Welcome to the muck

The mud is thick this year. Sucking, slimy, shoe-stealing thick.
There will be no running through the muck trough that fills the final yards of the annual Marine Mud Run this year. It’ll be a belly crawl. But then, that’s the point.
Marines have an affinity for running and mud — for suffering in general. Once a year, in an event that benefits Toys for Tots, hundreds of runners swarm Green Hill Park in Roanoke County for a 5K Marine-style.
Matt Crump and his New Kent High School cross country teammates traversed the state to be in the team race. He has competed in many races, but none with a mud-pit finish.
Crump is first to dive into the sludge. The rest of his team isn’t far behind. One by one they take the plunge and half crawl, half swim the length of the mire, emerging on the far side, bodies painted red with clay. Eyes and teeth gleaming brightly from his muddied face, Crump waves them in.
Some double over, panting, as Crump greets a final teammate with an embrace that sends mud flying in all directions. They clasp hands and cross the finish line together while other teams stumble into the pit, writhing and gasping.
Young jarheads monitoring the runners spot one trying to avoid complete filth. “Hey, you in the swim cap!” one shouts. “Get your face muddy!”

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