By James F. Finn
Roughly 700 runners converged upon Camp Simmons on Sunday to get down in the mud for the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich third annual Muddy Up 5K.
With sunshine and seasonable temps, runners of all ages experienced a five-kilometer (roughly 3.1 miles) wooded trail run sprinkled with with man-made obstacles.
Bobby Walker, Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich, was delighted with this year’s turnout and is optimistic about the future of the Muddy Up 5K.
“Hopefully we can continue to grow,” Walker said. “There have already been some crazy plans of doing a 2-day event. “
Walker also explained the significance of the event for the community and runners of all ages and experiences.
“As you can see this event is more about the fun than it is necessarily about the challenge – although you can do both,” he said. “We want to make sure that whether you have a six-year-old – my six-year-old is already on the course with someone – or whether you are in your sixties or seventies, you can still be appropriately challenged and have a good time.”
Subscribe to the daily Greenwich Free Press newsletter.
The first runner to cross the finish line was Stephen Eicher of Long Island. He and his ‘Futie’s Flash’ teammates dedicated the race to their mentor, the late Father Richard F. Futie, a Stamford priest who was born in Greenwich.
After Eicher, the rest followed. As adults and kids crawled through the black pipe into the final mud pit, some crawled and “embraced the suck” with a smile – while others stood up on the tips of their toes, doing their best to avoid getting muddy.
Nancy Risman, an athlete and Boys and Girls Club board member, has ambitions to run next year and potentially train-up for a Tough Mudder.
“I think this is the best event because it exudes the spirit of the Club and it brings together the community,” Risman said.
Related Stories:
- PHOTOS: Boys and Girls Club Holidays in July at Camp Simmons — Soaked by Santa
- Head to the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich to Say Goodbye to Birdie This Weekend
Email news tips to Greenwich Free Press editor [email protected]
Like us on Facebook
Twitter @GWCHFreePress
Subscribe to the daily Greenwich Free Press newsletter.