Great runs, great company overall my favorite OCR event! In fact if you are interested the 2018 Ambassadors just received their discount codes for first-time TMers. The codes get you 30% off. enter BRAND252 at checkout and you can save a ton!

try one, you'll like it

2017 Chicago Tough Mudder was a very well run event. This 10.5 mile course was extremely flat, so participation numbers were high. From the moment you pull up at the venue, there are volunteers guiding you and directing traffic. Tough Mudder always has numerous water stations, as well as bananas & energy bars on the course. I've read reviews on this site complaining about Tough Mudder being a "money grab", but I think you get what you pay for. In my opinion, their courses are put together much better, and races are more organized than any other of the race brands that I have run. I would highly recommend trying a Tough Mudder, if you are ok with the 10 to 12 mile distances.

Too much about the money

Event: TM London West - 6 May
Pros: atmophere, scenery, course length, professional obstacle construction quality, funky monkey and arctic enema were great fun
Cons: far too 'monetized'. Event price high and still have to pay for parking and bag drop. MAIN CON: some obstacles were reserved for Legionnaires, so if it's your first time, expect to be turned away from some of the best looking obstacles (not exactly motivating when you have traveled across borders to get there)
Wont be doing one again due to this fact. They heavily market and advertize, then when you get there, 'sorry, this obstacle's not for you, why not come again next year and you can try it'

This was my first Tough Mudder and I have to say my coworkers and I had a great time. The obstacles were spaced far apart, but no complaints here. We will definitely do this again next year.

The course was great (much better than last years spot). The obstacles were pretty good and the lines weren't that bad. Appreciated that they closed some roads to allow traffic and parking. HUGE disappointment goes to the bag check. It was non existent!! They had some guy there, but he couldn't have been bothered to check to make sure folks were taking their own bags. That is something that needs to change now! You can't charge for checked bags and not supply any type of security.

Other than that it was a good time.

Yes it is expensive but above all one of the best races out there. Very challenging and fun to run. Atlanta is very well organized.

I dislocated my knee on the course (I ran both days) , and the medical was kind enough to drive through Mudder village to get my headband.

Food does need to be cheaper. Parking shouldn't be $10. And no bad check fee. Also, need better spectator routs.

Only obstacle I hated was the beached wale. Very dangerous.

Fantastic once again

I love this venue and I love what Tough Mudder has brought to the table the @ every event I have attended, This is the 3rd year that Tough Mudder comes to Glen Helen Raceway and it did not disappoint. I was lucky enough to be part of the Superhero wave that day, so my fellow superheroes and I, got 1st dibs at the course. Blockness monster was as good as advertised, Rain man freaked me the hell out, pyramid scheme got me out of my loner comfort zone and finally gave me a chance to team up, and help fellow mudders, and of course King of Swingers rocked the house as usual. They peppered us with 3 miles of hills to begin, then gave us a little breather witha couple of obstacles and then hitting us again w about 2 more miles worth of hills. Luckily, I have been working out losing weight and training so those same hills that kicked my ass last year, were vanquished with minimal pain. The last 3-4 miles were nothing but flat track and obstacles, that were spaced perfectly. The only swing and miss that I can think of was there frequent flyers club obstacle. Didn't really wow me, I was more impressed with fire in the hole and the water slide with flames from previous years. Volunteers were fantastic, I cannot wait to do it again 3 more times this year and yet again in 2017 @ Glen Helen. Oh and the winds made it even more epic. :)

Mixed reviews from a Legionaire

I've had a lot of good experiences at Tough Mudder(s) and a lot of not so good experiences. I find that of the seven Tough Mudders I've participated at, only one they checked the parking pass meaning I wasted $10 on parking numerous times.

One particular Tough Mudder I booked a cabin months in advance(which happened to be on the course), and noticed I would not be able to park on site, but wasn't emailed back at all until I emailed the camp site myself a couple weeks before the event to clarify that situation in which I was refunded the money but had to book a hotel last minute and paid extra.

As far as the event itself, I find that over the last four and a half years since my first Tough Mudder, the amount of obstacles has decreased significantly and Tough Mudder has garnered more towards kids by taking their focus away from providing a challenging course, and more on the kids with the "Fruit Mudder" and by lowering the age limit from 18 to 16.

The t-shirts went from being under armor (which is a significantly more comfortable shirt) for the first hand full of years to cotton in 2015. Although I've never had this problem myself yet (Knock on wood) I've heard countless Legionaires (Multiple time Tough Mudders) are being denied their Legionaire Headband that is promised on the website when completing a Tough Mudder.

(Also, it used to be a 12 mile course which is now a 10 mile course (even though they state its a 10-12 mile course, don't believe it. Its 10 and not 10-12)

The course map has never once been 100% perfect, and I don't expect it to be, but sometimes it wasn't even close. I also wish that the spectator route was more organized so the spectators could take more pictures.

The lines for some obstacles are ridiculously over a half hour wait just to go over some monkey bars.

Lastly for the cons, I have seen numerous reports on the news of how with the money raised by Tough Mudder being as much as it is, less than 60% actually goes to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Now to the pros- I find myself talking to and chatting up with complete strangers sometimes for miles at a time about just anything from where we come from to how many Tough Mudders we've done, to whats the next obstacle. There is never a shortage of mud, and the staff is almost always super friendly and super helpful. I always feel safe when running Tough Mudders. Despite there being more negative things listed than positive, in the end its still an enjoyable challenge- NOT A RACE, and I am proud to call myself a Tough Mudder Legionaire.

Jill, RN

Our 1st OCR ever and we had a blast!!! The comraderie was outstanding!!! I couldn't have done it without the help of so many complete strangers. Loved every bit of it!!! Can't wait to do our next TM Missouri 2016!!! The cold beer at the end was THE BEST EVER (not sure if it was just THAT good or we worked our butts off and deserved it THAT much). LOL
My sense of pride, once finished, was, & still is, phenomenal!!! Still so proud!!!
The only negative about the event was the cost. Way too expensive but we loved it so much that we're doing it again!!!
You don't have to be in perfect shape to be a part of TM. Just try your hardest and keep on chugging!!!

I would really give it 4.5 stars if I could, because one obstacle (beached whale) deflated and it didn't work. But overall the course was very challenging and very well organized. This is the best obstacle race for me because am less concerned with my time and more interested in camaraderie with others who are testing themselves physically. I especially enjoy the obstacles require teamwork or at least the help of one other individual. I like that everyone takes the Mudder pledge at the beginning that they will be more concerned with helping their fellow Mudder finish than their personal time. The best part of the event is helping someone else who is busting their butt to push themselves harder. Not as solitary as the Spartan Beast; not as physically taxing either. Even if you participate on your own, there are plenty of people who will help you out, and whom you can help in return. Wish there were a couple more weight-intensive lifting obstacles to burn your legs a bit more. Other than those few pecadillos, a great event.