Thanks to my day job, I was outside my normal Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) bubble recently and free the morning of Murder Creek Mud Run. I took a quick trip into Alabama to see what the race, run by Phoenix OCR, was all about. Here’s a quick assessment and if you should make the trip:
Check In/Atmosphere: Parking was super close with the course wrapping around two sides of the parking lot so there were literally no bad spots. Check in went quick and smooth with the elite/competitive athletes receiving a different color bib so they were recognizable on course, a nice touch.
I’ve lived all over the United States and the Midwest and South definitely have a different feel than the rest of the US. Prior to the start line Murder Creek Mud Run had a pastor come up and say a brief prayer. If that wasn’t your style you could simply remain silent but I personally though it was a nice touch and something that has happened so few times I can count it on one hand. For those not into prayer, I think this is a lesson in understanding your local scene and demographic. While it felt right for this race, I don’t think it would fly well at all races.
Course: Unfortunately, due to bad weather the week leading up to the race the course was flooded making the river that gives the race its name impassable. This led to a reroute in the final days before the event started. The event was supposed to be 3+ miles with around 20+ obstacles.
They didn’t have time to remeasure the course, but it ended up being ~4.4, a nice surprise and something that defines OCR in my opinion. Sometimes the obstacles are physical and sometimes mental, in this case the surprise distance made for a nice mental obstacle. At the finish line I didn’t hear anyone complain about the extra distance and I consider that more value for your money (lower cost per mile for race entry). Overall, it was a mix of grass, mud, hard packed trail, a couple of brief sections of pavement and at least one water crossing I can remember.
Obstacles: The course had a good mix of strength (bucket carry, yoke carry, tire flip, medicine ball toss over a bar), balance (slippery pipe balance beam), standard (low crawls, medium walls, tall walls, A frame), fun (water spray, water slide, vertical pipe) and technical obstacles (rig, wall traverse with no feet, vertical angled pegboard). For me this is the perfect mix of obstacles for those looking to enter the sport and yet hard enough that it still look bands of competitive runners.
Whether you were in open or competitive you probably made it through most of the obstacles. Being in the first wave, the rig (positioned late in the race) was still covered in morning dew making it surprisingly challenging. The obstacle was a PVC pipe to a mix of ropes and rings. Doable, challenging but not impossible. The rig was hard enough to disrupt the expected placement of the podium on both the men and women’s side but still passable by many.
Swag: Phoenix OCR had some cool spinning medals for first time competitors, which was a nice touch to welcome them into the OCR/Phoenix Race community. Awards (a plaque with the race logo and placement) were given to top three men and women who complete all the obstacles the fastest.
Overall: The course was well marked despite the last-minute route change and the obstacles were fun. I’m glad I got to experience Murder Creek Mud Run. If I’m in the area again for work or vacation, I’ll definitely plug this back into my calendar. With Phoenix holding multiple events, I’m now curious to explore some of the other events (check OCR Buddy app for times/locations). Hope to see you running on the course alongside me in the future.
