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No shock: Two-dozen Tough Mudders hauled off to local hospital

Posted by Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel on July 25, 2011

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Twenty-six of the participants in Wisconsin's first Tough Mudder obstacle run were hauled off for treatment at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman there said Monday.

The injuries ranged from fractures, lacerations and dislocations to heat related illness, all to be expected considering the 10-mile course included a 12-foot wall, numerous plunges, a run through burning hay bales, and strands of electrified wires. (Thanks to Breann Schossow for chasing down those numbers).

The obstacle dubbed Electroshock Therapy actually delivered the biggest jolt to the contestants who had a handle on some of the other impediments.

Mike DeSisti, a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel photojournalist, wrote this account:

"I figured if I had the stamina to run four marathons, I could take the brunt a good-humored 10,000 volt shock. Not quite.

"The obstacle, the last of a few dozen, was 50 yards from the finish line. What made it worse: There was a wait. A line formed so we could watch people run through 50-60 dangling wires that charged with electricity every three seconds.

"Some made it through.

"Others dropped and crawled their way through calf-deep mud.

"When it was my turn, I took off fast hoping to power my way through.

"The first shock hurt like hell. If you've ever been shocked before, you know how it feels. Intense pin-prickling pain is followed by your extremities involuntarily flailing in all directions.

"The second shock just about sent me to the ground. Mind you, we were running over hurdles of dirt through the 20 feet of live cables. I almost made it until the third shock hit. My legs left the ground and sent the rest of my body face first into the wet mud.

"What's really nice, is the actual pain of the shocks doesn't last. Which helps in soaking in the satisfaction of actually completing 10 of the hardest miles I've ever had to run."

19 Comments for "No shock: Two-dozen Tough Mudders hauled off to local hospital"

  1. Crazy! How many participated and how many actually made it to the finish line?

    amous Jul 25, 2011 2:29 PM

  2. The Tough Mudder had about 10,000 participants, split between Saturday and Sunday. I haven't seen results or a total finisher number. Typically, about 75% of those who start make it to the finish.

    T. Held Jul 25, 2011 2:40 PM

  3. That is a LOT of people - I was thinking 1,000! At least they were all off the couch. ;)

    amous Jul 25, 2011 3:07 PM

  4. is it just me??? or is this a recipe for disaster: "people run through 50-60
    dangling wires that charged with electricity every three seconds."
    ""The second shock just about sent me to the ground." If there's enuff
    current to put you to the ground, that's just asking for trouble?? You
    cannot predict the effect on different body types, wet grounding conditions,
    hidden heart conditions. Hope that waiver you signed is iron clad, as well???

    HawthorneWingoII Jul 25, 2011 4:01 PM

  5. dumb

    swifteagle Jul 25, 2011 5:38 PM

  6. dumb

    swifteagle Jul 25, 2011 5:39 PM

  7. Hawthorne: It's not the volts that are going to kill you, it's the amps.
    This was one of the best events I've ever done. The emphasis on it being a
    challenge and not a race was fantastic. There were people helping other
    participants and encouraging them throughout the entire run.

    GVanAuken Jul 26, 2011 8:04 AM

  8. @Gvan:
    my point, exactly, what, if any, current limiting device is designed into these 'loose wires'? If it is the AC breaker only, a minimum of 15 amps coulld be delivered, more than enuff to just put you down! Not questioning the camadre aspect, just hate to see some 1 get fried for no reason!

    HW II

    Jul 26, 2011 9:01 AM

  9. This was the most poorly run race I have ever done. All about the money. Only 4 water stations, none of them with volunteers. Cost my brother $40 apiece for his family of 5 to watch. Even his 5 year old boy, they charged $40, cash only. Only 10% goes to wounded warrior. Never do it again. It was hard but no where near the hardest race on the planet. People who did the race where great. But very unorganized.$$$$ is all they really care about.

    marty heilman Jul 26, 2011 10:15 AM

  10. @marty heilman I'm so sad to hear that you did NOT have the same experience I did. I could not have enjoyed myself more.

    The course was incredible and every water station was fully staffed Saturday. Four water stations for a 10mile course was more than ample in my opinion. Additionally, all participants should've gotten several emails and text messages from TM asking you to hydrate and bring fluids on the course if you didn't think four stations was enough for you. They added several water obstacles to try and compensate for the increased temps.

    I was taken back by the $40 spectator fee, BUT I had the option to register my spectator for only $15 before noon Friday 7/22... but by my own mistake, missed that deadline. If you had gone online to preregister your spectators, you'd have also noted that anyone under 10 was free.

    If you only paid the price of admission, 10% went to the Wounded Warrior project... but you were also encouraged to raise money on your own. It was optional.

    Again, sorry to hear your experience was the complete opposite of mine. I can't wait to go back next year.

    AngelaB Jul 26, 2011 11:07 AM

  11. "It's not the volts that are going to kill you, it's the amps. "
    It is a funny line because of how false it is.

    Voltage = Resistance * Amps

    Volts...Amps it don't matter.

    If your dumb enough to get juiced as part of a "fun activity." Be my guest don't cry about it later when your friend dies. I have been working on 120V and been shocked nothing fun about it.

    Big B in the G Jul 26, 2011 11:27 AM

  12. I with you Angela it was a great time. I don't understand all the negative comments (except maybe for Marty H., if you were there and didn't like it, that's your opinion), for those that weren't there. At least, as it was put, we were 'off the couch' and pushing ourselves. If you don't like that other people do stuff you don't like or understand, or can't do, then stick to the Packers. Sheesh.

    MWSHRFC Jul 26, 2011 11:50 AM

  13. I am with the VAST majority of Mudders who thought this was a great event. One of the more mentally and physically challenging events I've ever personally participated in, yet I had a smile on my face almost the entire time. Marty, you are most certainly entitled to your opinion in regards to the money, but as Angela indicated, it’s your own fault for not reading the surplus of emails from TMHQ outlining the spectator pricing. Also, take a step back and look at the staffing and setup fees associated with this event. The raw materials, the assembly, the hiring of all the temp workers for registration as well as leasing the ski hill and golf course for the day was no doubt an expensive bill. Sure, the event organizer is making money on this, no doubt. But open your eyes and realize that not as much is going into the pockets as you think.

    Without a doubt the most feared obstacle for my team (those of us who read the emails from TMHQ) was the electro shock therapy. I was lucky enough to get through the electro shock without a jolt, though three of the 14 in our group went down, one of them hit hard twice. Rest assured though as he had a smile on his face while wearing his orange headband and drinking that beer at the finish line! As I put it in another post, those who can are TOUGH MUDDERS. Those who can't post negative comments to jusitfy their non-participation.

    As for me and my team, here’s to Tough Mudder Wisconsin in October of 2012!

    OneToughMudder Jul 26, 2011 1:41 PM

  14. I agree with OneToughMudder. I had a blast at Tough Mudder Wisconsin on Sunday, plus my team raised over $1,000 for the Wounded Warriors. Anyone who puts down something like that is either crazy or just a competitor of Tough Mudder.

    Tough Mudder Wisconsin 2012!

    BJeff64 Jul 26, 2011 6:14 PM

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