Participants braved muddy conditions and 30 obstacles in this daring take on a 5K race for a good cause. Watch video
OLD BRIDGE -- There's a 5K race or walk somewhere in the Garden State almost every weekend in the summer.
But then there's the Rugged Maniac 5K, which is a daring 3.1-mile run comprised of large pools of mud and dozens of obstacles.
Like other 5K races, proceeds from Rugged Maniac go to a good cause (in this case it's the American Cancer Society that benefits). The race happens in 25 different locations in the United States -- and three in Canada -- throughout the summer.
In New Jersey, approximately 10,000 participants ran the race on Saturday and Sunday, said Jacob Lyons, an organizer. He said the annual race draws roughly 12,000 when you factor in spectators.
Along with a 3.1-mile run, participants must conquer 30 obstacles that range in degrees of difficulty. In one obstacle, participants inched their way through a puddle of mud under lines of barbed wire.
That was the hardest challenge for three teenagers from Hillsborough who participated in the Rugged Maniac together. For Krystian Fitzpatrick, 17, it was his fourth time running in the race. But the two friends he was with - Peter Clarke and Hana Bahlawan, both 16 - it was their first time.
"It was so much fun," Bahlawan said. "You can just do whatever you want - take it slow take it fast. It was good."
"It was amazing, I've been doing it for years," Fitzpatrick chimed in.
Lisa Bowman is also a seasoned competitor, having just completed her third Rugged Maniac on Sunday. Bowman made the trip from Hatboro, Pa, located just outside of Philadelphia.
She said this year's race was slightly more difficult than the previous two years.
"I'm not a runner," Bowman said. "I'm stronger in my upper-body."
For a race participant from Middletown, who did not give his name, finishing the Rugged Maniac left him with a simple answer: "I'm feeling pretty pumped!"
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.