Schindler, Dunbar are tough mudders

MEEKER I Trenton Schindler and Kurtis Dunbar of Meeker competed in the Colorado “Tough Mudder” competition in Beaver Creek on June 25-26. The pair finished the course in less than three hours.
The competition is a 10-12 mile obstacle course based on designs built by British Special Forces to test competitors’ “strength, stamina, mental grit and camaraderie.” The course is 3-4 times tougher and much longer than a typical mud run. It is estimated that only 78 percent of the competitors finish the event.
The top 5 percent of the competitors qualify for 24 Hours of the World’s Toughest Mudder competition in Englishtown, N.J. on Dec. 17-18, 2011.
More than 6,000 Colorado competitors took off in waves of 500  every 20 minutes. Several of the participants competed in costumes. Dunbar and Schindler donned homemade kilts and painted their faces in Braveheart fashion to run in the event.
There are no prizes or awards, “finishing is a badge of honor.” Competitors receive a Tough Mudder headband and T-shirt to commemorate the event.
The competition is sponsored by Dos Equis and funds raised benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. To date more than $1 million has been raised for the project.