Do you have the grit?

Iowa Gladiator Assault Challenge is on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at Seven Oaks in Boone. Register by May 17. Cost is $110. Spectator cost is $10. Parking will be $5-$10. Must be 18 years or older to participate (16-17 can participate with the approval of legal guardian).

Here in Des Moines, we have our share of 10K challenges. It seems like every weekend someone is raising money for a worthy cause at the minimal cost of running with some friends. Sure some folks compete with one another, but the goal isn’t to come out on top; it’s to raise enough money that the event is worth it. But what about when the fundraising isn’t a priority? When competition with your fellow man is fueled by the adrenaline that comes after noticing someone else a step ahead? Friendly competition will hit new heights in the upcoming Gladiator Assault Challenge.

Gladiator Assault Challenge is the Midwest’s premier test of endurance, speed, agility, strength, mental stamina and one’s ability to withstand a crazy party afterward. The Gladiator Assault Challenge obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate. The five- to seven-mile course will challenge all competitors with running, climbing, jumping, crawling and balancing elements with the aim of testing overall endurance.

“Running a Gladiator Assault Challenge is a totally different adventure experience than running a typical 10K,” said Joe Vittengl managing partner. “The GAC course begins at the top of a ski slope where participants sprint down the slope and slosh up, over and through big muddy walls and chest deep mud pits, and that’s just to start their five- to seven-mile jaunt.”

So how hard are these obstacles? Difficult enough to provide numerous challenges to an otherwise simply outdoors race. Competitors will be met with rope walls to climb over, down, under and monkey across. Mud pits are set up to slow everyone down to molasses speed, while the mud forces competitors to reach for the rope support, perpetuating the fear of sinking. Balance will constantly be tested, either by the logs racers will scurry across, or simply by the uneven terrain of Seven Oaks in Boone.

Even though the name is Gladiator Assault Challenge, the goals of the day are competition and camaraderie. Competitors will range from individuals looking to prove it to themselves that they can do this to teams of friends who just want to roll around in the mud. No matter which category a person may fall into, everyone is competing for the same end: to finish the race and get a well-deserved beer.

Everyone participating in the Gladiator Assault Challenge will receive a Gladiator T-shirt, a free beer (must be 21 or older — IDs are required), a strong sense of pride and, last but certainly not least, access to all pre- and post-party events. Stay and join the crowd for the Gladiator Party Central featuring beer, music, Gladiator games, grilled food and loose chatter.

For more information visit the Gladiator Assault Challenge website F.A.Q. at www.gladiatorassaultchallenge.com. CV

David Rowley is cinefile/journalist/gumshoe from Des Moines who is always prepared with a pen in his pocket feverishly searching for that “perfect level of ridiculous that makes the absurd desirable.”