‘Warning – Deep Mud’ is not an encouraging sign to see before a race. But on the first Sunday of the year over 200 competitors ignore the warnings to scramble through the pungent sludge of the Blackwater Estuary, Essex, all in the name of charity.
Speedy mud masters complete the 400-metre race in less than four minutes, but for the stragglers it can take up to an hour. Maldon Mud Race began in 1973 when a pub offered free pints to anyone who could make it across the estuary and back on foot.
So if you’ve eaten too much Christmas pudding and want a brisk start to the New Year, find a quirky costume, tape your footwear firmly on, prepare to be caked in the finest Essex mud and relax with a cold shower at the end.
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