Left to right: Stefanie Palmer and Sophie Major prior to race
There’s a lot of dirty girls in Winnipeg. And I know where they all hang out. Be warned though, there are also a lot of dirty old men there too.
You’ll find all these and more at the Dirty Donkey, which is a mud run where you’ll not just get dirty, you’ll get good n’ dirty. And you’ll raise money for the United Way at the same time.
This year’s race took place on Saturday August 17 at the Springhill winter park and attracted virtually all of our city’s crazy runners as well as others from rural Manitoba, Estevan and even Calgary.
This was the second annual running of the Dirty Donkey in Winnipeg and the 1800 entrants this year was a 50% increase over last year.
Entrants registered as individuals or teams of any size in either the 5 km event or the Kick Ass category which was a longer, more insane version of the former. Both events though are a foot race through a hilly obstacle course in thick wet sloppy mud, where you crawl under barbed wire, through tunnels and climb over and under special obstacles that were custom designed by local architectural firm Smith Carter.
Obstacles that have names like the Teeter Totter Topple, the Be Un-Drunk, or the Monkey Ramp.
Prominent local radio host Ace Burpee was rumoured to be there, but would be hard to recognize covered in mud. Burpee competed in the men’s solo Kick Ass category which was won by Winnipegger Johnny Fukumoto in 33:08 minutes. Larissa Farrell posted the fastest time in the women’s Kick Ass at 39:34.
Local hair stylist and beautician Stefanie Palmer completed her second Dirty Donkey. She became involved last year because it was a fundraiser for the MS Society. She didn’t train for that one but had fun anyway, then realizing her mistake became more committed this year.
Stefanie is also an agent for cosmetics giant Arbonne and last year was part of a six woman team appropriately named the “Arbonneaters”. This year she entered with her mother Sophie Major, who ran with a broken toe, as a two person team, the “Wet Wedgies” and let me tell you they got real wet and dirty. They competed in the 5 km event and although their time was not quite fast enough to win any honours they claim they had a ball anyway.
Stefanie looks at this as a personal challenge and says it’s so much fun to race with the most happy, positive people you’ll ever meet. It’s such a rush, she says, and now she’s become a weekend warrior seeking out other mud races.
Why spend lots of money to sit in a mud bath in a fancy spa when you can come out here and do it for nothing whilst having fun and raising money for charity at the same time.
Get down and dirty, kick ass and then enjoy the party afterwards.
Left to right: Stefanie Palmer & Sophie Major after the race
