So you want to try a mud run? Great options for beginners are races that come in at the 5K distance like the Warrior Dash, Spartan Race Sprint, or other short-distance obstacle runs. Many of these events require you to scale walls, scramble over cargo nets, leap over fire and crawl through mud. Here’s some advice.

Forget about timing

Regardless of how many 5Ks you may have run, forget about projecting a finishing time. Instead, use your first obstacle course race as a benchmark for the future. Course conditions on an extreme run can change dramatically based on location, weather, and the wave of participants in which you find yourself.