Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Running For Fun

Friday, July 12, 2013 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
photo credit: Tiffany Lo
 

photo credit: Tiffany Lo

By Kaitlin Bane

Moments after the runners took off at the start of the Tough-N-Dirty Mud Run in Slough House their socks squished with every step and their clothes were stained brown.  It was exactly what runners signed up for.

“It’s just kind of fun, you get dirty and it’s a chance for you to… um… channel your inner child and get super freaking dirty,” explains one male runner.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed1

“I had fun because I was with my daughter," says one mom who took part. "But my son left me. So, it would have been nice if he stayed and helped me over those walls.”

The run featured rope swings, monkey bars and a water slide.

“We just want to have fun. Finish with great fun and lots of dirt. Lots of dirt,” laughs another young female runner.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed3

Craig Burcher is one of the founders of the Tough N’ Dirty Mud Run. He says it’s a race, but it’s not competitive.

“It gets them out of the house for a good hour," says Burcher. "They’re out there in the mud and the dirt and it gives them something to talk about at the water cooler on Monday.”

The 5K distance (that’s 3.1miles) was pioneered by the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 1983. 

As that run increased in participation, organizers began creating more races at that distance.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed2

Ryan Lamppa of Running USA says the fun twists added to traditional 5K’s are what makes them so popular.

“You have to have an event that’s more than just a chalk line and an accurate course and timing.  If you want to get that person off the couch it has to be more than that,” says Lamppa.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed4

One event really getting people off the couch in Sacramento is the zombie run this October. Half the participants dress up like zombies and chase the other half as they run for their lives through the course.

Then there are color runs. We have The Color Run… Color Me Rad… and even Run or Dye, D-Y-E.  In these runs participants are bombed with colored cornstarch. By the end of the race, everyone is covered in color from head-to-toe, making for great Facebook photos. 

There is also the electric run at night, with lasers and black lights to create a club feel. (view a list of upcoming races in the Sacramento area)

Most events include an after party with music and food.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed5

“As we get older, for many people then, running became less fun, less exciting.  Non-traditional events, have added that element of being like a kid again,” he says.

More people are running 5K's than ever before. Since 1996, the number of people who have finished a 5K race has more than tripled. The easy distance, and fun themes, makes it a social event.

Marty Englehart ran the Tough N’ Dirty mud run and loved it.

“You know it’s going to test your fitness, but at the end of the day we’re just doing it because we want to hang out and have a good time,” says Englehart.

Kaitlin Bane is a news intern at Capital Public Radio. Photographs courtesy of Tiffany Lo.

0712KB-FUNRUN-embed6


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Resources

  • List of Upcoming Races in the Sacramento Area

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

Chris Nichols / CapRadio

Sacramento County bans homeless camps along the American River Parkway and near schools, libraries

August 11, 2022

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control.

August 7, 2022

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

California unemployment program too focused on fraud, failed to timely provide hundreds of millions of dollars, report finds

August 8, 2022

Most Viewed

Parties, stolen cars, a gun: 9 police complaints at Council member Sean Loloee’s disputed North Sacramento residence

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

California coronavirus updates: LA County moves out of high COVID-19 infection tier

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Cancer patients who take opioids often struggle with constipation. These Stockton-based researchers may have a solution.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Parties, stolen cars, a gun: 9 police complaints at Council member Sean Loloee’s disputed North Sacramento residence

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

California coronavirus updates: LA County moves out of high COVID-19 infection tier

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Cancer patients who take opioids often struggle with constipation. These Stockton-based researchers may have a solution.

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.