Event to test ‘warriors’

By FUN staff

Photo provided by Red Frog Events, LLC -- Competitors negotiate under barbed wire and through muddy water at a Warrior Dash 5K race.

They’re called warriors for a reason.

The 10,000 competitors in the Warrior Dash aren’t simple running — they’re bounding over fire, trudging through mud and scaling a dozen obstacles during these five kilometers over extreme terrains. It’s a challenge for even the most athletic runners, who take off for the battleground in groups of 500 every half hour throughout the day.

The Warrior Dash is the world’s largest running series and comes to Tiki Tubing this weekend. In true Louisiana style, the race will be paired with a festival offering live music, food, beer and front-row seats to watch the action.

The athletes do it for the thrill of it all, but this year, it’s also for a cause. Warrior Dash has partnered with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to raise funds for the Tennessee facility. The racers hope to raise $3 million-plus for St. Jude’s during this year’s races. The group is also aligned with GreenSneakers, an environmentally-friendly organization which gave 500,000 pounds of donated tennis shoes a second chance at life last year.