Note: More media content is available for this story at BrooklynDaily.com.
By Colin Mixson
Brooklyn Daily
People will buy anything — take a crawl through mud for example.
The name “Civilian Military Combine” doesn’t exactly ring with the sounds of fun and laughter, but for the hundreds of people who paid over $100 to drag themselves through a mud pit and over obstacles in Floyd Bennett Field on Saturday, it was just what the doctor ordered.
“I thought it was worth it,” said Rena Eleazar, who came down from Harlem for the event. “It was really challenging. It was a lot of fun, and there was a lot of mud.”
Civilian Military Combine is a rugged-run event organized by three civilians, who were interested in finding an alternative method of supporting American service men in gratitude for their sacrifices.
The result was one of the most grueling, comprehensive, and muddiest obstacle course runs in the country, and which contributes a portion of its proceeds to the Navy Seals Foundation and the 31 Heroes Project.
“Civilian Military Combine for us is a really unique and rewarding opportunity to give back to the military,” said co-founder and CEO Keith Gornish.
Each race differs, but the event at Floyd Bennett Field featured 25 obstacles for athletes to test themselves on.
What makes Civilian Military Combine different from other rugged runs, however, is that the work starts before the race, courtesy of the three-part workout with a heavy name, “the Pit.”
“The Pit is the functional fitness component of the race,” said Gornish. “Its a fitness frenzy!”
Civilian Military Combine may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but those who participated on Saturday seemed to love it, according to paramedic Frank Pasterak, who volunteered to provide medical services at the event.
“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “The look on some of these people’s faces showed they were having a great time.”