubble Run have not yet listed any events for 2024. This is another introductory event into our sport. Bonnie and I had been working with them at the end of 2023 to help them rebrand and improve their image. Then silence.
What now? This is a strong community. This is a community that will not give up and we keep pushing forward. What do we do? First, we support obstacle businesses as we have. Plan out your schedule based upon your needs and finances, and go to the events. If you are in areas where there are local events and smaller brands, go to their events between the Spartan events. You will be pleasantly surprised. If racing is something you want to do, there are opportunities out there. Will they all be the most competitive event ever? No. But they will be a chance for you to go out and support the community, your local events and most importantly, have fun!
We are at a very interesting point in our sport. We have Spartan’s influence growing in the sport with OCRWC, Tough Mudder and numerous championships. We have World Obstacle producing a championship in Costa Rica. We have so many local brands fighting for your attendance at their event, including some banding together.
This is a time to work together. This is a time to focus our collective energies to promote the sport and introduce it to more people. This is a time for us to step back, take a breath and keep our community strong.
