Squealing Valley Mud Run Comes To Orting!

Squealing Valley Mud Run, Orting's first mud run, happening at Northwest Horse Park next weekend, has already attracted more than 50 entries.

"There's been a lot of interest and we're looking at capping the entries at 500," said Darrin Shaw, a member of the organizing committee for the Saturday, May 19th, First Annual event.

"We want to make sure we do a good job, so we're limiting the field. We'd rather get things right than try and be too big," he said.

The race is presented by the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, the International Association of Fire Fighters, Graham Crossfit, and itsPALEO.com.  Shaw said the regional support of the event began immediately after the premise of the race was announced.

"Squealing Valley Mud Run is a course designed around natural obstacles in nature versus man-made walls and inflatables for adults." said Shaw, who is also a Fireman, and together with his wife Diana own and operate the region's #1 Crossfit facility, Graham Crossfit.

"While we won't disclose everything about the race until race day itself, we can tell you that you don't even make it on to the course until you, or one of your team members, successfully pull a colored ribbon from a running pigs tail!  And, you can NEVER touch the pig!"

The Squealing Valley Mud Run is open to both individuals and teams of four.  There's a five-kilometer course with competitors tackling a lagoon, a farmer's pond, 'marshmellow' rounds of hay, hill climbs, logs, fences, and, of course, mud.

The entry fee for the race is $40, and competitors have to be 16 years old or over.

Shaw said money is being raised for the WSCFF Burn Foundation and he looks forward to making the event a regular 'rite of Spring' in the Orting Valley.

"We've so many people from Orting that attend Graham Crossfit, both children and adults, it was essential to us to try to find a facility in the valley that could meet the needs of the event.  When we spoke with Rich & Jessica Carr of Northwest Horse Park about holding the event there, everything started to click.  Neighboring farmers to Northwest Horse Park agreed to make portions of their farms available for the Mud Run, and everything came together."  

"It's going to be a great first year event and we look forward to seeing it grow!", said Shaw.