This Colorado Mud Run offers affordable dirty fun with obstacles for families, and for a limited time sign-up is only $119 for a family 4-pack!

When we started BIGDOGBRAG – The Colorado Mud Run back in 2012, we had a vision of creating the funnest, muddiest obstacle course that could be enjoyed by everyone, including families, in our community. We’re Colorado locals with a pretty big family and intentionally sought out environments here in our region that would get folks outdoors to experience nature in the muddiest way possible. As parents ourselves, we faced the challenges of struggling to get our kids away from the video games, TV and cell phones. We knew that an obstacle course with mud that featured the very best of Colorado would entice even the pickiest, non-outdoorsy teenager to venture out of the house and into the wild.

We knew we were on to something big when 1,100 people signed up for our first race. Now we know we were right to include “brag” in our name after seeing the research that backs up what this mom and dad inherently knew was good for families all along.

Katherine Martinko, senior writer for TreeHugger.com, reported that outdoor families are happier families. Her article referenced a study in The Journal of Family Theory & Review where University of Illinois doctoral candidate Dina Izenstark researched the effects of a group spending time outside in nature. The study stated that “the practice of family rituals in nature brings families closer. They have a shared experience which helps make them who they are as a family, something that can be passed down through generations.”

Research confirms that mud is good for kids.

The National Wildlife Foundation published a study that proves health benefits to a child’s body, mind and spirit when they make a connection to the outdoors. We highly recommend that every parent read this report!

Our favorite research has to be the report aptly titled The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids, also published by the National Wildlife Foundation. An excerpt from the NWF website:

“While many times getting our hands dirty is frowned upon, the National Wildlife Federation’s report—The Dirt on Dirt: How Getting Dirty Outdoors Benefits Kids—has some new facts and figures that may have parents steering their kids toward the nearest mud puddle. Getting a little dirty in the great outdoors—far from being a bad thing—helps children lead happier, healthier lives.

When we let our kids play in dirt, we’re not only allowing them to explore the wonders around them, we are also exposing them to healthy bacteria, parasites, and viruses that will inevitably create a much stronger immune system. Many kids who live in an ultra-clean environment have a greater chance of suffering from allergies, asthma, and other autoimmune diseases that we would otherwise be protected from through the simple pleasure of playing with some nice common dirt.

Studies have shown that simply having contact with dirt, whether it’s through gardening, digging holes, or making pies out of mud, can significantly improve a child’s mood and reduce anxiety and stress. With antidepressant use in kids on the rise, an increasing number of experts are recognizing the role of nature in enhancing kids’ mental health. Dirt can even improve classroom performance.”

BIGDOGBRAG doesn’t promise that participating in our Colorado Springs mud run on June 9 or the Pueblo mud run on June 30 will cure health ailments or turn your kids from average students into geniuses, but we do know that you’ll have a fantastic time as a family! The Colorado Mud Run is more fun and a lot more healthy than hanging out at the local pizza arcade on a Saturday, and also more affordable. For a limited time only you can register a family of four for only $119 with our BIGDOGBRAG 2k Family 4-Pack.

Make this summer the season to create family memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.

Sign up today for the BIGDOGBRAG mud run and prove to your kids that you really are the coolest parents in the neighborhood.

You can even use the post-mud run family photos in your annual Christmas card this year, putting all the other generic “white-shirts/blue-jeans/standing-in-front-of-the-fireplace/we’re-so-perfect” family holiday cards to shame.

Sign up today for the no-frills basic BIGDOGBRAG 4-pack for only $119, with t-shirts and other items available for an extra cost. Standard registration fee for the 5K race for ages 12 and up is $59 (+$5.40 fee) for sign-ups before race day. Military and first responders will receive 15% off the registration price with coupon code. Cost for the 2K race starts at $29 for kids ages 5-11, until race day. Participants who pay the standard registration fee will receive a BIGDOGBRAG dog tag, brag-worthy t-shirt, finish photos, bib, one (1) beer (must be over 21) and a temporary tattoo.

BIGDOGBRAG takes place in Colorado Springs at Ram Off Road Park on June 9, 2018, and in Pueblo at CSU on June 30, 2018. For more details and to register visit www.bigdogbrag.com.