Tough Mudder back in Sonoma County after pandemic hiatus

It was the first time since the pandemic started 17 months ago that many participants in Saturday’s Tough Mudder were comfortable enough to offer a hand to a stranger.

But that’s exactly what you do during a grueling Mudder, a popular obstacle course event that focuses on team building and camaraderie from start to finish.

The competition, one of 19 held in different locations across the country throughout the year, was held Saturday at the grounds of the Sonoma Raceway and continues for a second day Sunday.

Even as temperatures began climbing in early afternoon, participants kept coming into the Tough Mudder festival area, which was on the northwest end of the raceway property.

Renee Brown of Grass Valley arrived around noon with her husband, daughter and friends. They opted for a later course start because of the long drive from their home in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Brown said she was a little nervous about participating with so many people, though she was comforted by the fact that it’s outdoors and her family members are all vaccinated.

“I wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t vaccinated,” Brown said.

About 3,000 people a day were expected to participate in the weekend event, said Lucy Diaz, a spokeswoman for the contest. Throughout the day groups of about 200 people were launched on the obstacle course every 15 minutes; many endured a 5K course while others braved a bruising, 10-mile “classic” in temperatures that by afternoon were in the mid-90s.

“People are really excited,” Diaz said. “It’s been great to get back in the mud. People are really spirited. A Tough Mudder is about teamwork. There are some obstacles here that you just can’t do by yourself.”

Roman Ortega, Jr., 40, of Plainfield, Illinois, said he and his partner, Lainie Kleemann, 45, of Chicago, were competing in their first large-scale athletic event since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Kleemann, who grew up in Sebastopol, was visiting family in Sonoma County, and she registered herself and Ortega for his birthday.

Ortega said that during the public health crisis they’ve found ways to do athletic activities, but group events like the Tough Mudder are much much more motivating.

“It’s nice to do things in community,” he said.

Kleemann said: “Just being around other people helps drive you.”

You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 707-521-5213 or martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @pressreno.