Hardcore Mudd Run returns to State College

Tussey Mountain will get down and dirty in September.

The Hardcore Mudd Run, a State College-based company, will return Sept. 10-11.

The company produces obstacle course events open to the public, and the 2016 version will feature sprint, ultra and extreme courses.

It is the seventh event in State College, which has drawn about 1,200 runners before. Organizers hope 1,500 to 2,000 people run in the fall.

Gideon Schwartz, who has done everything from mud runs to triathlons, is the CEO of Hardcore Mudd Run.

“Our drive is to show people that they can do anything, (when) people come together amazing things are possible,” he said. “Brotherhood, sisterhood, camaraderie are our values.”

The sprint course is 3 to 5 miles long with five to 10 obstacles. Ultra is 6 to 10 miles with 11 to 20 obstacles. Extreme is 11 to 15 miles with 21 to 25 obstacles.

There is also a new twist for children, a 1-mile, five- to eight-obstacle course.

“We have a kids challenge course for ages 6-15,” Madyson Boyer, the kids event director, said. “We want everyone to have a great experience when they attend.”

The run will also introduce events based on the firefighter experience.

The Hardcore Mudd Run will partner with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, a national charity. A portion of proceeds will go to the group, which honors fallen firefighters by assisting their surviving families and working to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.

This story was originally published January 27, 2016 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Hardcore Mudd Run returns to State College."