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Reno River Festival: Get down and dirty in the "Run Amuck" fun run |
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Written by Morgan Kriz/Tahoe World
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Monday, 05 May 2008 |
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Grab a buddy and form your own Muck Squad for Reno River Festival’s inaugural Run Amuck competition. The race will start and finish in the middle of the festival, so you’re sure to be seen by everyone and their mother (unless she’s running amuck as well). Contestants will be going from Wingfield Park to Idlewild Park, where you'll get to “low crawl” through a 60-foot mud pit and continue on through other surprise obstacles throughout the 2.5-mile course.
It’s a two-person relay so you and your most foolish friend each get to take a lap. And before you hit the showers, there will be awards and prizes ranging from fastest competitor to best costume. The team fee is $50 and includes a fabulous bag of schwag.
The muck slings at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the Reno River Festival. Contestants are encouraged to come watch the whitewater competitions before the race and stay after for live entertainment. Three bands will be taking the stage in Wingfield Park following the race (Blues Assault, Fantods and AudioBoxx).
Felicia Griffin of Seismic events is one of the organizers for the Run Amuck event. We got the dirty lowdown with what contestants can expect of the inaugural race.
Tahoe World: How did the event get started?
Felicia Griffin: We have made a deliberate effort to expand the scope of the Reno River Festival this year to include outdoor events and provide attractions that complement the core river activities. We have always had world-class athletes (kayakers) participate in the Reno River Festival, we thought it would be fun to add some not-so-world-class athletes (muckers) to this year's festival.
TW: How do you sign up to participate? Do you have a lot of participants signed up?
FG: The easiest way to register is by visiting our Web site at www.renoriverfestival.com. There are also numerous locations around town with sign up sheets. We are thrilled at the response we are getting to this event and expect hundreds of people to participate in this inaugural year. The most entertaining aspect of registration so far is the team names people are submitting.
Costume are encouraged and will be rewarded. Many registrants are so excited, we receive calls from them so they can tell us about the costumes they will be wearing. From what I've heard from them so far, you do not want to miss this. In fact, because of the number of contestants wearing costumes, we have just added a costume contest prior to the event which will be judged at 1:30 p.m. on the day of the race.
TW: What kinds of obstacles will be featured?
FG: Of course, the signature “Mud Pit.” Contestants will have to low crawl through a 60-foot long mud pit. The other few obstacles along the course are top secret but I can assure you they will be simple ... yet semi-ridiculous.
TW: Do you have to be in shape or train for this event? What can people do to prepare for it? (run through mud, etc.)
FG: We've had entries from all different age group. The only thing you need to have for the event is a good attitude. We expect all types of fitness levels, some teams will run, some will walk, some will skip, and some will surprise us, I’m sure. Unless the contestants are children, I doubt any contestants are going to want to "practice" crawling through mud prior to the event, at least, I'm not going to.
TW: What tips can you provide for those wanting to participate and do well?
FG: For those competitive people out there that want to do well in the event, expect the unexpected and prepare for anything, this is not your typical running race. The team who is crowned this year's Lord of the Muck will be a team who is competitive, yet just out to have fun and go with the flow ... our race sponsor is a beer after all (Radebeger Pilsner, out of Germany).
TW: What types of prizes will be awarded?
FG: Awards will be given for Best Costume, Funniest, and hardest to run in, the best prizes are saved for the team that will be crowned this year's LORD OF THE MUCK (based on time), other prizes and awards will be given as we see fit.
From the organizers:
The 5th annual Reno River Festival welcomes a whole other kind of competition to its lineup for 2008, the “Run Amuck” fun run, Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m. This year, in addition to getting wet and wild at the Truckee River Whitewater Park, teams of two are invited to get down and dirty during this relay-style, two-mile run that follows the river’s path and requires its runners to crawl through a mud pit on hands and knees while wielding the team’s baton. Two other “mystery obstacles” also act as barriers to the course’s completion and add an aspect of hilarity that’s sure to be remembered for years to come. Costumes are encouraged – and rewarded.
“People have been asking us for years to add other components to the River Festival,” said Competition Organizer and Co-Owner of the Reno River Festival Jim Litchfield. “So we’ve come up with the ‘Run Amuck’ which celebrates all the best parts of the Reno River Festival – it’s fun, it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s a great way to hang out with friends.”
The “Run Amuck” course is 2.5 miles long and runs west along the Tahoe-Pyramid Bikeway from the Truckee River Whitewater Park in downtown Reno to Idlewild Park on Idlewild Drive. Registration is $50 per two-person team and includes a finish line goodie bag.
For more details on “Run Amuck” or the Reno River Festival, or for registration information, visit www.RenoRiverFestival.com or call 775-788-2131.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 May 2008 )
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