9th Indian Mud Run draws more than 900 competitors
Logan Broadbent from Cleveland was the first to cross the finish line at the Indian Mud Run held June 26. He finished with a time of one hour and 13 minutes. (Jen Jones)
The first Indian Mud Run in Coshocton County was held in July of 2012 and the race has grown each year. This year, the race had about 90 obstacles for the competitors. “Our goal is to have 100 obstacles next year when we celebrate our 10th year,” said Hubie Cushman. The Indian Mud Run was held on Saturday, June 26.
More than 900 people pre-registered for the race, with about 100 runners deferring their entry until 2022, due to COVID restrictions. “COVID has had a big effect on our race,” said Cushman. “We draw a large number of racers from Canada, and they aren’t allowed to cross the border. Other racers have had to defer because of COVID related problems.
Coshocton Regional Medical Center was on-site to pre-screen all of the athletes before they could go to the festival area. Participants were encouraged to wear masks and hand sanitizer was readily available.
Elissa Miller ran the open wave of the mud run. She said, “We are so happy they are able to have it this year. We trained up until they cancelled last year and were pretty bummed. The course is the hardest one I’ve ever run, but it’s such a rewarding feeling when you complete it.” Miller completed the mud run with her neighbor, Dani, in 2019 for the first time.
Logan Broadbent of Cleveland poses with his girlfriend, Layne Kingman, after crossing the finish line first at the Indian Mud Run held June 26. He finished the course in one hour and 13 minutes. (Jen Jones)
“When I did it 2019, I hated myself during the run and questioned why I was putting myself through that torture, but that satisfaction afterwards is the best feeling. I signed up for 2020 as soon as tickets went on sale and am completely hooked.”
The course for the children was popular for families to visit. Boy Scout Troop 406 has been working on the course for the last three or four weeks and several young man were on hand to help the kids through the course. “There are 20 obstacles for the kids,” said Assistant Scout Leader Donald Bercot. “We added four more this year, including the mud pit with a foam alligator donated by the Coshocton County Sportsman’s Club. We added rubber snakes to some of the obstacles, too.”
Ethan Parrish was one of the scouts on hand to help. “I volunteered for the mud hole. I enjoy nature and want to have fun with the kids and help them enjoy the last obstacle before they go get their medals.” Troop Leader Kevin McClain said the troop has been helping with the children’s course since 2013. “Kids said they wanted obstacles just like their parents had so we added what they wanted. The scouts pay for everything for this course.”
Logan Broadbent, from Cleveland, was the first to cross the finish line for the Mud Run. He completed the event in one hour and 13 minutes, which he believed is a course record. “I’ve been doing OCR for four years, but this is the first time I’ve gotten to do the Indian Mud Run. I’ve always had a conflict. But – Oh, my God. This was the best.”
“The course is very technical, very difficult, very obstacle heavy and very fun. I took a couple of spills on slippery rocks. There are some really steep up and downs – you are just scrambling up hills, hoping you aren’t losing time.”
“I want to encourage everyone, no matter what physical shape you are in to come out and challenge yourself. Walk or skip obstacles. This is a great thing for this county and an experience you will never forget.”
Layne Kingman is Broadbent’s girlfriend and was at the finish line to celebrate with him. “Logan did great. I’m so proud of him. The two hour drive this morning was worth it – he just crushed the course.”
Setting up the course was difficult this year due to lack of volunteers. Cushman’s wife, Deana, said he is so dedicated and enjoys giving back to the community. “On top of working so hard on this race, he still tries to get some obstacle races in and always makes it to the World Championship. He never gives himself enough credit. He’s been working from early morning till dark to make this possible for everyone.”
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