Five years ago Carl Bolm turned an interest into a business venture, and it has since developed into a international attraction that has kept people coming back to rural Wright City twice a year.

Among the return visitors is Warrenton native Scott Schulze, who has participated in every Battlegrounds Mud Run at Cedar Lakes since the event began in June of 2012. He has witnessed Bolm’s creation evolve over time, adding more obstacles, increased acreage and nearly 10 times as many competitors to the field since the race began.

“I liked the trail run they did out there, which got us off the pavement,” said Schulze, who had previously only run 5Ks and a marathon. “I thought it would be cool to do the obstacle course. I fell in love with it after the first time I ran one and they’ve kept me coming back every time.”

Bolm has taken the Battlegrounds Obstacle Course from 400 competitors during its initial run to 3,100 during its May race this year. The most recent event was held in September, but he says the spring races always draw a larger crowd. 

“We had people from 32 states and six countries come to our last race, which I think is magnificent, because we are a sanctioned event,” said Bolm.

Battlegrounds is now considered an Obstacle Course Racing qualifier on the national scale, meaning its top finishers in the competitive way earn the right to compete at a higher level.

Earlier this year, Bolm purchased additional land, spreading the race route over 370 acres off Highway N south of Wright City.

“He’s made a lot of good changes,” said Schulze. “This is not boring like a street race is to me. It’s always a new challenge, and every event has something a little different than the one before it.”

Bolm and his team have worked to innovate the course with new and exciting obstacles, while keeping it as safe as possible for the waves of competitors. Battlegrounds currently has 38 obstacles with either a 5-mile or 5K distance option.

“We continue to add and change our permanent obstacles,” said Bolm. “Every race is different so people don’t know exactly what to expect. Our teams are growing each year, and the community has done a great job of supporting us.”

He says he knows of only one other permanent obstacle course like his in the entire states that makes changes from race to race.

“It’s more geared toward upper body whereas it was more for runners early on,” said Schulze. “He’s added a lot more upper body strength challenges.”

Relying on nature for obstacles, however, can prove risky at times. The night before the May race earlier this year, torrential rains flooded the creeks that pass through the Battlegrounds property, causing officials to shut down part of course for safety purposes. But Bolm’s team rallied to make certain the race went on as planned, even though it mean improvising.

“That experience really showed the commitment of the community,” said Bolm. “There was not one person on the team who thought about canceling. That entire community supported us, and nobody let rain or mud stop the race from going on.”

Bolm says Battlegrounds and Cedar Lake Cellars have been hosting more corporate events and are starting to become a centerpiece for team building and bonding, along with creating memories for a lifetime.

Warrenton native Scott Schulze has competed in all 12 of the Battlegrounds Mud Run since they began in Wright City in June of 2012. The variety of obstacles and upper-body challenge of the course keeps him coming back twice a year. Record photo/ Derrick Forsythe.