The inaugural 5K Ranch Romp Mud Run debuted May 5 at the Pepper Tree Ranch in Hollister, where 1,675 foolhardy athletes conquered 10 obstacles on the vineyard’s premises.
The sun baked our backs as we bolted up steep grades throughout the challenging course. Just because it was a 5K, it didn’t mean it was a wimpy run. The hills and the heat got to most people.
I didn’t mind the hills at first because I prefer a rolling course rather than a flat, boring one. After five obstacles, I faced the Great Warrior Wall. The 10-foot wooden barricade wasn’t bad. I climbed over it without difficulty. Ha! The rest of the 3.2-mile competition would be a piece of cake!
However, by the end of the race I was lagging from dehydration and in pain from the 150-foot vertical Slide For Your Life obstacle, where an Amazonian woman slammed into my back near the bottom.
I limped my way over more steep hills to the Over and Under Obstacle: five 4-foot walls with barbed wire in between them. No race will kick my butt! I resolved to hoist my battered body over them puppies with machismo. As I was going through the motions, I noticed a 20- something racer stare at the walls and then run past them when the two red-shirted volunteers weren’t looking. Coward, I thought as I rolled on the dirt underneath the barbed wire.
The thermostat continued to ascend as I fought hills, pain and thirst. Two more obstacles were between the finish line and me. The Cargo Climb was easy, and I swam through the Mud-Tastic Mud Pit, thankful for the cool down and finished in 46:46.
The winners of the Ranch Romp Mud Run got beautiful belt buckles – an idea inspired by the Western States 100. Salvador Garcia, 32, of Los Banos was the overall winner in 20:19. Salinas resident Corina Medina, 39, won the ladies division in 23:03.
Jorge Zamora, 37, of Hollister came with 30 others, including his sons, to play in the mud. He took silver in his age division with 23:33.
Jeff Gerberick, 51, of Gilroy grabbed first place in his age group in 29:15.
“It was pretty tough; a lot of steep hills, and the obstacles were really fun. I liked the waterslide because it was easiest. The hardest one was jumping the walls and going under the barbed wire at the end. I was tired at that point,” Gerberick said.
Several nursing students from Gavilan College came to test their mettle. First-timer and student Silvia Madera, 36, of Hollister finished in 1:04:03.
“We figured we give ourselves a try and just accomplish another obstacle that we knew would be a good one for us to try for fun and motivation,” Madera said. “Now that my body is cooling down, I’m feeling the aches. The race was good overall.”
San Juan Bautista resident Lisa Scott, 41, loved her first mud run and conquered the 5K in 52:11.
“It was fantastic. I’d do another one. The slide got a little scary, and it got fast toward the end. I still haven’t showered,” she said, glancing at the dirty, huddled masses near the bathing area. She chuckled, “I may not shower.”
Sean Curry, 44, from Salinas decided to do the race for kicks and finished in 40 minutes. He ran 13 miles earlier in the morning.
“My favorite was the waterslide – totally out of control, jumped headfirst and prayed. I collided with a few people in front of me at the bottom. I’ve been itching to do something like a mud run and enjoyed it,” Curry said.
Harry Trembley, 44, from Kenwood wasn’t prepared for the race. However, he walked away with bronze for his age group in 30:38.
“Friends from King City told me about it. Ranchers, believe it or not. They are avid runners,” Trembley said. “My farming friends told me this was a marathon and didn’t tell me it was a mud run until the end. If I see them, I’m going to make sure their heads get buried in mud.”
Race director Josh Mendonsa was happy with the event.
“We enjoyed watching people accomplish their goals of entering a mud run and finishing!”
