Global adventure challenge comes to New Zealand

Media release

Friday 25 October, 2013

Global adventure challenge comes to New Zealand

A large-scale adventure event created by a former British Special Forces counter-terrorism agent is landing in New Zealand in 2014.

Tough Mudder demands its ‘Mudders’ grind out a 20km course littered with obstacles including mud, fire, ice-water, a greasy quarter-pipe and live electrical wires. Rather than being a race it is a challenge designed to test all-around strength, stamina, mental grit and teamwork.

Calling itself “Probably the Toughest Event on the Planet,” Tough Mudder has seen more than a million participants across three continents muddy up and complete the challenge.

“Kiwis have a reputation for being hard core so we thought it was about time we got down here, organised an event and let them prove what they're made of,” says Drew Ward, Tough Mudder’s Senior Vice President – Asia-Pacific.

“In many ways New Zealand is the home of adventure sport but Tough Mudder is something completely different. Our events are not just for die-hard adventure sports fanatics – they’re for anyone who has the will to train and the guts to take it on. We’ve seen Mudders ranging from veterans to business executives, and beauty queens to 81-year-old grandfathers.

“At the end of the day, Tough Mudder is about teamwork and camaraderie - you simply won’t get to the end of the course without it. Completing a Tough Mudder unlocks a true sense of accomplishment,” Ward says.

Tough Mudder’s inaugural New Zealand event takes place in Auckland on 26 and 27 April. The location and event details will be announced at a later date, however the venue will be within an hour’s drive of Auckland and registrations are now open on the Tough Mudder website at toughmudder.com/events/auckland-2014/.

Tough Mudder was created in 2010 by Englishmen Will Dean and Guy Livingstone. Dean developed the idea for the company while studying at Harvard Business School, where the concept made the semi-finals of the School’s annual business plan competition. Promoted exclusively through Facebook advertising and word of mouth, the original event attracted more than 4,500 participants.

The Tough Mudder phenomenon has exploded across the world in the past three years; 2014 will see more than 60 Tough Mudder events taking place globally. Hundreds of New Zealanders have already completed a Tough Mudder event overseas.

Ends

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h-BoZBFxfg

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