May 10, 2019

Is your dog tough enough to endure Ruff Mudder?

A muddy obstacle course designed for canines

By PhillyVoice Staff

Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice

A dog at the Schuylkill River dog park in Philadelphia.

Dogs have been performing grueling tasks for centuries -- from herding sheep to hunting in the wild to racing in frigid temperatures.

Now, they'll get a chance to compete in one of mankind's toughest endurance tests. And the whole thing debuts in Philadelphia.

Tough Mudder, the internationally popular obstacle course event for amateur athletes, is adding a new event to its current line-up of Tougher Mudder, Toughest Mudder and World’s Toughest Mudder -- Ruff Mudder, an obstacle course for dogs.

“Tough Mudder for dogs was initially conceived and shared on social media as a 2017 April Fool’s prank,” said Kelley Kantarian, VP of Partnerships at Tough Mudder, Inc. “There was such a tremendous response that we did a trial event last year, and we sold out in 24 hours."

RELATED: This is what fitness trainers mean when they tell you to 'engage your core' | Pets hurt too: Signs your furry friend may be in pain

In partnership with Chewy, the online pet supply store, Ruff Mudder events will be thrown in 10 different metropolitan areas across the country in 2019 with the first one near Philadelphia this coming Saturday, May 18, in Coatsville, Chester County.

Ruff Mudder is designed to offer dogs all the challenges of a Tough Mudder competition including:

• Mini Everest - a slick, four-foot high quarter-pipe that will require speed and strong hind legs to overcome.

• Boa Constrictor – Dogs will have to go through a dark and muddy tunnel.

• Mud Mile (x2) - According to organizers, "this mile of mud is doggy heaven. Pups climb over every mound and wade through every valley to conquer this obstacle."

• Mini Berlin Walls (x2) - A mud-slicked two-foot tall wall to jump over.

• Mini Mudderhorn – Pretty much what it sounds like, a mountain of mud.

To register for Ruff Mudder event, pet owners can go online and register as either a spectator or participant to any of the Tough Mudder events scheduled Saturday (5K, Classic, Toughest Mudder or Mudder Village Pass) and choose Ruff Mudder as a free add-on.

It's $20 to attend as a spectator. It'll cost you anywhere from $109 to $224 and months of training to compete in the various, and increasingly tougher, human competitions

Pet owners must bring leashes and proof of vaccinations and are required clean up after their dogs to be able to participate.