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The obstacles that competitors must face and overcome in the Mud Run are named for battles, places and items that are significant in Marine Corps history and lore. Although the distances vary from year to year, below you'll find a basic breakdown of the general Mud Run course, and the obstacles included in each section of the course.
If you were one of the brave competitors in this year's Mud Run, be sure to check out the Poll (to the right) and let us know where you "Gained from the Pain", and also find out what others thought to be most difficult!
Start - 0.15 mi of flat, open terrain.
1. Belleau Wood - o.46 mi wooded terrain, with 3 sets of 6-10' rolling hills, 2 sets of "stairway to heaven" ladder climbs, and five 6-9' drop offs.The Marines were first called Devil Dog (Teufelshunde) by the German soldiers of WWI, during the Battle of Belleau Wood in 1918. It is also where Dan Daly made his now-famous battle cry, "Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?" Sergeant Major Daly is one of only two Marines to receive the Medal of Honor for two separate acts of heroism (Major General Smedley Butler is the other)
2. Mt. Suribachi - 45% incline, 90' long Mt. Suribachi, on Iwo Jima, is where AP photographer, Joe Rosenthal, took one of the most famous photographs of WWII. The photo of 5 Marines and a Navy Corpsman raising the U.S. flag was taken atop Mt. Suribachi on 23 February 1945.
3, 4, 5, & 6. Funchilin Pass 0.75 mi of wooded terrain, 10 culvert obstacles, 2 sets of "stairway to heaven" ladder climbs, 7-15' high, mud hole with fallen log obstacles.Funchilin Pass is a 4,000' high pass, which was held by Colonel Chesty Puller and his Marines, during the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir (known as the "Frozen Chosin" for the extreme cold) during the Korean War.
7. Water Obstacle with Fallen Logs - Logs over water hole, participants go under logs.The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on 17 June 1775 as part of the Siege of Boston, during the American Revolutionary War. It is where Colonel William Prescott is known as the officer who said, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!"
8 & 9. Bunker Hill - 0.17 mi, 20% incline with 9 plateaus (#8), 3 sets of culverts (#9).
10. Heartbreak Ridge - 0.27 mi. ridge terrain, 5 sets of 6-8' zigzag ridge crossings.Heartbreak Ridge is a fictional movie about Marine Gunnery Sergeant Highway (played by Clint Eastwood). The actual Battle of Heartbreak Ridge was fought during the Korean War by the Army's 2nd Infantry Division.
11, 12 & 13. A Shau Valley - 0.40 mi open terrain leading into wooded terrain, water filled "rice paddy" (#11), Hamburger Hill water hole (up to 5' deep) with dirt mounds leading in to and out of (#12), Light Armored Vehicle Trench (LAVs straddle 3' wide trench filled with water, participants crawl through the trench, under the LAVs) (#13).The narrow, 25 mile long, A Shau Valley was one of the strategic focal points of the war in Vietnam. It was an arm of the Ho Chi Minh trail, funneling troops and supplies toward Hue and Da Nang. It was the sight of many fierce battles, including one of the bloodiest, which was the fight for Hill 937. To those that fought there, it was known as "Hamburger Hill." The LAV is the armored fighting vehicle around which a Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion is built. Fox Company is part of the 4th LAR Bn., 4th Mar Div (Marine Division).
14 thru 21. Ho Chi Minh Trail - 1 mi, wooded terrain, "Monkey Bridge" (#14), mud pit with rope wall (#15), rope swing (#16), log crossing (#17), culverts (#18), 10' vertical walls (#19), cargo net climb (#20), culverts (#21).
The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a complex web of different jungle paths that enabled communist troops and supplies to be moved from North Vietnam to areas close to Saigon. It was the most vital supply line for the Communist forces and was, therefore, of vital strategic importance. Many U.S. servicemen from all branches fought, bled and died there.
22. Heartattack Hill - 0.25 mi, 30% incline.
23. Rice Paddy - water filled.
24. Perfume River - 40' low crawl/swim covered with cammie netting, dirt mound leading in to and out of.
The Perfume River (called Huong River in Vietnam) is a 30 km long river leading to the c ity of Hue, in the central Vietnamese province of Thua Thiên Hue.
25. Hellfire Valley - 5 hills (8-15')Hellfire Valley was a strategic battle during the Korean War.
26. Pusan Perimeter - "Z" shaped trench, varying depth, water filledThe Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, during the Korean War, was a textbook example of teamwork and its use in infantry tactics. It is still used as a case study today.
27. Ten Log Hole - Water hole, with 10 fallen logs, must be negotiated in an over/under manner.
28. Rice Paddy Low Crawl - 24' Rice Paddy, 24' low crawl covered in "cammie netting"Rice Paddies dotted the landscape of Vietnam, making the movement of men and material difficult. The Low Crawl is a tactic used for movement under enemy fire.
29. Firefighter Carry - 100 yards, One team member carries the other team member over one or both shoulders--may alternate. U.S. Navy Corpsmen are non-combatant combat medics that risk their lives to save the lives of injured Marines. They have been in every battle in which Marines have fought since 1814.
Finish
