Sunny skies and a course full of mud pits greeted more than 200 participants Saturday as the YMCA held its third annual “Y Get Dirty” mud run at Graham Creek Nature Preserve in Foley.
The event was organized jointly by the John McClure Snook Family YMCA in Foley and the Bounds Family YMCA in Daphne, bringing together Baldwin County families and fitness enthusiasts for a morning of obstacle-course racing. Organizers offered two options for participants: a competitive 4.5-mile course open to runners 16 and older, and a more family-friendly 5K Fun Run for participants 12 and up.
The competitive course wound through Graham Creek Nature Preserve’s trails and open fields, incorporating climbing walls, a series of physical obstacles, and several mud pits that left runners coated head to toe by the finish line. Despite the mess, organizers said most participants arrived knowing exactly what they had signed up for, and the mood throughout the event stayed upbeat, with runners crossing the finish line grinning under layers of mud.
Beyond the physical challenge, the run served a charitable purpose. Proceeds from registration fees go directly to the YMCA of South Alabama’s Y Campaign for Youth and Families, which helps subsidize YMCA memberships and program access for families facing financial hardship, as well as individuals dealing with health challenges who might not otherwise be able to afford participation.
Mud runs and obstacle races have grown into a popular fitness trend nationwide over the past decade, combining traditional running with strength-based challenges like wall climbs, rope crawls, and water or mud hazards. Community YMCAs across the country, including branches throughout coastal Alabama, have increasingly used the format as both a fitness draw and a fundraising vehicle, since the unconventional format tends to attract participants who might not otherwise sign up for a standard road race.
Saturday’s event marked the third consecutive year Baldwin County’s YMCA branches have hosted the mud run at Graham Creek Nature Preserve, a county-owned natural area known for its trails, wetlands, and outdoor recreation space near Foley. Organizers have said in the past that the preserve’s varied terrain, including wooded sections and low-lying wet areas, makes it particularly well suited to the obstacle-course format.