John Wiltsch is lucky he has faithful friends. His teammates could have easily gotten cold feet prior to Saturday’s Battlegrounds Mud Run at Cedar Lake Winery. But they didn’t, and by the end of …
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Locals Conquer Battlegrounds Mud Run
Posted
By Derrick Forsythe, Record Sports Editor
John Wiltsch is lucky he has faithful friends.His teammates could have easily gotten cold feet prior to Saturday’s Battlegrounds Mud Run at Cedar Lake Winery.But they didn’t, and by the end of the race, their entire bodies were numb from the frigid temperatures.Wiltsch and his four Warren County teammates were among 1,000 competitors taking part in the outdoor obstacle course race.When he signed them up on a whim during a New Year’s Eve party four months ago, he never imagined the forecasted high would be 40 degrees.“I saw somebody had posted it on Facebook, and I thought it would be a fun idea,” explained Wiltsch.The shivering elements, combined with an intensified dose of mud brought on by rain showers leading up to the race, presented extra challenges for the first-time adventurists.“The thing that worried me the most was the water being so cold,” said Lisa Chapman, of Warrenton. “It took my breath away.”The conditions didn’t prevent Wiltsch from sharing a memorable morning with his son, Johnny, who enjoyed each of the 38 obstacles.“I loved it,” said Johnny, who ranked the race at the top of his life experiences.His dad found the five-mile run more than challenging than the actual obstacles.“He’s in way better shape than I am,” quipped Wiltsch.Johnny says the gauntlet, the most recent addition to the course, was his favorite challenge. It’s one of the many improvements made to the course since the last race was held in the fall of 2012.The most taxing and intimidating obstacles seemed to be the Drop Zone, a 15-feet plunge into a mucky pool, and the Torpedo Launcher, a 150-foot slide into frigid water.“It just absolutely takes your breath away, but you have no choice but to swim,” said Wiltsch.Kate Busch, formerly of Warrenton, participated in the inaugural race held last June. She says this year’s event was far more challenging.“It was way harder than last year,” said Busch. “A little colder and a lot muddier.”Chapman considers herself adventurous and has plenty of unique accomplishments to her credit, but this one stole the show. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she assured. “Running a half marathon was easier.”The Battlegrounds is the brainchild of businessman Carl Bolm, who travels the nation competing in similar events. He says the race’s social networking sites have exploded with positive feedback since Saturday.“People loved it,” said Bolm. “Our phones have been blowing up.”The race drew nearly triple the 340 participants who competed in last June’s event.Bolm’s proudest addition is perhaps most challenging obstacle on the course.“The gauntlet is the grand finale, with six lanes that go from easiest to most difficult to almost impossible,” he explained.Bolm says a last-minute safety check was performed after heavy rains brought the creek crossings to waist-high water levels.“The water made for a tremendous challenge all by itself,” said Bolm. “We had seasoned veterans that were really taxed because of the mud, which was thoroughly exhausting.”The next Battlegrounds event is scheduled for Oct. 5.
Kate Busch, formerly of Warrenton, plots her next move on the tire challenge of "That Gauntlet" at The Battlegrounds Mud Run.
