Tie up your Laces and Prepare to get Dirty at the Dirty Girls Mud Run

An entertaining experience for participants and spectators

By Chelsea Cameron-Fikis Chelsea Cameron-Fikis is a nature and outdoors enthusiast who is working towards her first novel.

October 28, 2024

Ladies, if you’ve ever dreamed of dirt, grim and sweat then the Dirty Girls Mud Run is the perfect event for you! Dirty Girls is a 5km Mud Run complete with obstacles held in support of the Canadian Cancer Society. This year’s event, the second annual is scheduled for Saturday, August 9th at This Old Barn in Murillo, Ontario and promises to better than last year.

Registration takes place Saturday January 18 at Intercity Shopping Centre from 9:30am to 6pm in the promotions and again on Sunday January 19 at Intercity from noon to 5pm. NOTE: Last year’s event filled in less than 3 hours, so come early to ensure your team gets a spot!

if you want to enjoy the sheer hilarity of watching a few hundred women get covered in head-to-toe mud, then you should probably mark your calendar for a visit to Thunder Bay to be in attendance for this event on Saturday August 9.

Mud Runs - Popular Fundraising Events

Mud Run you may ask? Exactly as it sounds registered participants will be trekking through muddy and messy terrain competing in either a competitive category or a more relaxed fun category. All teams have been encouraged to get creative and piece together team costumes for prizes.

However as the event’s website boasts “At the end of the day, everyone’s shoes will match their outfit”, clearly indicating that those participating should expect to get dirty - really dirty. Mud Runs have become popular events in Canada and the United States.

Thunder Bay's 1st Year Event

2013 was the first year for this event in Thunder Bay, and was an early sellout with great interest among women in the Thunder Bay area looking to participate. With only enough slots for 750 racers or 150 teams of 5, the event received an overwhelming response from hopeful participants causing all slots to be filled by the end of April, three months before the event.

The event coordinators anticipate that the event will be even bigger in 2014. However being in the audience may arguably be the better option and there is lots of space for people to come and watch! You’ll remain clean and dry in your summer clothing while you derive some guilty pleasure watching the racers literally become as dirty as pigs in mud.

As the Mud Run is a ladies only event, 750 tough gals will be working through 10 Obstacles designed by the local military, The

Lake Superior Scottish Regiment. The courses can be expected to include lots of mud pits, tire obstacles, a wall climb, culverts, muddy hills and so on.

Although participation is limited only to females, men and women of all ages are encouraged to come out and enjoy watching friends, family or even strangers get slimmed in mud. Spectators may bring a foldout/lawn chair to enjoy watching from the side lines. In addition there will also be cheering stations set up along the way!

The fundraising goal of the Dirty Girls Mud Run is $100,000 and with over $10,000 fundraised by online donations already these ladies are well on their way to raising an incredible amount of money for a truly worthy cause. Those interested can continue to make donations at the Dirty Girls Thunder Bay website. Admission to watch the event is $10.00 per vehicle at the gate, while racers are free.

A Spectator Event - Fun & Entertainment

Further to the utter satisfaction of watching participants become drenched in mud, this event will also include several other amenities for participants and spectators alike. Great live local entertainment is in place with performances lined up for the entire day; refreshments such as the signature “Dirty Girl” cocktail will be provided at the Beer and Bar area; delicious lunch options will be available from This Old Barn; an entire village of shopping and pampering services will be present; and finally an after party is set to occur at Bight Restaurant on the Waterfront later in the evening!

Last year, there was an after party at Bight Restaurant that was open to anyone who wanted to attend. Live footage, highlights from the race, fun pink cocktails, appetizers, great music, dancing, team awards and the presentation of the total funds raised to The Canadian Cancer Society were annouced at the after party! Details on this year's after party will be posted on the Keynote Events website,

Dirty Girls Pink Hair — Runner or spectator the day promises to be an unforgettable one as the event will surely leave all those in attendance with a definite sense of accomplishment – physically and or mentally. The races will go on rain or shine, and volunteers are still needed for the day of the event. Those interested in volunteering, sponsoring, making a donation or wanting further information can visit The Dirty Girls website at

www.dirtygirlstbay.com, while Dirty Girls Thunder Bay can also be found on Facebook.

Those involved with Dirty Girls Thunder Bay hope to have a very large audience come out and cheer on the racers – but for those wishing they would have registered a team, bookmark this run in your calendar for next year and plan a trip to Thunder Bay as this is guaranteed to be an event that will continue to grow in size and popularity each and every year!

Sponsors for this year’s event include Keynote Events, This Old Barn, Nutrition House, Gear Up for Outdoors, Chase Fitness, Vector450, Aqua North, The Foundry, Impact Promotions, Dougall Media, 2Tone Music Productions, and Sasi Spring Water.