Last weekend Jerry and I ran the Wilson Swamp Stomp along with a friend of ours, Chris. There was a choice to run a 5K or an 8K, and we chose the 8K. There are so many things to like about this event. I hope that I can capture it all!
We made it! Pictured from left: Jerry, Danielle & Chris
The Good Stuff
Charity
First, this obstacle course run is a charity event. All the proceeds go to the Hope Station that provides food for over 125,000 meals and over 5,000 nights of shelter every year. It means a lot to know that you are out there running for a good cause. Pairing events with charities is a fantastic way to raise money, and I think that the Hope Station is quite adventurous to take on such a feat for planning an obstacle course run.
Location
This run is a local run in Wilson. I love that it's in Wilson most because it's only 20 minutes from home and doesn't require a hotel stay like some of our other races do. That's just a personal victory. However, the actual venue for this event is absolutely fantastic! The run takes place at Gillette and Toisnot Parks, which is home to the little league baseball stadium and soccer complex in town. Everyone that has kids in town knows Gillette. There is plenty of parking on-site, a playground for the little ones, and a shelter for those that want to stay out of the sun.
The terrain itself is fairly flat, which is the nature of Eastern North Carolina, so it doesn't make for an incredibly challenging run. Still, there is plenty of woods to run through, and some unique obstacles.
Age
Seeing people run this race with their kids is so wonderful. There is no age requirement to run and I loved seeing families on the course together. In fact, many of the kids were pulling their parents along the trail! This made me chuckle. Maybe next year that dad will do some more running so he can keep up with his son.
Scale
The attendance for this event seems to grow every year. Yet, one of the best parts for me is that there are just over 300 people that attend the race to run. Having gone to the Spartan where 2,000 people converge on a farm the organized chaos can be overwhelming. This smaller, manageable, regional event is still getting its bearings, but seems to keep improving and grow every year. Of course, I want to spread the word to help benefit the Hope Station, but having this smaller event is quite perfect for the venue and the participants. There were almost no bottle necks on the course, which was a tribute to the number of participants, the number of people in each wave, and distance between the obstacles.
The Improvements
Obstacles
Speaking of obstacles, this point is both good and bad. While the obstacles are not the most challenging, they are the most family-friendly and fun. I love a good challenge, but I really love that kids can tackle the course too. I especially like that I was able to conquer the rope climb with a little assistance from the gentleman that was manning the station. I also loved that we cheered on the girl that was afraid to climb over the cargo net. We had to climb through trees, which was different, and through a culvert pipe underneath the entrance to the park. There was even a zip line in the woods - super fun!
A photo of my suggestion for Wilson Swamp Stomp
If I could make a suggestion it would be two things. First, I would love to zip line into the water at Toisnot Park. I think this would be a great addition to the 8K race. Second, if we're going to incorporate a water obstacle, I'd love to have independent floating boards on the water to run across (picture to the right). These are probably my two favorite obstacles I've seen. Because this race has access to this water, there is no reason not to utilize it!
Finally, there are many visible obstacles to see, which is fantastic, but there's always room to add
more visible obstacles for the spectators.
Festival Area
Because the race is not very big the check-in area has just a few tents. As the event grows, I would love to see more sponsors come in. I would love to see a food truck here, local sporting goods store, and music to beef up the atmosphere. Other races often run mini-competitions for most pull-ups, box jumps, etc. This could be something fun to add to the event.
At the end of the day it was a very well run event and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back next year supporting the local run!
Are you interested in reviewing an event? Let me know. I'd love to feature it here!