Last Friday at 3am was the first time I had ever heard of Tough Mudder. I found out about it while looking at TimeOut London for anything that might make good pictures. I guess I found something! Even some of my friends back home in Chicago knew about Tough Mudder. Well after some frantic emails with "URGENT" as part of the subject, since the event started on Saturday, I was able to secure access for myself and my friend Tolga Akmen, who freelances for agencies in London. This time he would be shooting for Barcroft Media.
Tolga and I both missed the train we intended to get out of Waterloo station, so we got to the grounds later than we wanted. I let Tolga play around with my 400mm under one condition, that he carry it once I meet him at Waterloo station. During our walk from the parking lot (sorry to my English friends for not saying car park) to the course, Tolga kept complaining about how heavy the lens was and demanded that I buy the new version.
During our time on the course, we were able to follow the same group from start to finish for the most part. My favorite part obstacle to shoot was the ice water by far. They had to jump in to chest deep, ice cold water and swim underneath a barrier and come up on the other side to get out. I love splashes so I had a lot of fun shooting it. I probably put my camera a bit too close to the surface of the water, but it still works, so that was ok.
The last obstacle looked like it should be illegal. They had to run through mud while getting shocked by electrically charged wires dangled from above. The only way to avoid them was to crawl underneath, and that was very difficult because there were small hills which forced you to get close. One guy tripped and fell, but on his way down he got shocked near his ear and stayed down for a while.
I still have to clean my gear, there's only a little bit of mud and a lot of dust on everything. I only got mud one lens, which was when someone slipped and feel right in front of me, sending mud flying on the lens, my jacket, and my hair.
Below are my favorites.
 |
| Tough Mudder South London participants charge through the last obstacle challenge of a muddy field filled with dangling electrically charged wires in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London participant works his way across the Funky Monkey obstacle in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| Tough Mudder South London participants jump in to ice cold water in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London participant screams after jumping off of a platform in to a pool of muddy water in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London participants climbs his way across the Funky Monkey obstacle in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London participant gets a face full of mud after losing his balance on the Electroshock Therapy obstacle in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| Tough Mudder South London participant lays on the ground smiling after he slipped and while he was celebrating completing the course in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London lost his grip on the wooden overhang while another tough mudder can't grab him before he falls back to the bottom of the Everest obstacle in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| A Tough Mudder South London participant celebrates after completing the course in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
 |
| The mud pulled the shoes off of competitors while they ran through the mud, after the challenge most shoes are thrown out or donated. in Winchester, England on 9 June, 2013. |
