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Why are Canadian runners so good at Tough Mudder events?

Why are Canadian runners so good at the Tough Mudder? We have a few ideas about why Canadians have the leg up against the other competitors...

Mud race runners

When spring rolls around, gearing up for races is on the minds of runners. For many runners in Canada, the goal race is going to happen on the road. Another option is signing up to go the trail route. These are the two most common choices– but they’re not the only ones. Mud and obstacle challenges (think Tough Mudder for example) offer runners a little extra challenge. They revamp a course from being a point A to point B endeavor by adding in obstacles to test strength and mental capability.

Now that it’s spring, race calendars may not yet be totally set in stone. While there are plenty of runs through the mud not far from the border, the race series does host events in Whistler, Alberta and Toronto. This gives runners a chance to test out obstacles in the mountains, in a national park or nearby to the most populated city.

At this point, Tough Mudder has become synonymous with mud and obstacle course racing. When runners talk about this sort of event, most at least know of it if they haven’t actually participated. Oddly enough, one thing that is notable about Tough Mudder is that Canadians tend to be quite enthusiastic– and talented– at the event. Why might this be? We have a few ideas about why Canadians have the leg up against the other participants:

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We train on difficult terrain, year round. From the Rocky Mountains to the perpetually snow-covered northern regions to the rolling hills of Ontario, it’s safe to say that Canadian runners can hack it when the going gets a little rough. Tough conditions don’t intimidate us and so naturally, when confronted with obstacles and a mud-entrenched course, Canadian runners aren’t the slightest bit phased. If we’ve managed to stick it through running the often unkind Canadian landscape, we can make it through difficult courses.

Canadian winters have changed our definition of “tough.” Our winters already have us prepped for the worst. Some Canadians endure -35, with windchill, on a run. Others run through hail storms on a regular basis. Even the warmer parts of the country have seen brutally cold winters in recent years where temperatures were cold enough to freeze Niagara Falls. After that, there’s no way we’d shy away from any sort of running event. Tough Mudder just looks like fun.

We were never scared of a little dirt. Think about it. Camping is a staple in our Canadian culture. When Canadians want to have fun in the summer, they go sleep outside in the dirt for days without showering. A Tough Mudder event was made for us. We’d never be shy of the mud (or the occasional mud wipe-out). Dirt is just what we do. Enough said.

Canadians have already been conquering obscure running events. We invented the beer mile which is probably the weirdest running event the sport has seen. Not only did we invent it, but we have also been dominating it ever since. Canadian runners like quirky races be it the beer mile or a mud challenge with seemingly impossible obstacles. We revel in being able to complete these feats– it gives us a bragging right different than the kind that can be earned on the road.

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