Nik lives in Essex, UK and works in London as the editor of MacUser magazine. The posts and comments on this site do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions of values of his employers.
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A promising start: down the banks and into the river.
Up the opposite bank and through the mud flats
I’m sure it seemed a good idea at the time
Back across the river, up the slippery bank and across the finish line
Maldon is three things. First, it’s where they print MacUser, so of course I have cause to be glad of it. Second, it’s where they make Maldon Sea Salt - those big grains of salt they sell all over the world (I found some in a shop in Seattle once). And third, it’s home to the Mud Race.
When I first went, several years ago, it was very low-key. Barely any international competitors, and hardly any telly or press people there. Now it’s swarming with camera crews, and there are more competitors than ever. 180 this time around, with participants from as far away as America and Australia.
The idea is simple. At low tide, you run down the banks of the river, wade across it and then race along the mud flats on the opposite side. You then cross back through the river and up another load of mud to cross the finish line where you get flung into a cold shower and then wrapped in tin foil.
It always draws a massive crowd of spectators to the banks of the river, in spite of the fact it traditionally rains, but today there seemed to be more people than ever, probably because of the fantastic sun and bright blue skies.
The course was particularly nasty. Even the marshalls were up to their knees when they walked it before the first lot set off, so by the time the stragglers had got to the furthest bank the whole thing was so badly churned up that many of them were wading through waist-deep mud.
The leaders completed it in about five or six minutes, which is excellent going, although the guy at the front, who had a considerable lead over the one in second place, slipped over as he came out of the water and was overtaken, eventually coming in second.
I still have absolutely no inclination to ever take part. Strangely.
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