Muddy 4 A Cause returns for 5-mile obstacle course in Medora

Jackie Jahfetson, The Dickinson Press, N.D.
·3 min read

Jul. 11—MEDORA, N.D. — With a 5-mile obstacle course set in the rugged Badlands terrain, Muddy 4 A Cause will bring out the stopwatches for competitive heats that not only gives contestants a challenge, but supports families whose children are battling cancer.

The 4th Annual Muddy 4 A Cause will take place Saturday, July 16, in

Medora, North Dakota

. A volunteer meeting will begin at 7 a.m. followed by registration at 7:30 a.m. Competitive heats will kick off at 8 a.m. and will wrap up around noon. All the proceeds will go toward Brave the Shave.

President Jessie Brost of Muddy 4 A Cause noted that this event began when two groups of people came together in support of childhood cancer.

"It gets pretty tear-filled," Brost said. "There's a lot of tears at some points throughout the day. We do a meet and greet with some of the kids... That is always super precious. It keeps it grounded as to why we do what we do."

Brave the Shave

, a nonprofit based out of Bismarck, is the region's largest fundraiser on a mission to fight childhood cancer through family support and research, according to its Facebook page.

"... Brave the Shave does such a good job of supporting families that are in the depths and even after childhood cancer and their families are dealing with it," she said.

The obstacle course starts from the rodeo grounds and heads east. Contestants will have to use all their physical strength to conquer not only a few wood obstacles but two steel-built obstacles, which were engineered, designed and built by General Steel and Supply Co. and are "state of the art," Brost said.

"They're tough. It's the real deal. We have (had) quite a few people say... that it literally is the best one that they've run in North Dakota. So I'm very happy with that," she said, adding that the Badlands backdrop creates a "gorgeous" playing field.

For this year's obstacle course, a half-mile kids course has been added to the event list, which is suitable for ages 5 and up. There will also be a free kids zone for those under 5.

The cancer charity event draws people in from all over and people have already signed up to compete individually or in teams, Brost continued. With rising costs of fuel, food and other expenses, there is an immediate need in the area for families who have children battling cancer, she said, adding that "every dollar counts."

"... It's a fun way to raise money for such an incredible cause. But yet, you get something out of it too. You get that obstacle. You get that challenge," she said. "And there's actually quite a few families and parents of kids with cancer that say, 'If our daughter or son can battle this, there's no reason why you can't make it over an obstacle. There's no reason why you can't press play for 5 miles.' And so, that's one of the modos of a lot of the parents."

Ticket

prices range from age groups. For more information, visit the Muddy 4 A Cause Facebook page.