Cancer is an awful disease that affects pretty much all of us, either directly or indirectly, at one point or another. As a result, countless people try to do whatever they can in order to make money in the battle against it. People do some crazy things in order to make money on behalf of Cancer Research UK, which is the largest independent cancer research organisation in the world. In spite of its size, it depends on money raised by the public to carry out its work, which is where the Guildford Pretty Muddy 5k comes in for those of you either in or around the town of Guildford.
What the Pretty Muddy 5k Is All About
The title of the race gives you a very good sense of what it’s all about and what is expected of you if you choose to participate in it. It takes place over 5k and asks you to make your way around an obstacle course that features all sorts of things that are tricky to get past. The Vertigo climbing frame requires you to clamber over a giant cargo net, for example, whilst the Down and Dirty is a giant inflatable pit that is full of water and, of course, mud. The Journey acts as a human car wash, with Go Commando needing a crawl and scramble on your stomach to make it under two nets.
Light at the End of the Tunnel sees people crawl through a pit into a mud tunnel, needing a rope to help you make it out of the other side. The Durdles involve getting over a soft bar and through muddy pits whilst Mission Inflatable presents you with three long pink tubes that have been inflated and need to be climbed over. Wall of Fame is a mini rock-climbing wall, Ex Squeeze Me is a muddy mangle that you have to squeeze through and Wrecking Balls will result in inflatable balls swinging towards you. It all comes to a close with the Mud Chute at the end, meaning no one crosses the finish line without being muddy as anything.
In order to take on the course, you need to sign up for a start time. The people of Guildford will be sent out in 15-minute waves, making it as safe as possible and stopping things from getting too crowded. This isn’t a race, as such, so you’re expected to take on the course in your own time. The average time taken to complete it is around an hour, so you don’t need to be worried if you feel like a straggler. It is meant to be fun, with many people signing up to it with friends and family members in order to take on the challenge together, earning as much money as they can.
Pretty Muddy Kids
There is a very strong likelihood that you don’t need to actively encourage your kids to get covered in mud, but that is what the Guildford Pretty Muddy course does. It is not dissimilar to the adults’ course, with the big exception being that it is only for young people aged between six and 12 that are over 1.2 metres tall. They will be asked to climb, slide, and crawl their way around the course at their own pace alongside an accompanying adult. The course is still based over 5k, so this isn’t for the weak-hearted in terms of the challenge that it presents to them all.
Given the fact that a lot of kids absolutely love getting down and dirty, the Pretty Muddy Kids course is a great way to introduce them to the world of fundraising. It is not exactly out of the question that some of the young people taking on the course may well have been touched by cancer themselves at one point or another, so this is a fun way to try to fight back. As with the adults’ course, it starts on the open green next to the Rugby Club and is a reasonably flat one around the Stoke Park area. The What3Words to enter are rock.farmer.gentle.
Other Races Available
You might well be keen on the idea of raising money for Cancer Research UK but not be overly keen on getting filthy in the mud. If that’s the case, then it’s fair to say that the Pretty Muddy 5k course is not going to be the one for you. Taking place on the same day, there is both a 3k and a 5k race that you can get involved in. We say ‘race’, but you don’t need to take it that seriously if you don’t want to. That doesn’t mean that other people won’t be, of course; there will absolutely be a whole host of people treating it like the biggest race of their life.
It is a way to raise some money for Cancer Research UK without having to take a spare pair of clothes along and worry about clogging up your washing machine when you get home. It doesn’t matter whether you want to take on the 3k or the 5k; do whichever one suits you. It is also entirely up to you whether you do it on your own or do it with some friends or family members. There is a warm-up session before the event gets underway, whilst spectators are entirely welcome to come along and cheer you on. In fact, there is often a great atmosphere at these sorts of events.
There is limited parking close to the area where all of the races are taking place, but you can get the bus to the area or take a train to London Road Train Station before walking the 15 minutes to Stoke Park. Do bear in mind you’ll have to walk back afterwards too!