Photo Credit: Mike Baxter
When the Republic Parks & Recreation Department in Republic, Mo., purchased 40 acres of land located in an agricultural area in 2009, ideas began flowing as to what types of programming could be hosted on the property. The tract—now known as Brookline Park—was partially wooded with a wet-weather creek flowing through it, along with open green space. The park soon became known as the department’s first “nature park.” Within the first two years, brush was cleared to create trails throughout the woods, and playground equipment, picnic tables, and a pavilion were added. In the fall of 2014, after reading an article about a youth mud run in the central part of Missouri, staff members borrowed the idea. This new park was the perfect venue for a mud-run event that would cater exclusively to youth in the Southwest Missouri area.
Plotting And Planning
Planning began almost immediately. The first step was selecting a date on which to hold the event, fitting it into a packed program and event calendar. After much discussion, the date for the first annual “got Mud? Run” was set for August 29, 2015. Staff began researching all areas of the event, including the registration process and fees, start times, age brackets, course layout, website development, marketing plan, logo design, participant swag, parking, construction of obstacles, and much more. Three “Mud Rush” times and age brackets were offered:
9 a.m. (5- to 7-year-olds, one-mile course) 10 a.m. (8- to 10-year-olds, one-and-a-half-mile course) 11 a.m. (11- to 15-year-olds, two-mile course).