Students and community members gathered together at North Oak Park to race, get muddy and have fun for a cause.
“Mudder Mayhem” was held Friday, May 4 and sponsored by Recreational Sports and Wellness (RSW) to raise money for North Oak Park. RSW member participants were charged $15, while non RSW members were charged $20.
“Many people don’t know that North Oak Park does not have its own budget,” said Amy Oberschmidt, assistant director of guest services for Recreational Center of Sports and Wellness.
“So what we do at Recreational Sports and Wellness is just work hard on raising revenues to have more intramurals and volleyball parks and things for students. So sometimes they may think they’re not running for a cause, but actually they’re running for themselves to create programs and services.”
“Mudder Mayhem” was a 5K race with a few muddy areas for the runners to race through and was the second RSW race ever held. The first race was the “Ghost Chase” held last fall, which, according to Oberschmidt, was a big success.
Before the runners set off, Megan Mast, assistant director of Health and Wellness, described the course, which began and ended at North Oak Park, and encouraged the runners to do jumping jacks or pushups at each water station. Running through the mud was deemed optional.
“It was our second race, and it’s always a learning experience. We grew in numbers, which is good. I think all we can do is just improve from here,” said Mast. “We’re going to have a lot more fun with our 10Ks coming up, with them being a bit longer. And we’re going to have entertainment and the plans we have for post-race activities are going to be unmatched.”
There were prizes for first, second and third place winners for both male and female. First place for the males was Asbel Ngetich, a Southeastern Alumni who used to run track for the University, with a time of 14 minutes and 15 seconds. First place for the females was Rebecca Cathey of Hammond.
Each runner received a “Mudder Mayhem” T-shirt and was served refreshments after passing the finish line.  
While running through the mud was optional, following the race many of the participants went back to jump around and play in the mud. One student commented that the mud cooled her off. “It was a lot of fun. It makes running a little more fun when you have something to do other than just run on cement,” said Jennifer Ernst, a sophomore nursing major. “I got covered in mud and it cools you off on this hot day.”
The race was advertised through Webmail login and several social networking sites, as well as nearby running clubs.
For more information regarding future races or events contact RSW at 985-549-5591 or email Mast at megan.mast@selu.edu.