BBC article on the trend towards extreme sports...

There was an article on the BBC News website recently about the growing trend towards extreme sports. Besides the growing popularity of Marathons, Triathlons and new events like adventure races, mud races and assault course races are on the increase. There were 850 triathlon events in England, Scotland and Wales in 2011, 99 more than 2010.

These are some of the more bizarre events...
Tough Guy: 25 obstacles over undulating course in mud and cold. There is a summer version for the less hardy
Iron Man: Extended triathlon - swim 2.4 miles, cycle 112 miles, run 26.2 miles
Tough Mudder: 10-12 mile obstacle course featuring mud, ice baths, barbed wire and electric shocks
Paras 10: 10-mile military training circuit with entrants needing a bergen (rucksack) weighing 35lb (16kg) and a pair of military boots
Brutal 10: Simply 10km cross-country race over hills, streams and undergrowth

It looks as if the Tough Mudder event is a event franchise much like the Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon series with events all over the USA and Europe. The event organiser Will Dean describes it as "probably the toughest event on the planet with contestants jumping into a skip filled with fluorescent green ice, dragging a log through mud and electric shocks". He continues..."We have had a few broken bones and a lot of hypothermia, but nothing serious, nothing that you wouldn't recover from."

You can see the article HERE