By Kate Bartlett
Saturday, June 20 marks the annual Holiday Valley Mudslide, a sloppy, slidey, family-fun obstacle trail run. The event features courses ranging from 4.2 to 6 miles with roughly 15 fun obstacles to navigate, ending with a massive slide into a pool of muddy water.
Participants are challenged to tackle the course, sliding down and climbing over and through pits of mud with one guarantee – no one gets through clean. The event started over a decade ago and has long been considered Holiday Valley’s unofficial kickoff to the summer season. The event kicks off at 8:30am with registration, the 6-mile-long course kicks off at 9:15am, and the 4.2-mile short course starts at 10:30am. Food service begins at 10am and beer tasting on the Champagne Sun Deck from 11am-2pm. Awards will be presented at 1pm and the kids race kicks off at 1:15pm, with staggered start times for different age groups ranging from 10-years to 5-years and under. Competitors are treated to food and drinks upon finishing their run with 42 North Brewery and Ellicottville Brewing Co. at Yodeler to sample beer options for the 21+ crowd.
According to Dash Hegeman, Marketing Director at Holiday Valley, this year’s event remains similar to past years, keeping the tradition and fun alive. “The Mountain Crew always does their best to add some surprise features into the run to make sure that people who have done it before are challenged and continue to enjoy the experience,” says Dash. “The course distances remain the same, including a kid’s race for ages 4-11, which takes place on the lower section of the Yodeler Lodge, finishing in the Mudslide pit. “The day is really geared around being something for all ages. And the kids’ race is a blast for parents to watch and cheer for their kids as they navigate the course and figure out the features.”
Dash describes the event as jovial, fun and filled with energy. “Everyone just comes together as a community to support each other and share a lot of laughs, explains Dash. “It’s great that we get a wide range of ages taking part in Mudslide year after year. We love to see young kids taking on the course with their parents, and even grandparents.”
The Mudslide at Holiday Valley is a unique opportunity for a fun and active trail run with an emphasis on fun over competition. “Participants can certainly come take part and push themselves to see how fast they can complete the course, but so many people do this event as a team, ensuring that there’s a lot of laughter and comradery taking place,” explains Dash. “By putting the focus on the fun, people generally walk away feeling good about doing the event instead of stressing about where they finished in the race. Plus, it’s fun to get dirty!”
Spectators are encouraged, with food and beverages available for purchase. “We invite everyone out, whether you’re participating or spectating,” says Dash. “It’s a fun event for all.”
For more information visit holidayvalley.com and follow @holidayvalley on social media for updates. Mudslide lodging packages are also available for people who are looking to make a weekend out of the event and enjoy everything that Ellicottville has to offer.